IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/worlde/v32y2009i1p178-201.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Foreign Firms and Chinese Employment

Author

Listed:
  • Sune Karlsson
  • Nannan Lundin
  • Fredrik Sjöholm
  • Ping He

Abstract

This paper examines the effect of foreign direct investment (FDI) on employment in the Chinese manufacturing sector. As one of the world's largest recipients of FDI, China has arguably benefited from foreign multinational enterprises in various respects. However, one of the main challenges for China, and other developing countries, is job creation, and the effect of FDI on employment is uncertain. The effect depends on the amount of jobs created within foreign firms as well as the effect of FDI on employment in domestic firms. We analyse FDI and employment in China using a large sample of manufacturing firms for the period 1998–2004. Our results show that FDI has positive effects on employment growth. The relatively high employment growth in foreign firms is associated with their firm characteristics and their high survival rate. Employment growth is also relatively high in private domestic Chinese firms. There also seems to be a positive indirect effect of FDI on employment in private domestically‐owned firms, presumably caused by spillovers.

Suggested Citation

  • Sune Karlsson & Nannan Lundin & Fredrik Sjöholm & Ping He, 2009. "Foreign Firms and Chinese Employment," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(1), pages 178-201, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:worlde:v:32:y:2009:i:1:p:178-201
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-9701.2009.01162.x
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9701.2009.01162.x
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/j.1467-9701.2009.01162.x?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Lindbeck, Assar, 2007. "Economic-Social Interaction in China," Working Paper Series 720, Research Institute of Industrial Economics.
    2. Fosfuri, Andrea & Motta, Massimo & Ronde, Thomas, 2001. "Foreign direct investment and spillovers through workers' mobility," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 53(1), pages 205-222, February.
    3. Holger Görg & David Greenaway, 2016. "Much Ado about Nothing? Do Domestic Firms Really Benefit from Foreign Direct Investment?," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: MULTINATIONAL ENTERPRISES AND HOST COUNTRY DEVELOPMENT Volume 53: World Scientific Studies in International Economics, chapter 9, pages 163-189, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    4. Amy Jocelyn Glass & Kamal Saggi, 2002. "Multinational Firms and Technology Transfer," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 104(4), pages 495-513, December.
    5. Gershenberg, Irving, 1987. "The training and spread of managerial know-how, a comparative analysis of multinational and other firms in Kenya," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 15(7), pages 931-939, July.
    6. Deborah L. Swenson, 2008. "Multinationals and the creation of Chinese trade linkages," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 41(2), pages 596-618, May.
    7. Bruce A. Blonigen, 2019. "Firm-Specific Assets and the Link Between Exchange Rates and Foreign Direct Investment," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Foreign Direct Investment, chapter 3, pages 89-120, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    8. Djankov, Simeon & Hoekman, Bernard M, 2000. "Foreign Investment and Productivity Growth in Czech Enterprises," The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank, vol. 14(1), pages 49-64, January.
    9. Kristiina Huttunen, 2007. "The Effect of Foreign Acquisition on Employment and Wages: Evidence from Finnish Establishments," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 89(3), pages 497-509, August.
    10. Assar Lindbeck, 2008. "Economic–social interaction in China1," The Economics of Transition, The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, vol. 16(1), pages 113-139, January.
    11. Robert Lipsey & Fredrik Sjöholm, 2004. "FDI and wage spillovers in Indonesian manufacturing," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 140(2), pages 321-332, June.
    12. Lipsey, Robert E. & Sjoholm, Fredrik, 2004. "Foreign direct investment, education and wages in Indonesian manufacturing," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 73(1), pages 415-422, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Blanas, Sotiris. & Seric, Adnan. & Viegelahn, Christian,, 2017. "Jobs, FDI and institutions in Sub-Saharan Africa evidence from firm-level data," ILO Working Papers 994987491902676, International Labour Organization.
    2. Sotiris Blanas & Adnan Seric & Christian Viegelahn, 2019. "Job Quality, FDI and Institutions in Sub-Saharan Africa: Evidence from Firm-Level Data," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 31(5), pages 1287-1317, December.
    3. Holger Görg & Eric Strobl, 2016. "Spillovers from Foreign Firms through Worker Mobility: An Empirical Investigation," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: MULTINATIONAL ENTERPRISES AND HOST COUNTRY DEVELOPMENT, chapter 13, pages 243-259, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    4. Cole, Matthew A. & Elliott, Robert J.R. & Strobl, Eric, 2008. "The environmental performance of firms: The role of foreign ownership, training, and experience," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 65(3), pages 538-546, April.
    5. María C. Latorre, 2013. "On the Differential Behaviour of National and Multinational Firms: A Within- and Across-sectors Approach," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 36(10), pages 1294-1317, October.
    6. Pyun, Ju Hyun & Sun, Jong-in, 2022. "Is Hiring Foreign Worth It? Spillover from Foreign Firms’ Human Capital and Local Firms’ Productivity," ADBI Working Papers 1324, Asian Development Bank Institute.
    7. Kolasa Marcin, 2008. "How does FDI inflow affect productivity of domestic firms? The role of horizontal and vertical spillovers, absorptive capacity and competition," The Journal of International Trade & Economic Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 17(1), pages 155-173.
    8. Busse, Matthias & Groizard, José Luis, 2005. "FDI, Regulations and Growth," Conference papers 331335, Purdue University, Center for Global Trade Analysis, Global Trade Analysis Project.
    9. Dieter M. Urban, 2010. "FDI, Technology Spillovers, and Wages," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 18(3), pages 443-453, August.
    10. Maria Borga & Perla Ibarlucea Flores & Monika Sztajerowska, 2020. "Drivers of divestment decisions of multinational enterprises - A cross-country firm-level perspective," OECD Working Papers on International Investment 2019/03, OECD Publishing.
    11. Hsu, Shih-Hsun & Chang, Ching-Cheng & Yang, Tzu-Chiang & Lin, Hsing-Chun & Su, Han-Pang, 2005. "An Ex post Evaluation of Economic Impacts of SARS on Taiwan Using a Dynamic Computable General Equilibrium Model," Conference papers 331386, Purdue University, Center for Global Trade Analysis, Global Trade Analysis Project.
    12. Wittwer, Glyn, 2011. "Water buybacks and drought in the Murray-Darling Basin of Australia: confusing policy and catastrophe," Conference papers 332169, Purdue University, Center for Global Trade Analysis, Global Trade Analysis Project.
    13. Matthias Busse & José Luis Groizard, 2008. "Foreign Direct Investment, Regulations and Growth," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(7), pages 861-886, July.
    14. Sarker, Bibhuti & Serieux, John, 2022. "Foreign-invested and domestic firm attributes and spillover effects: Evidence from Brazil," Journal of Multinational Financial Management, Elsevier, vol. 63(C).
    15. Mohammed Abdullah & Murshed Chowdhury, 2020. "Foreign Direct Investment and Total Factor Productivity: Any Nexus?," Margin: The Journal of Applied Economic Research, National Council of Applied Economic Research, vol. 14(2), pages 164-190, May.
    16. Yuyuan Wen, 2014. "The spillover effect of FDI and its impact on productivity in high economic output regions: A comparative analysis of the Yangtze River Delta and the Pearl River Delta, China," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 93(2), pages 341-365, June.
    17. Tomáš Havránek & Zuzana Iršová, 2010. "Meta-Analysis of Intra-Industry FDI Spillovers: Updated Evidence," Czech Journal of Economics and Finance (Finance a uver), Charles University Prague, Faculty of Social Sciences, vol. 60(2), pages 151-174, May.
    18. Orlic, Edvard & Hashi, Iraj & Hisarciklilar, Mehtap, 2018. "Cross sectoral FDI spillovers and their impact on manufacturing productivity," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 27(4), pages 777-796.
    19. Crespo, Nuno & Fontoura, Maria Paula, 2007. "Determinant Factors of FDI Spillovers - What Do We Really Know?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 35(3), pages 410-425, March.
    20. Hartmut Egger & Udo Kreickemeier, 2017. "Why Foreign Ownership May be Good for You," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: International Trade and Labor Markets Welfare, Inequality and Unemployment, chapter 13, pages 381-421, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:worlde:v:32:y:2009:i:1:p:178-201. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/journal.asp?ref=0378-5920 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.