From fields to factories: Special economic zones, foreign direct investment, and labour markets in Vietnam

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Tafese, Tevin; Lay, Jann; Tran, Van
• 署名单位: German Institute of Global & Area Studies; University of Gottingen; Ho Chi Minh University of Banking (HUB)
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0304-3878
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jdeveco.2025.103467
• 发表日期: 2025
• 关键词: Vietnam; Special Economic Zones; Foreign direct investment; Labour markets; structural change; informality

摘要

Vietnam's deep integration into GVCs has been driven by the establishment of special economic zones (SEZs). This paper examines the local labour market impacts of this SEZ programme. We trace the built-up area of SEZs over time to construct a novel continuous measure of SEZ exposure using historical satellite imagery. In a difference-in-differences design with continuous treatment, we examine the impact of SEZ exposure on local labour market outcomes at the district-level for the period 2009-2019. We find that the expansion of SEZs has led to a rapid shift in employment from own-account and family work in agriculture to manufacturing in foreign firms. We also show that SEZ exposure leads to higher wages and more formal employment contracts. Earnings improvements are not confined to workers in foreign manufacturing firms, but spill over to workers in household businesses and domestic firms. The effects on women account for most of these impacts.