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The impact of multinational R&D spending firms on job polarization and mobility

Author

Listed:
  • Jacob Rubak Holm

    (Aalborg University)

  • Bram Timmermans

    (Aalborg University)

  • Christian Richter Ostergaard

    (Aalborg University)

Abstract

This report analyses the role of multinational R&D intensive firms in job polarization. It also investigates how these firms affect the labour market in terms of wage growth and labour mobility. Firms appearing on the EU Industrial R&D Investment Scoreboard account for a significant share of economic activity in Denmark measured by employment, innovation activity, and R&D expenditures. Domestic firms listed on the scoreboard are the largest and most innovative, but subsidiaries of foreign scoreboard firms are still larger and more innovative compared to non-scoreboard firms. Relying on information from register data the report demonstrates that R&D spending among scoreboard firms is a complement to high skill jobs, while it substitutes low skill jobs. Thus, scoreboard firms are more involved in upgrading than polarization. Organisational change has an effect similar to that of R&D, while there is indication that innovation is a complement for low skilled jobs. Labour flows, particularly of high skilled workers, are stronger among scoreboard firms than between scoreboard firms and other firms. Thus, labour flows in networks instead of appearing in labour market pools, and non-scoreboard firms are kept out of the "knowledge spill-over" loops, providing them with fewer opportunities to learn from the scoreboard firms.

Suggested Citation

  • Jacob Rubak Holm & Bram Timmermans & Christian Richter Ostergaard, 2017. "The impact of multinational R&D spending firms on job polarization and mobility," JRC Research Reports JRC108560, Joint Research Centre.
    • Handle: RePEc:ipt:iptwpa:jrc108560
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    File URL: https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC108560
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Keller, Wolfgang & Utar, Hale, 2023. "International trade and job polarization: Evidence at the worker level," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 145(C).
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    Cited by:

    1. Jacob Rubæk Holm & Christian Richter Østergaard, 2018. "The high importance of de-industrialization and job polarization for regional diversification," Papers in Evolutionary Economic Geography (PEEG) 1821, Utrecht University, Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Group Economic Geography, revised May 2018.
    2. Jacob Rubæk Holm & Bram Timmermans & Christian Richter Østergaard & Alex Coad & Nicola Grassano & Antonio Vezzani, 2020. "Labor mobility from R&D-intensive multinational companies: implications for knowledge and technology transfer," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 45(5), pages 1562-1584, October.
    3. Jacob Rubak Holm & Bram Timmermans & Christian Richter Ostergaard & Alexander Coad & Nicola Grassano & Antonio Vezzani, 2019. "Labor mobility from R&D-intensive multinational companies: Implications for knowledge and technology," JRC Working Papers on Corporate R&D and Innovation 2019-06, Joint Research Centre.

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    Keywords

    MNC; R&D; employment; skill; job polarization;
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