Private Equity Takeovers and Employment in the UK: Some Empirical Evidence

Abstract

This study investigates the employment consequences of private equity acquisitions, in particular institutional buy-outs (IBOs), in the UK. It involves a pre- and post-acquisition analysis of employment and performance characteristics for a sample of acquired firms and a matched sample of non-acquired firms. The study finds a significant decrease in employment in acquired firms in the year immediately after the completion of the IBO compared to the non-acquired firms. Further analysis fails to identify any parallel or subsequent increase in firm productivity or profitability. This evidence suggests that the observed downsizing has not been effective either in disciplining staff or imparting a clearer focus to activities.