Capital-labor substitution, sector-specific externalities, and indeterminacy

Abstract

This paper examines the effect of the elasticity of technological substitution on the existence of equilibrium indeterminacy in two-sector economies. Following recent empirical evidence, the elasticity of substitution between capital and labor is below unity and we find that this requires a higher degree of productive externalities in order to still be able to produce indeterminate equilibria. However, empirically realistic rates of substitution do not rule out indeterminacy.