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Outsourcing and the Demand for Low-skilled Labour in German Manufacturing: New Evidence

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  • Ingo Geishecker

Abstract

This paper analyses how international outsourcing has affected the relative demand for low skilled workers in Germany during the 1990s. In contrast to previous empirical work, the single elements of the input-output-matrix are used to disentangle international outsourcing and trade in final goods more accurately. The main finding is that during the 1990s international outsourcing had a significant negative impact on the relative demand for low-skilled workers, explaining between 19% and 24% of the overall decline in the relative demand for low-skilled labour.

Suggested Citation

  • Ingo Geishecker, 2002. "Outsourcing and the Demand for Low-skilled Labour in German Manufacturing: New Evidence," Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin 313, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
    • Handle: RePEc:diw:diwwpp:dp313
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Feenstra, R.C. & Hanson, G.H., 1995. "Foreign Investment, Outsourcing and Relative Wages," Papers 95-14, California Davis - Institute of Governmental Affairs.
    2. Eli Bekman & John Bound & Stephen Machin, 1998. "Implications of Skill-Biased Technological Change: International Evidence," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, Oxford University Press, vol. 113(4), pages 1245-1279.
    3. Griliches, Zvi, 1969. "Capital-Skill Complementarity," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 51(4), pages 465-468, November.
    4. Anderton, Bob & Brenton, Paul, 1999. "Outsourcing and Low-Skilled Workers in the UK," Bulletin of Economic Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 51(4), pages 267-285, October.
    5. Hummels, David & Ishii, Jun & Yi, Kei-Mu, 2001. "The nature and growth of vertical specialization in world trade," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 54(1), pages 75-96, June.
    6. Falk, Martin & Koebel, Bertrand M., 2000. "Outsourcing of services, imported materials and the demand for heterogeneous labour : an application of a generalised box-cox function," ZEW Discussion Papers 00-51, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
    7. Moulton, Brent R, 1990. "An Illustration of a Pitfall in Estimating the Effects of Aggregate Variables on Micro Unit," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 72(2), pages 334-338, May.
    8. Diehl, Markus, 1999. "The Impact of International Outsourcing on the Skill Structure of Employment: Empirical Evidence from German Manufacturing Industries," Kiel Working Papers 946, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW).
    9. Jose Campa & Linda S. Goldberg, 1997. "The Evolving External Orientation of Manufacturing Industries: Evidence from Four Countries," NBER Working Papers 5919, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Tomiura, Eiichi, 2005. "Foreign outsourcing and firm-level characteristics: Evidence from Japanese manufacturers," Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, Elsevier, vol. 19(2), pages 255-271, June.
    2. Lorentowicz, Andzelika & Marin, Dalia & Raubold, Alexander, 2005. "Is Human Capital Losing from Outsourcing? Evidence for Austria and Poland," CEPR Discussion Papers 5344, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    3. Rocha-Akis, Silvia, 2006. "Labour tax policies and strategic offshoring under unionised oligopoly," Department of Economics Working Paper Series 394, WU Vienna University of Economics and Business.
    4. Michael Knogler & Volkhart Vincentz, 2005. "Auswirkungen der EU-Osterweiterung auf die Arbeitsmärkte der neuen Mitgliedstaaten und der EU-15, insbesondere Deutschland," Working Papers 257, Leibniz Institut für Ost- und Südosteuropaforschung (Institute for East and Southeast European Studies).
    5. Ingo Geishecker & Holger Görg, 2003. "Winners and Losers: Fragmentation, Trade and Wages Revisited," Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin 385, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
    6. Ochsen, Carsten & Welsch, Heinz, 2005. "Technology, Trade, and Income Distribution in West Germany: A Factor-Share Analysis, 1976-1994," Journal of Applied Economics, Universidad del CEMA, vol. 8(2), pages 1-25, November.
    7. Yiping Zhu, 2008. "Globalisation, Employment, and Wage Rate: What Does Literature Tell Us?," IMK Working Paper 07-2008, IMK at the Hans Boeckler Foundation, Macroeconomic Policy Institute.
    8. Gorg, Holger & Hanley, Aoife, 2005. "Labour demand effects of international outsourcing: Evidence from plant-level data," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 14(3), pages 365-376.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    international trade; outsourcing; skill-bias; labour demand;

    JEL classification:

    • F20 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - General
    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials
    • J23 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Demand

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