Domestic Multinationals, Foreign Affiliates, and Labour Demand Elasticities
Abstract
Using information on a panel of multinational firms operating in the United Kingdom from 1996 to 2005, we find that labour demand in domestic multinationals is less sensitive to labour cost changes than in foreign multinationals. This difference in the wage elasticity of labour demand persists even when we control for the skill intensity of firms or their level of intangible assets. This is in line with an interpretation that the provision of headquarter services in domestic multinational firms protects against strong fluctuations in labour demand. Overall, our results suggest that the wage elasticity of labour demand is about 40 percent lower in domestic than in foreign multinationals.Download Info
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Paper provided by Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) in its series IZA Discussion Papers with number 7061.Length: 32 pages
Date of creation: Dec 2012
Date of revision:
Publication status: forthcoming in: Review of World Economics, 2013
Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp7061
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Related research
Keywords: headquarter services; multinational firms; labour demand elasticity; skill intensity;Find related papers by JEL classification:
- F23 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - Multinational Firms; International Business
- J23 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Demand
- J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:
- NEP-ALL-2012-12-22 (All new papers)
- NEP-INT-2012-12-22 (International Trade)
- NEP-LAB-2012-12-22 (Labour Economics)
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