Multinational enterprises and wage costs:: Vertical FDI revisited

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Braconier, H; Norbäck, PJ; Urban, D
• 署名单位: Research Institute of Industrial Economics (IFN); Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL ECONOMICS
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0022-1996
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jinteco.2004.08.011
• 发表日期: 2005
• 页码: 446-470
• 关键词: multinational firms; skilled-wage cost premium; FDI

摘要

This study explores how wage costs for high-skilled and less-skilled labor in host countries affect the level of affiliate activities conducted by foreign MNEs. We find support for vertical FDI, in the sense that more FDI is conducted in countries where less-skilled labor is relatively cheap. In addition, we find that skilled-wage cost premia also affect FDI activities previously associated with horizontal FDI, i.e. local affiliate sales. Consequently, the potential effects of relative wage costs on MNE activities are large. Rough calculations suggest that more than 20 percent of US affiliate sales in 1998 can be attributed to skilled-wage cost premia. (c) 2004 Published by Elsevier B.V.