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Exporting Firms Do Not Pay Higher Wages, Ceteris Paribus. First Evidence from Linked Employer-Employee Data

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  • Schank, Thorsten

    (University of Mainz)

  • Schnabel, Claus

    (University of Erlangen-Nuremberg)

  • Wagner, Joachim

    (Leuphana University Lüneburg)

Abstract

18 studies using data from 20 highly developed, developing, and less developed countries document that average wages in exporting firms are higher than in non-exporting firms from the same industry and region. The existence of these so-called exporter wage premia is one of the stylized facts found in the emerging literature on the microeconometrics of international trade. This paper uses a large and rich set of linked employer-employee data from Germany to demonstrate that these premia vanish when individual characteristics of the employees and of the work place are controlled for.

Suggested Citation

  • Schank, Thorsten & Schnabel, Claus & Wagner, Joachim, 2004. "Exporting Firms Do Not Pay Higher Wages, Ceteris Paribus. First Evidence from Linked Employer-Employee Data," IZA Discussion Papers 1185, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp1185
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Wagner, Joachim, 2002. "The causal effects of exports on firm size and labor productivity: first evidence from a matching approach," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 77(2), pages 287-292, October.
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    3. Wagner, Joachim & Schnabel, Claus & Schank, Thorsten, 2004. "Exporting firms do not pay higher wages, ceteris paribus : First evidence from linked employer-employee data," Discussion Papers 27, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Chair of Labour and Regional Economics.
    4. Van Biesebroeck, Johannes, 2005. "Exporting raises productivity in sub-Saharan African manufacturing firms," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 67(2), pages 373-391, December.
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    7. Simmons, R. & Schank, Thorsten & Andrews, Martyn J., 2004. "Does Worksharing Work? Some Empirical Evidence from the IAB Panel," Discussion Papers 25, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Chair of Labour and Regional Economics.
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    9. Jens Matthias Arnold & Katrin Hussinger, 2005. "Export Behavior and Firm Productivity in German Manufacturing: A Firm-Level Analysis," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 141(2), pages 219-243, July.
    10. Chin Hee Hahn, 2004. "Exporting and Performance of Plants: Evidence from Korean Manufacturing," NBER Working Papers 10208, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    11. Hansson, Pär & Lundin, Nan Nan, 2003. "Exports as an Indicator on or Promoter of Successful Swedish Manufacturing Firms in the 1990s," Working Paper Series 189, Trade Union Institute for Economic Research.
    12. A. Isgut, 2001. "What's Different about Exporters? Evidence from Colombian Manufacturing," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 37(5), pages 57-82.
    13. Jin-Tan Liu & Meng-Wen Tsou & James Hammitt, 1999. "Export activity and productivity: Evidence from the Taiwan electronics industry," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 135(4), pages 675-691, December.
    14. Abowd, John M. & Kramarz, Francis, 1999. "The analysis of labor markets using matched employer-employee data," Handbook of Labor Economics, in: O. Ashenfelter & D. Card (ed.), Handbook of Labor Economics, edition 1, volume 3, chapter 40, pages 2629-2710, Elsevier.
    15. Audretsch,David B. & Thurik,Roy (ed.), 1999. "Innovation, Industry Evolution and Employment," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521641661, October.
    16. José C. Fariñas & Ana Martín‐Marcos, 2007. "Exporting and Economic Performance: Firm‐level Evidence of Spanish Manufacturing," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(4), pages 618-646, April.
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    Cited by:

    1. Andersen, Torben M & Sorensen, Allan, 2005. "Product Market Integration, Wages and Inequality," CEPR Discussion Papers 4963, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    2. Wagner, Joachim & Schnabel, Claus & Schank, Thorsten, 2004. "Exporting firms do not pay higher wages, ceteris paribus : First evidence from linked employer-employee data," Discussion Papers 27, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Chair of Labour and Regional Economics.
    3. Carli Bezuidenhout & Marianne Matthee & Neil Rankin, 2021. "Exporting and the wage premium: The case of South African manufacturing firms," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 25(4), pages 2031-2051, November.
    4. S�bastien Breau & David L. Rigby, 2006. "Is There Really an Export Wage Premium? A Case Study of Los Angeles Using Matched Employee-Employer Data," Working Papers 06-06, Center for Economic Studies, U.S. Census Bureau.
    5. Alda, Holger & Bender, Stefan & Gartner, Hermann, 2005. "The linked employer-employee dataset of the IAB (LIAB)," IAB-Discussion Paper 200506, Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), Nürnberg [Institute for Employment Research, Nuremberg, Germany].
    6. Torben M. Andersen & Allan Sørensen, 2008. "Product Market Integration and Heterogeneity—Rent Sharing and Pricing to Market," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 16(2), pages 268-284, May.
    7. Sébastien Breau & David L. Rigby, 2006. "Is There Really an Export Wage Premium? A Case Study of Los Angeles Using Matched Employee-Employer Data," International Regional Science Review, , vol. 29(3), pages 297-310, July.
    8. Shay Tsur, 2021. "Why Do Exporters Pay Higher Wages? Empirical Evidence From Israeli Companies," Israel Economic Review, Bank of Israel, vol. 19(1), pages 1-30.
    9. Andersen, Torben M. & Sørensen, Allan, 2007. "Product Market Integration and Labour Markets: Aggregate Gains at the Cost of More Inequality?," IZA Discussion Papers 2556, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    exports; linked employer-employee data; wages; exporter wage premia; Germany;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F10 - International Economics - - Trade - - - General
    • D21 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Firm Behavior: Theory
    • L60 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Manufacturing - - - General

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