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Labor Market Effects of Economic Integration - The Impact of Re-Unification in German Border Regions

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  • Thiess Büttner
  • Johannes Rincke

Abstract

The paper argues that economic integration causes problems for the labor market of high-wage countries due to cross-border labor mobility and the accompanying increase in labor supply. Empirical evidence is provided from an analysis of regional labor market effects of German re-unification. In the aftermath of the re-unification shock, despite some gain in employment, border regions situated on the former German-German border are found to have experienced a fall in the relative wage position and an increase in unemployment relative to other West-German regions. As this points to adverse labor supply effects for resident workers due to cross-border labor mobility, this result is bad news for EU regions situated on the border with the Accession countries in Central and Eastern Europe.

Suggested Citation

  • Thiess Büttner & Johannes Rincke, 2004. "Labor Market Effects of Economic Integration - The Impact of Re-Unification in German Border Regions," CESifo Working Paper Series 1179, CESifo.
    • Handle: RePEc:ces:ceswps:_1179
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    economic integration; border regions; EU enlargement; German re-unification; differences in differences estimation;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F15 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Economic Integration
    • J61 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Geographic Labor Mobility; Immigrant Workers
    • R23 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Household Analysis - - - Regional Migration; Regional Labor Markets; Population

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