Asymmetric Effects of Monetary Policy on Firms

Abstract

This paper documents firm‐level evidence on the asymmetric effects of monetary policy in the United States. Focusing on the 1980q3–2019q4 period, I find that monetary tightenings show larger effects on firms' employment and sales than monetary easings. In comparison, investment rate does not generate significant asymmetry in response to sign‐dependent monetary policy shocks. I interpret these findings in the context of downward nominal wage rigidity and investment irreversibility channels. Furthermore, I exploit cross‐sectional variation and show that employment of small, nondividend payer, low credit rating, and young firms displays larger contractions in response to a monetary tightening.