Essays on Workers and Firms in Developing Countries

Abstract

This thesis consists of three essays exploring workers and firms in developing countries. The first essay studies the benefits and costs of migrant networks. I highlight how migrant workers can learn from hometown peers to increase productivity, but also compete with each other during negative hometown shocks, increasing aggregate risks. The second essay examines the impacts of different resource allocation mechanisms in markets with capital-constrained young firms. The third essay focuses on how delivery platforms influence restaurant locations and consumer welfare within cities. Collectively, these essays provide insights into the ways workers and firms interact and compete, particularly in the digital economy era.