Globalization and Domestic Operations: Applying the JC/JD Method to Japanese Manufacturing Firms

Does outward foreign direct investment accelerate de-industrialization at home or generate domestic jobs and operations? This paper applies the job creation (JC)/destruction (JD) method to micro data of Japanese manufacturing firms and provides a bird's eye view of the dynamism of globalizing firms in terms of domestic employment, domestic establishments, domestic affiliates, exports, and imports. It examines gross and net changes in domestic operations by multinational enterprises (MNEs) that expand operations abroad (expanding MNEs), compared with non-expanding MNEs and local firms, for the periods of 1998–2002, 2002–06, 2006–08, and 2008–10. It also conducts the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test to investigate whether the changes in domestic operations and trade by expanding MNEs are larger than those by other firm types. Major findings are the following: (1) gross changes in domestic employment and domestic operations are much larger than net changes, showing restructuring dynamism and firm heterogeneity; (2) de-industrialization or the shrinkage of the manufacturing sector is not relevant except for the period 1998–2002, though a slight declining trend in manufacturing activities is observed in recent years; (3) expanding multinational small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) tends to enlarge domestic employment and domestic operations, compared with other types of SMEs; (4) expanding MNEs intensify headquarters activities; and (5) expanding multinational SMEs are likely to expand exports and imports more than other types of SMEs.