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Firm heterogeneity and trade-induced layoffs: An empirical investigation

Author

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  • Uysal, Pinar
  • Yotov, Yoto V.
  • Zylkin, Thomas
Abstract
We use a novel data set with verified observations of trade-induced layoffs by U.S. firms to study the interaction between firm productivity and trade liberalization as key determinants of firm-level job destruction due to trade. We find that patterns of trade-induced layoffs are broadly consistent with the predictions for firm-level employment generated by the Melitz (2003) heterogeneous firms theory – the number of trade-induced layoffs increases with firm productivity for non-exporting firms but decreases with firm productivity for exporting firms. The fact that exporting firms incur trade-induced layoffs at all invites a refined interpretation of the theory. Our findings suggest that exporting firms may lay off some workers who work in production for their shrinking domestic segments, while also engaging in some within-firm reallocation of workers. We also find that, even after controlling for productivity and export status, larger firms lay off more workers due to trade competition.

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  • Uysal, Pinar & Yotov, Yoto V. & Zylkin, Thomas, 2015. "Firm heterogeneity and trade-induced layoffs: An empirical investigation," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 80-97.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:eecrev:v:75:y:2015:i:c:p:80-97
    DOI: 10.1016/j.euroecorev.2015.01.006
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    Cited by:

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    2. Kondo, Illenin O., 2018. "Trade-induced displacements and local labor market adjustments in the U.S," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 114(C), pages 180-202.
    3. Povilas Lastauskas, 2022. "Lockdown, employment adjustment, and financial frictions," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 58(2), pages 919-942, February.
    4. McManus, T. Clay & Schaur, Georg, 2016. "The effects of import competition on worker health," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 102(C), pages 160-172.
    5. Elisabeth Christen & Michael Pfaffermayr & Yvonne Wolfmayr, 2019. "Trade Costs in Services. Firm Survival, Firm Growth and Implied Changes in Employment," WIFO Working Papers 593, WIFO.
    6. Qamar Farooq & Peihua Fu & Shahzad Ahmad & Yanni Zhang & Yunhong Hao, 2019. "Assessing Human Factor in the Adoption of Computer-Based Information Systems as the Internal Corporate Social Responsibility," SAGE Open, , vol. 9(3), pages 21582440198, August.
    7. Illenin O. Kondo, 2013. "Trade Reforms, Foreign Competition, and Labor Market Adjustments in the U.S," International Finance Discussion Papers 1095, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Heterogeneous firms; Trade liberalization; Trade-induced layoffs;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F10 - International Economics - - Trade - - - General
    • F12 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Models of Trade with Imperfect Competition and Scale Economies; Fragmentation
    • F14 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Empirical Studies of Trade
    • F16 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Trade and Labor Market Interactions
    • J63 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Turnover; Vacancies; Layoffs

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