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Offshoring, domestic outsourcing and productivity: evidence for a number of European countries

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  • Tillmann Schwörer

Abstract

The growth in offshoring and its economic effects have been subject to extensive empirical analysis. Yet, many studies have not distinguished accurately between offshoring, domestic outsourcing, and supplier changes. The present study provides stylized facts on offshoring in Europe between 1995 and 2008 taking into account this distinction. This study shows that service activities have been systematically offshored and outsourced domestically during this period, whereas manufacturing activities have been systematically offshored or moved from domestic to foreign suppliers. Overall the share of internal production has gone down by 4.5 percentage points, which raises the question whether firms have achieved productivity gains through this specialisation effort. Combining industry-level data on offshoring and domestic outsourcing with a firm panel, this study finds that service offshoring and offshoring of non-core manufacturing activities have contributed to an increase in productivity, whereas no statistically significant link is found for offshoring of core manufacturing activities and domestic outsourcing. The estimated productivity gains are found to be driven in particular by the gains of multinational firms. Copyright Kiel Institute 2013

Suggested Citation

  • Tillmann Schwörer, 2013. "Offshoring, domestic outsourcing and productivity: evidence for a number of European countries," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 149(1), pages 131-149, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:weltar:v:149:y:2013:i:1:p:131-149
    DOI: 10.1007/s10290-012-0139-9
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    Cited by:

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    3. Wolszczak-Derlacz Joanna, 2018. "The Analysis of Firms’ Involvement in Internationalisation And Determinants of its Intensity – An Analysis For Developing and Post-Transition Economies," Economics and Business Review, Sciendo, vol. 4(1), pages 44-63, April.
    4. Nattanicha Chairassamee & Oudom Hean, 2023. "The ripple effects of offshoring in the United States: Boosting local productivity and capital investment," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 18(4), pages 1-13, April.
    5. João Amador & Sónia Cabral, 2014. "Global Value Chains: Surveying Drivers, Measures and Impacts," Working Papers w201403, Banco de Portugal, Economics and Research Department.
    6. Jaewon Jung & Jean Mercenier, 2014. "Routinization-Biased Technical Change And Globalization: Understanding Labor Market Polarization," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 52(4), pages 1446-1465, October.
    7. Ivan Ledezma & Antonia Lopez Villavicencio, 2024. "Global Value Chains and Productivity: Causal Evidence for Firms Worldwide," Working Papers hal-04452390, HAL.
    8. Falilou Fall & Christine Lewis, 2017. "Fostering Productivity for Income Convergence in the Czech Republic," OECD Economics Department Working Papers 1362, OECD Publishing.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • F23 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - Multinational Firms; International Business
    • D24 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Production; Cost; Capital; Capital, Total Factor, and Multifactor Productivity; Capacity
    • L24 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Contracting Out; Joint Ventures
    • L60 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Manufacturing - - - General

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