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Does International Outsourcing Depress Union Wages?

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  • Sebastian Braun
  • Juliane Scheffel

Abstract

In this paper, we provide first empirical evidence on the effect of outsourcing on union wages using linked employer-employee data for Germany. We find that low skilled workers experience a decline in the union wage premium when working in industries with high outsourcing intensities. The finding applies to both firm- and sector-level agreements. Hence, outsourcing appears to deteriorate the bargaining position of unions. Outsourcing is not found to have a negative effect on the wages of low skilled employees not covered by collective bargaining agreements. While wages of medium skilled workers are largely unaffected by outsourcing, high skilled workers see their wages rise in industries with a high level of outsourcing. There is no interaction between coverage and outsourcing for these skill groups.

Suggested Citation

  • Sebastian Braun & Juliane Scheffel, 2007. "Does International Outsourcing Depress Union Wages?," SFB 649 Discussion Papers SFB649DP2007-033, Sonderforschungsbereich 649, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:hum:wpaper:sfb649dp2007-033
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Feenstra, Robert C & Hanson, Gordon H, 1996. "Globalization, Outsourcing, and Wage Inequality," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 86(2), pages 240-245, May.
    2. Arndt, Sven W., 1997. "Globalization and the open economy," The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 8(1), pages 71-79.
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    Cited by:

    1. Scharpf, Fritz W., 2017. "Vom asymmetrischen Euro-Regime in die Transferunion: Und was die deutsche Politik dagegen tun könnte," MPIfG Discussion Paper 17/15, Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies.
    2. Beissinger, Thomas & Chusseau, Nathalie & Hellier, Joël, 2015. "Offshoring and Labour Market Reforms: Modelling the German Experience," IZA Discussion Papers 8920, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    3. Koskela, Erkki & Stenbacka, Rune, 2010. "Equilibrium unemployment with outsourcing and wage solidarity under labour market imperfections," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 54(3), pages 376-392, April.
    4. Jan König & Erkki Koskela, 2013. "The Role of Profit Sharing in Dual Labour Markets with Flexible Outsourcing," LABOUR, CEIS, vol. 27(4), pages 351-370, December.
    5. Yasir Khan & Wang Mingyi, 2018. "How the GCC Economic Crises Effect Labor Migration: Evidence from Pakistan," Asian Journal of Economics and Empirical Research, Asian Online Journal Publishing Group, vol. 5(2), pages 139-146.
    6. Koskela, Erkki, 2009. "Impacts of Labor Taxation with Perfectly and Imperfectly Competitive Domestic Labor Markets under Flexible Outsourcing," IZA Discussion Papers 4544, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    7. Joseph A. Clougherty & Klaus Gugler & Lars Sørgard, 2012. "Cross-Border Mergers and Domestic Wages: Integrating Positive 'Spillover' Effects and Negative 'Bargaining' Effects," Department of Economics Working Papers wuwp136, Vienna University of Economics and Business, Department of Economics.
    8. Beissinger, Thomas & Chusseau, Nathalie & Hellier, Joël, 2016. "Offshoring and labour market reforms in Germany: Assessment and policy implications," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 314-333.
    9. Joseph A Clougherty & Klaus Gugler & Lars Sørgard & Florian W Szücs, 2014. "Cross-border mergers and domestic-firm wages: Integrating “spillover effects” and “bargaining effects”," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 45(4), pages 450-470, May.
    10. Thomas Beissinger & Nathalie Chusseau & Joel Hellier, 2014. "Offshoring, employment, labour market reform and inequality: Modelling the German experience," Working Papers 330, ECINEQ, Society for the Study of Economic Inequality.
    11. Koskela, Erkki & Poutvaara, Panu, 2008. "Flexible Outsourcing and the Impacts of Labour Taxation in European Welfare States," IZA Discussion Papers 3699, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    12. Radhicka Kapoor & P P Krishnapriya, 2019. "Explaining the contractualisation of India's workforce," Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER) Working Paper 369, Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER), New Delhi, India.
    13. Ranjan, Priya, 2013. "Offshoring, unemployment, and wages: The role of labor market institutions," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 89(1), pages 172-186.
    14. O'Farrell, Rory, 2012. "The effect of international firm mobility on wages and unemployment," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 19(6), pages 931-943.
    15. Radi, Davide & Lamantia, Fabio & Italo Bischi, Gian, 2021. "Offshoring, Reshoring, Unemployment, And Wage Dynamics In A Two-Country Evolutionary Model," Macroeconomic Dynamics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 25(3), pages 705-732, April.
    16. Chongvilaivan, Aekapol & Hur, Jung & Riyanto, Yohanes E., 2013. "Labor union bargaining and firm organizational structure," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 24(C), pages 116-124.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Collective Bargaining; International Outsourcing; Union Wages;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F16 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Trade and Labor Market Interactions
    • J51 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor-Management Relations, Trade Unions, and Collective Bargaining - - - Trade Unions: Objectives, Structure, and Effects
    • L24 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Contracting Out; Joint Ventures

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