With asset values falling sharply in recent years, many companies around the world are under pressure to restore the solvency of their defined-benefit pension plans. Will this lead to higher contributions? Will higher contributions increase labor costs and reduce employment? Does this mechanism...

In this paper, I examine how labor shortage affects hiring-return relationship. I construct firm-year level measure of labor shortage using textual analysis of firms' SEC fillings. I show that the negative relationship between firm's hiring rate and its future return is only significant for...