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Outsourcing, unemployment and welfare policy

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  • Keuschnigg, Christian
  • Ribi, Evelyn

Abstract

The paper investigates the consequences of outsourcing of labor intensive activities to low-wage economies. This trend challenges the two basic functions of the welfare state, redistribution and social insurance when private unemployment insurance markets are missing. The main results are: (i) outsourcing raises unemployment and labor income risk of unskilled workers; (ii) it increases inequality between high- and low-income groups; and (iii) the gains from outsourcing can be made Pareto improving by using a redistributive linear income tax if redistribution is initially not too large. We finally derive the welfare optimal redistribution and unemployment insurance policies.

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Bibliographic Info

Article provided by Elsevier in its journal Journal of International Economics.

Volume (Year): 78 (2009)
Issue (Month): 1 (June)
Pages: 168-176

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Handle: RePEc:eee:inecon:v:78:y:2009:i:1:p:168-176

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Web page: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/inca/505552

Related research

Keywords: Outsourcing Unemployment Social insurance Redistribution;

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References

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Citations

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Cited by:
  1. Devereux, Michael P. & Keuschnigg, Christian, 2009. "The Distorting Arm's Length Principle," CEPR Discussion Papers 7375, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
  2. Luis Carvalho & Aurora A.C. Teixeira, 2011. "Where are the poor in International Economics?," FEP Working Papers 425, Universidade do Porto, Faculdade de Economia do Porto.
  3. Evelyn Ribi, 2009. "Optimal Size and Intensity of Job Search Assistance Programs," University of St. Gallen Department of Economics working paper series 2009 2009-19, Department of Economics, University of St. Gallen.
  4. Wilhelm Kohler & Jens Wrona, 2010. "Offshoring Tasks, yet Creating Jobs?," CESifo Working Paper Series 3019, CESifo Group Munich.
  5. Kohler, Wilhelm & Wrona, Jens, 2011. "Offshoring tasks, yet creating jobs?," University of Tuebingen Working Papers in Economics and Finance 12, University of Tuebingen, Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences.
  6. Christian Keuschnigg, 2008. "Corporate Taxation and the Welfare State," University of St. Gallen Department of Economics working paper series 2008 2008-18, Department of Economics, University of St. Gallen.
  7. Silvia Rocha-Akis & Ronnie Schöb, 2010. "Welfare Policy in the Presence of Unionised Labour and Internationally Mobile Firms," CESifo Working Paper Series 3032, CESifo Group Munich.
  8. Torben M. Andersen & Allan Sørensen, 2012. "Globalization, Tax Distortions, and Public-Sector Retrenchment," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 114(2), pages 409-439, 06.
  9. Silvia Rocha-Akis, 2012. "The Pain and Gain of Offshoring: The Effects of Tax Progression in a Segmented Labour Market," CESifo Working Paper Series 3739, CESifo Group Munich.
  10. Christian Keuschnigg, 2009. "The Role of Corporate Taxation in a Large Welfare State," University of St. Gallen Department of Economics working paper series 2009 2009-23, Department of Economics, University of St. Gallen.
  11. Victor-Adrian Troacă,Victor Troacă, 2012. "Outsourcing – Is It A Solution For The State?," Annals - Economy Series, Constantin Brancusi University, Faculty of Economics, vol. 1, pages 187-189, March.
  12. Thomas Aronsson & Erkki Koskela, 2008. "Optimal Redistributive Taxation and Provision of Public Input Goods in an Economy with Outsourcing and Unemployment," CESifo Working Paper Series 2481, CESifo Group Munich.

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