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Exporting and Labor Demand: Micro-level Evidence from Germany

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  • Andreas Lichter
  • Andreas Peichl
  • Sebastian Siegloch

Abstract

It is widely believed that globalization affects the extent of employment and wage responses to economic shocks. To provide evidence for this, we analyze the effect of firms’ exporting behavior on the elasticity of labor demand. Using rich, German administrative linked employer-employee panel data from 1996 to 2008, we explicitly control for self-selection into exporting and endogeneity concerns. In line with our theoretical model, we find that exporting at both the intensive and extensive margins significantly increases the (absolute value of the) unconditional own-wage labor demand elasticity. This is not only true for the average worker, but also for different skill groups. For the median firm, the elasticity is three-quarters higher when comparing exporting to non-exporting firms.

Suggested Citation

  • Andreas Lichter & Andreas Peichl & Sebastian Siegloch, 2014. "Exporting and Labor Demand: Micro-level Evidence from Germany," CESifo Working Paper Series 4668, CESifo.
    • Handle: RePEc:ces:ceswps:_4668
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    Cited by:

    1. Peichl, Andreas & Popp, Martin, 2022. "Can the Labor Demand Curve Explain Job Polarization?," IAB-Discussion Paper 202221, Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), Nürnberg [Institute for Employment Research, Nuremberg, Germany].
    2. Martin Popp, 2023. "How elastic is labor demand? A meta-analysis for the German labor market," Journal for Labour Market Research, Springer;Institute for Employment Research/ Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), vol. 57(1), pages 1-21, December.
    3. Cox, Michael & Peichl, Andreas & Pestel, Nico & Siegloch, Sebastian, 2014. "Labor demand effects of rising electricity prices: Evidence for Germany," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 266-277.
    4. Carbonnier, Clément & Malgouyres, Clément & Py, Loriane & Urvoy, Camille, 2022. "Who benefits from tax incentives? The heterogeneous wage incidence of a tax credit," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 206(C).
    5. Marin, Giovanni & Vona, Francesco, 2021. "The impact of energy prices on socioeconomic and environmental performance: Evidence from French manufacturing establishments, 1997–2015," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 135(C).
    6. Nazier, Hanan, 2020. "Female labor in Egyptian manufacturing sector: The demand side story," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 1-11.
    7. Yang Liang, 2021. "Job creation and job destruction: The effect of trade shocks on U.S. manufacturing employment," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 44(10), pages 2909-2949, October.
    8. Hanan Nazier, 2019. "Estimating Labor Demand Elasticities and Elasticities of Substitution in Egyptian Manufacturing Sector: A Firm-Level Static Analysis," The Indian Journal of Labour Economics, Springer;The Indian Society of Labour Economics (ISLE), vol. 62(4), pages 549-575, December.
    9. repec:hal:spmain:info:hdl:2441/1jrfjrj6fp8t6q12fv5lra520c is not listed on IDEAS
    10. Brändle, Tobias & Kalweit, René, 2016. "The Employment Effects of the EU Eastern Enlargement in Germany," VfS Annual Conference 2016 (Augsburg): Demographic Change 145502, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    11. Arnd Kölling & Antje Mertens, 2022. "Export activities and the demand for skills in German businesses," Empirica, Springer;Austrian Institute for Economic Research;Austrian Economic Association, vol. 49(1), pages 189-223, February.
    12. Carlo Perroni & Davide Suverato, 2023. "Skills scarcity and export intensity," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 56(2), pages 719-757, May.
    13. Lindenthal, Volker, 2018. "The Volatility and Cyclicality of Job Flows in German Exporters and Non-Exporters," VfS Annual Conference 2018 (Freiburg, Breisgau): Digital Economy 181637, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    trade; export; labor demand; wage elasticity; administrative microdata;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F16 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Trade and Labor Market Interactions
    • F66 - International Economics - - Economic Impacts of Globalization - - - Labor
    • J23 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Demand

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