A Micro Econometric Model of Capital Utilization and Retirement

The paper presents a micro econometric model of capital utilization and retirement. Some estimates of a firm's discrete decision problem with regard to an existing piece of capital--whether to operate, hold idle or retire it--are obtained, in the context of the US cement industry, by solving a discrete choice stochastic dynamic programming model. The estimates are then used to simulate effects of product and input price changes, and changes in the size and age of capital on a firm's propensity to operate, hold idle and retire capital.