IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/regeco/v48y2014icp56-67.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Union wage-setting and international trade with footloose capital

Author

Listed:
  • Egger, Hartmut
  • Etzel, Daniel

Abstract

This paper sets up a general oligopolistic equilibrium model with two countries that differ in the centralization of union wage-setting. Being interested in the consequences of openness, we show that, in the short run, trade increases welfare and employment in both locations, and it raises income of capital owners as well as workers. In the long run, capital outflows from the country with the more centralized wage-setting generate winners and losers and make the two countries more dissimilar in terms of unemployment or welfare. Decentralization of wage-setting can successfully prevent capital outflow and the export of jobs.

Suggested Citation

  • Egger, Hartmut & Etzel, Daniel, 2014. "Union wage-setting and international trade with footloose capital," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 56-67.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:regeco:v:48:y:2014:i:c:p:56-67
    DOI: 10.1016/j.regsciurbeco.2014.04.008
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S016604621400043X
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.regsciurbeco.2014.04.008?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Jakob Roland Munch, 2003. "The Location of Firms in Unionized Countries," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 105(1), pages 49-72, March.
    2. Picard, Pierre M. & Toulemonde, Eric, 2006. "Firms agglomeration and unions," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 50(3), pages 669-694, April.
    3. Kjell Erik Lommerud & Frode Meland & Lars S¯rgard, 2003. "Unionised Oligopoly, Trade Liberalisation and Location Choice," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 113(490), pages 782-800, October.
    4. Olivier Blanchard & Francesco Giavazzi, 2003. "Macroeconomic Effects of Regulation and Deregulation in Goods and Labor Markets," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 118(3), pages 879-907.
    5. Naylor, Robin, 1999. "Union Wage Strategies and International Trade," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 109(452), pages 102-125, January.
    6. Beata Smarzynska Javorcik & Mariana Spatareanu, 2005. "Do Foreign Investors Care about Labor Market Regulations?," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 141(3), pages 375-403, October.
    7. Danthine, Jean-Pierre & Hunt, Jennifer, 1994. "Wage Bargaining Structure, Employment and Economic Integration," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 104(424), pages 528-541, May.
    8. Leahy, Dermot & Montagna, Catia, 2000. "Unionisation and Foreign Direct Investment: Challenging Conventional Wisdom?," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 110(462), pages 80-92, March.
    9. Mezzetti, Claudio & Dinopoulos, Elias, 1991. "Domestic unionization and import competition," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 31(1-2), pages 79-100, August.
    10. Huizinga, Harry, 1993. " International Market Integration and Union Wage Bargaining," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 95(2), pages 249-255.
    11. Udo Kreickemeier & Frode Meland, 2017. "Non-Traded Goods, Globalization, and Union Influence," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: International Trade and Labor Markets Welfare, Inequality and Unemployment, chapter 7, pages 173-201, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    12. Gross, Dominique M. & Ryan, Michael, 2008. "FDI location and size: Does employment protection legislation matter?," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 38(6), pages 590-605, November.
    13. Vincent Delbecque & Isabelle Méjean & Lise Patureau, 2014. "Labor market institutions and firms’ location choices," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 150(1), pages 115-148, February.
    14. Egger, Hartmut & Etzel, Daniel, 2012. "The impact of trade on employment, welfare, and income distribution in unionized general oligopolistic equilibrium," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 56(6), pages 1119-1135.
    15. Persyn, Damiaan, 2013. "Union wage demands with footloose firms and agglomeration forces," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 43(1), pages 142-150.
    16. Vincent Delbecque & Isabelle Méjean & Lise Patureau, 2008. "Social Competition and Firms' Location Choices," Working Papers 2008-12, CEPII research center.
    17. Paulo Bastos & Udo Kreickemeier, 2017. "Unions, Competition, and International Trade in General Equilibrium," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: International Trade and Labor Markets Welfare, Inequality and Unemployment, chapter 6, pages 143-172, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    18. Richard A. Brecher, 1974. "Minimum Wage Rates and the Pure Theory of International Trade," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 88(1), pages 98-116.
    19. Eckel, Carsten & Egger, Hartmut, 2009. "Wage bargaining and multinational firms," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 77(2), pages 206-214, April.
    20. Martin, Philippe & Rogers, Carol Ann, 1995. "Industrial location and public infrastructure," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 39(3-4), pages 335-351, November.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Baumgarten, Daniel & Irlacher, Michael & Koch, Michael, 2020. "Offshoring and non-monotonic employment effects across industries in general equilibrium," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 130(C).
    2. Rudy Colacicco, 2015. "Ten Years Of General Oligopolistic Equilibrium: A Survey," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(5), pages 965-992, December.
    3. Kenji Fujiwara, 2016. "Trade and FDI liberalization in a general oligopolistic equilibrium," Discussion Paper Series 150, School of Economics, Kwansei Gakuin University, revised Nov 2016.
    4. Hosaki Sano, 2018. "Labor union and firm fs relocation: A general oligopolistic equilibrium model analysis," Discussion Papers in Economics and Business 18-15-Rev., Osaka University, Graduate School of Economics, revised May 2018.
    5. T. Gries & R. Grundmann & I. Palnau & M. Redlin, 2017. "Innovations, growth and participation in advanced economies - a review of major concepts and findings," International Economics and Economic Policy, Springer, vol. 14(2), pages 293-351, April.
    6. Martín Tobal, 2017. "Regulatory Entry Barriers, Rent Shifting and the Home Market Effect," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 25(1), pages 76-97, February.
    7. Palokangas, Tapio K., 2017. "Labor Market Regulation, International Trade and Footloose Capital," IZA Discussion Papers 10468, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    8. Fujiwara, Kenji, 2017. "Trade and FDI liberalization in a general oligopolistic equilibrium," Japan and the World Economy, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 45-49.
    9. Colin Davis & Ken-ichi Hashimoto & Ken Tabata, 2021. "Unionization, Industry Concentration, and Economic Growth," ISER Discussion Paper 1154, Institute of Social and Economic Research, Osaka University.
    10. Marco de Pinto, 2015. "Firm-level versus Sector-level Trade Unions – The Role of Rent-Sharing Motives," IAAEU Discussion Papers 201508, Institute of Labour Law and Industrial Relations in the European Union (IAAEU).
    11. Tapio Palokangas, 2020. "Public policy, footloose capital, and union influence," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(4), pages 976-991, September.
    12. Hosaki Sano, 2020. "The endogenous decisions of unionization and international trade: A general oligopolistic equilibrium model analysis," Manchester School, University of Manchester, vol. 88(5), pages 641-663, September.
    13. Hosaki Sano, 2018. "The endogenous decisions of unionization and international trade: A general oligopolistic equilibrium model analysis," Discussion Papers in Economics and Business 18-14, Osaka University, Graduate School of Economics.
    14. Irlacher, Michael & Baumgarten, Daniel & Koch, Michael, 2017. "Short- versus long-run effects of offshoring when sectors are heterogeneous," VfS Annual Conference 2017 (Vienna): Alternative Structures for Money and Banking 168272, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Hartmut Egger & Daniel Etzel, 2012. "Union Wage Setting and International Trade," IAAEU Discussion Papers 201209, Institute of Labour Law and Industrial Relations in the European Union (IAAEU).
    2. Egger, Hartmut & Etzel, Daniel, 2012. "The impact of trade on employment, welfare, and income distribution in unionized general oligopolistic equilibrium," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 56(6), pages 1119-1135.
    3. Persyn, Damiaan, 2013. "Union wage demands with footloose firms and agglomeration forces," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 43(1), pages 142-150.
    4. Grieben, Wolf-Heimo & Şener, Fuat, 2017. "Wage bargaining, trade and growth," Research in Economics, Elsevier, vol. 71(3), pages 564-587.
    5. Rudy Colacicco, 2015. "Ten Years Of General Oligopolistic Equilibrium: A Survey," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(5), pages 965-992, December.
    6. Tapio Palokangas, 2020. "Public policy, footloose capital, and union influence," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(4), pages 976-991, September.
    7. Palokangas, Tapio K., 2017. "Labor Market Regulation, International Trade and Footloose Capital," IZA Discussion Papers 10468, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    8. Carsten Eckel & Hartmut Egger, 2017. "The Dilemma of Labor Unions: Local Objectives vs Global Bargaining," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 25(3), pages 534-566, August.
    9. Hosaki Sano, 2018. "Labor union and firm fs relocation: A general oligopolistic equilibrium model analysis," Discussion Papers in Economics and Business 18-15-Rev., Osaka University, Graduate School of Economics, revised May 2018.
    10. Hosaki Sano, 2018. "The endogenous decisions of unionization and international trade: A general oligopolistic equilibrium model analysis," Discussion Papers in Economics and Business 18-14, Osaka University, Graduate School of Economics.
    11. Andreas Haufler & Ferdinand Mittermaier, 2011. "Unionisation Triggers Tax Incentives to Attract Foreign Direct Investment," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 121(553), pages 793-818, June.
    12. Kreickemeier, Udo & Meland, Frode, 2011. "International trade, union wage premia, and welfare in general equilibrium," University of Tübingen Working Papers in Business and Economics 5, University of Tuebingen, Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences, School of Business and Economics.
    13. Udo Kreickemeier & Frode Meland, 2017. "Non-Traded Goods, Globalization, and Union Influence," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: International Trade and Labor Markets Welfare, Inequality and Unemployment, chapter 7, pages 173-201, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    14. Hartmut Egger & Peter Egger & Tobias Seidel, 2015. "Firm integration strategies and imperfect labour markets," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 48(5), pages 1883-1901, December.
    15. Hosaki Sano, 2020. "The endogenous decisions of unionization and international trade: A general oligopolistic equilibrium model analysis," Manchester School, University of Manchester, vol. 88(5), pages 641-663, September.
    16. Santoni, Michele, 2014. "Product market integration and wage bargaining institutions," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 27(C), pages 1-15.
    17. Hyun-Ju Koh & Ferdinand Mittermaier, 2009. "The winner gives it all: Unions, tax competition and offshoring," Working Papers 079, Bavarian Graduate Program in Economics (BGPE).
    18. Bastos, Paulo & Bottan, Nicolas, 2023. "Resource rents, coercion, and local development: Evidence from post-apartheid South Africa," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 169(C).
    19. Nelly Exbrayat & Carl Gaigné & Stéphane Riou, 2012. "The effects of labour unions on international capital tax competition," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 45(4), pages 1480-1503, November.
    20. Peter W. Wright & Paulo Bastos, 2012. "Exchange Rates and Wages in Unionized Labor Markets," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 65(4), pages 975-999, October.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    General oligopolistic equilibrium; Union wage-setting; Asymmetric labor market institutions; Trade liberalization; Footloose capital; Decentralization in union wage-setting;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F12 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Models of Trade with Imperfect Competition and Scale Economies; Fragmentation
    • 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
    • L13 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Oligopoly and Other Imperfect Markets

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:regeco:v:48:y:2014:i:c:p:56-67. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/regec .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.