Firm Performance, Business Supports and Zombification over the Pandemic
IMF Working Papers, January 31, 2025
Source details
- Canonical URL
- Firm Performance, Business Supports and Zombification over the Pandemic
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Bibliographic details
- Authors: Alexander Amundsen, Amélie Lafrance-Cooke, Danny Leung
- Published: January 31, 2025
- Series: IMF Working Papers
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.5089/9798400298776.001
Main findings
- Using administrative data covering the universe of Canadian firms, the share of zombie firms declined broadly across industries relative to pre-pandemic levels.
- Business support measures kept firms alive and operating as non-zombie firms.
- The decline in the zombie firm share was driven by would-be zombie firms exiting, indicating a cleansing effect of the pandemic.
- Aggregate labour productivity worsened in Canada over the pandemic, but this deterioration was not driven by zombie firms.
Data and scope
- Coverage: Universe of Canadian firms (administrative data).
- Pages: 40
- Series: Working Paper No. 2025/029
- Volume: 2025
- Issue: 029
Authors and publication
- By Alexander Amundsen, Amélie Lafrance-Cooke, Danny Leung
- Publication date: January 31, 2025
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.5089/9798400298776.001
Subjects and keywords
- Subject: COVID-19, Employment, Health, Labor, National accounts, Production, Productivity
- Keywords: Aggregate Productivity, business support measure, cleansing effect, COVID-19, COVID-19 Pandemic, Employment, Europe, exit component, firm performance, Productivity, zombie firm, Zombie Firms
Identifiers
- ISBN: 9798400298776
- ISSN: 1018-5941
- Stock No: WPIEA2025029
IMF Working Papers describe research in progress by the author(s) and are published to elicit comments and to encourage debate. The views expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of the IMF, its Executive Board, or IMF management.
Content in this bundle
- Working Paper