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The demand for foreign workers by foreign firms: evidence from Africa

Author

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  • Nicola D. Coniglio

    (University of Bari “Aldo Moro”
    NHH Norwegian School of Economics)

  • Rezart Hoxhaj

    (University of Bari “Aldo Moro”
    CERGE-EI)

  • Adnan Seric

    (UNIDO)

Abstract

Foreign workers play a crucial role in channelling resources and information flows both within the boundaries of firms and between foreign firms and the host country economy. In this study we employ a novel firm-level database (UNIDO Africa Investor Survey 2010) in order to investigate the factors that determine the employment of foreign workers by foreign firms in Sub-Saharan African countries. We shed light on important firm-level as well as host–home country characteristics which shape the demand of foreign workers in developing countries. We show that differences between investors are largely explained by the role played by economic and institutional distance between home–host countries as well as by firm-level heterogeneity in the degrees of knowledge intensity and local embeddedness.

Suggested Citation

  • Nicola D. Coniglio & Rezart Hoxhaj & Adnan Seric, 2017. "The demand for foreign workers by foreign firms: evidence from Africa," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 153(2), pages 353-384, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:weltar:v:153:y:2017:i:2:d:10.1007_s10290-016-0272-y
    DOI: 10.1007/s10290-016-0272-y
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    Cited by:

    1. Blanas, Sotiris. & Seric, Adnan. & Viegelahn, Christian,, 2017. "Jobs, FDI and institutions in Sub-Saharan Africa evidence from firm-level data," ILO Working Papers 994987491902676, International Labour Organization.
    2. Sotiris Blanas & Adnan Seric & Christian Viegelahn, 2019. "Job Quality, FDI and Institutions in Sub-Saharan Africa: Evidence from Firm-Level Data," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 31(5), pages 1287-1317, December.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Foreign direct investments; Foreign workers; Labour demand; Africa;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F22 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - International Migration
    • 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

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