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BPEA | 1996 No. 2

Macroeconomic Implications of Variation in the Workweek of Capital

Matthew D. Shapiro
MDS
Matthew D. Shapiro
Discussants: Carol Corrado and
Carol Corrado The Conference Board
Peter K. Clark
PKC
Peter K. Clark

1996, No. 2


IN A TYPICAL workweek, one in every four manufacturing production workers in the United States is employed at night. This fraction fluctuates sharply over the business cycle, accounting disproportionately for business cycle changes in employment. The variation in work at night amounts to over 40 percent of the cyclical changes in the employment of manufacturing production workers. While cyclical movements in shiftwork are pervasive in many manufacturing industries, there are also some nonmanufacturing industries in which such variation is important.