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Multinationals as Stabilizers? Economic Crisis and Plant Employment Growth

Author

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  • Alvarez, Roberto

    (Central Bank of Chile)

  • Görg, Holger

    (Kiel Institute for the World Economy)

Abstract

This paper examines the link between multinational enterprises and employment growth at the plant-level. We investigate in detail the comparative response of multinationals and domestic firms to an economic crisis, using the empirical setting of a well defined case of economic slowdown in Chile as a natural experiment. In our empirical analysis we find that employment growth in manufacturing plants has been drastically reduced during the economic crisis. More importantly, we do not find evidence that multinationals react to the economic crisis differently than do domestic firms. Our findings hold in a number of robustness tests, in which we also investigate the role of access to finance. The results are in contrast to the idea that multinationals are less affected by an economic crisis and that they may be able to act as stabilizers in developing countries.

Suggested Citation

  • Alvarez, Roberto & Görg, Holger, 2007. "Multinationals as Stabilizers? Economic Crisis and Plant Employment Growth," IZA Discussion Papers 2692, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp2692
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    Cited by:

    1. Sun Eae Chun & Mamoru Nagano & Min Hwan Lee, 2011. "Ownership Structure and Risk‐taking Behavior: Evidence from Banks in Korea and Japan," Asian Economic Journal, East Asian Economic Association, vol. 25(2), pages 151-175, June.
    2. Kolasa, Marcin & Rubaszek, Michal & Taglioni, Daria, 2010. "Firms in the great global recession: The role of foreign ownership and financial dependence," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 11(4), pages 341-357, December.
    3. Nicola Cortinovis & Riccardo Crescenzi & Frank van Oort, 2020. "Multinational enterprises, industrial relatedness and employment in European regions [Innovation: mapping the winds of creative destruction]," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 20(5), pages 1165-1205.
    4. Eppinger, Peter & Smolka, Marcel, 2015. "Firm Exports, Foreign Ownership, and the Global Financial Crisis," VfS Annual Conference 2015 (Muenster): Economic Development - Theory and Policy 113039, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    5. Alvarez, Roberto & Görg, Holger, 2009. "Multinationals and plant exit: Evidence from Chile," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 18(1), pages 45-51, January.
    6. Laura Alfaro & Maggie Xiaoyang Chen, 2012. "Surviving the Global Financial Crisis: Foreign Ownership and Establishment Performance," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 4(3), pages 30-55, August.
    7. Sass, Magdolna & Gál, Zoltán & S. Gubik, Andrea & Szunomár, Ágnes & Túry, Gábor, 2022. "A koronavírus-járvány kezelése a külföldi tulajdonú magyarországi vállalatoknál [The effects and handling of the Covid-19 pandemic by foreign-owned firms in Hungary]," Közgazdasági Szemle (Economic Review - monthly of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences), Közgazdasági Szemle Alapítvány (Economic Review Foundation), vol. 0(6), pages 758-780.
    8. Shafik Hebous & Alfons J. Weichenrieder & Alfons Weichenrieder, 2009. "Debt Financing and Sharp Currency Depreciations: Wholly vs. Partially Owned Multinational Affiliates," CESifo Working Paper Series 2892, CESifo.
    9. Fabienne Fortanier & Selwyn Moons, 2011. "Foreign Investors in The Netherlands: Heterogeneous Employment and Productivity Effects," De Economist, Springer, vol. 159(4), pages 511-531, December.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    multinationals; employment growth; plant survival; economic crisis;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F2 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business
    • O1 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development
    • J2 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor

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