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The effect of globalization on union bargaining and price-cost margins of firms

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Author Info

  • Filip Abraham

    ()

  • Jozef Konings

    ()

  • Stijn Vanormelingen

    ()

Abstract

In recent years, Europe has witnessed an accelerated process of economic integration. Trade barriers were removed, the euro was introduced and ten new member states have joined the European Union. This paper analyzes how this process of increased economic integration has affected labor and product markets. To this end, we use a panel of Belgian manufacturing firms to estimate price-cost margins and union bargaining power and show how various measures of globalization affect them. Our findings can be summarized as follows: On average, firms set prices about 30% above marginal costs, but there is substantial variation across sectors, with the lowest mark-up around 19% and the highest around 52%. In addition, we find evidence that unions bargain over both wages and employment. We estimate an index of bargaining power, which reflects the fraction of profits that is passed on to workers into higher wages. Depending on the sector, this fraction varies between 6% and 18% and it increases with the markups of firms. Finally, we find that globalization puts pressure on both markups and union bargaining power, especially when there is increased competition from the low wage countries. This suggests that increased globalization is associated with a moderation of wage claims in unionized countries, which should be associated with positive effects on employment.

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Bibliographic Info

Article provided by Springer in its journal Review of World Economics.

Volume (Year): 145 (2009)
Issue (Month): 1 (April)
Pages: 13-36

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Handle: RePEc:spr:weltar:v:145:y:2009:i:1:p:13-36

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Related research

Keywords: Markups; Trade unions; International trade; F16; J50; L13;

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References

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Citations

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Cited by:
  1. Moreno, L & Rodríguez, D, 2010. "Markups, bargaining power and offshoring: an empirical assessment," MPRA Paper 23587, University Library of Munich, Germany.
  2. Matteo Bugamelli & Silvia Fabiani & Enrico Sette, . "The age of the dragon: Chinese competition and the pricing behavior of the Italian firms," Working Papers 4, Department of the Treasury, Ministry of the Economy and of Finance.
  3. Leahy, Dermot & Montagna, Catia, 2012. "Strategic investment and international outsourcing in unionised oligopoly," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 19(2), pages 260-269.
  4. Muysken, Joan & Vallizadeh, Ehsan & Ziesemer, Thomas, 2012. "Migration, Unemployment, and Over-qualification: A Specific Factors-Model Approach," EconStor Preprints 67479, ZBW - German National Library of Economics.
  5. Jozef Konings & Stijn Vanormelingen, 2009. "The Impact of Training on Productivity and Wages: Firm Level Evidence," LICOS Discussion Papers 24409, LICOS - Centre for Institutions and Economic Performance, KU Leuven.
  6. Dobbelaere, Sabien & Kiyota, Kozo & Mairesse, Jacques, 2013. "Product and Labor Market Imperfections and Scale Economies: Micro-Evidence on France, Japan and the Netherlands," IZA Discussion Papers 7253, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA).
  7. M. Dumont & G. Rayp & P. Willemé, 2010. ""Ménage à trois" in a globalizing world: bargaining between firms, low-skilled and high-skilled workers," Working Papers of Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Ghent University, Belgium 10/687, Ghent University, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration.
  8. Philip Du Caju & François Rycx & Ilan Tojerow, 2011. "Wage Structure Effects of International Trade: Evidence from a Small Open Economy," Working Papers CEB 11-011, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
  9. Matteo Bugamelli & Silvia Fabiani & Enrico Sette, 2010. "The pro-competitive effect of imports from China: an analysis of firm-level price data," Temi di discussione (Economic working papers) 737, Bank of Italy, Economic Research and International Relations Area.
  10. Saara Tamminen & Chang Han-Hsin, 2012. "Company heterogeneity and mark-up variability," Working Papers 32, Government Institute for Economic Research Finland (VATT).
  11. Carlo Altomonte & Marcella Nicolini & Armando Rungi & Laura Ogliari, 2010. "Assessing the Competitive Behaviour of Firms in the Single Market: A Micro-based Approach," European Economy - Economic Papers 409, Directorate General Economic and Monetary Affairs (DG ECFIN), European Commission.
  12. Dibyendu Maiti & Arijit Mukherjee, . "Trade Liberalisation, Subcontracting and Unionised Wage," Discussion Papers 10/07, University of Nottingham, GEP.

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