Total Effects of Privatization: Evidence from Turkey

I examine effects of the privatization process as a whole in Turkey. I show that the privatization process begins before the firm is sold to private agents. I find that privatization causes the firm-level workforce to decline by 65 percent, profit-margin to increase by 18 percent, and no substantial changes in real sales. Based on the evidence presented, I conclude that the direct outcome of privatization is an income transfer from wage earners to profit earners. JEL Classification: L33, H4