The Importance of Reallocation for Productivity Growth: Evidence from European and US Banking

To what extent has input reallocation contributed to aggregate productivity growth in the banking sectors of Europe and the United States? Interestingly, under-performing banks capture market share, while more productive banks lose market share, in particular in the US. The pattern of reallocation is markedly different between the geographical regions: European productivity has grown by reallocating inputs through the first half of the sample period, at the same time when reallocation diminished growth in the US. The long-run positive effects of creative destruction are especially apparent in the US, where reallocation is an important driver of increases in productivity.