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Imports and labour market imperfections: Firm-level evidence from France

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  • Caselli, Mauro
  • Nesta, Lionel
  • Schiavo, Stefano

Abstract

This paper examines the presence of labour market imperfections in France, that lead to market power on the side of either firms or their workforce, and investigates the role of import competition as a possible discipline device. Using information on a large panel of French manufacturing firms, we find that Chinese competition lowers the positive gap between actual wages and the level that would prevail under perfect competition, thus strengthening firms’ position. This adjustment does not take place via a fall in wages, but rather through an increase in productivity. Finally, import competition compresses price-cost margins and induces quality upgrading among French manufacturers.

Suggested Citation

  • Caselli, Mauro & Nesta, Lionel & Schiavo, Stefano, 2021. "Imports and labour market imperfections: Firm-level evidence from France," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 131(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:eecrev:v:131:y:2021:i:c:s0014292120302622
    DOI: 10.1016/j.euroecorev.2020.103632
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    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    Cited by:

    1. Mattia Guerini & Lionel Nesta & Xavier Ragot & Stefano Schiavo, 2022. "The Zombification of the Economy? Assessing the Effectiveness of French Government Support During COVID-19 Lockdown," GREDEG Working Papers 2022-24, Groupe de REcherche en Droit, Economie, Gestion (GREDEG CNRS), Université Côte d'Azur, France.
    2. Mertens, Matthias, 2023. "Labor Market Power and Between-Firm Wage (In)Equality," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    3. Sabien Dobbelaere & Boris Hirsch & Steffen Mueller & Georg Neuschaeffer, 2020. "Organised Labour, Labour Market Imperfections, and Employer Wage Premia," Working Paper Series in Economics 396, University of Lüneburg, Institute of Economics.
    4. Banh, Thi Hang & Caselli, Mauro, 2022. "Foreign Competition, Skill Premium, and Product Quality: Impact of Chinese Competition on Mexican Plants," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1162, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    5. Huang, Yin-Siang & Bui, Dien Giau & Lin, Chih-Yung & Robin,, 2022. "The effect of abnormal institutional attention on bank loans," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    6. Mauro Caselli & Jasmine Mondolo & Stefano Schiavo, 2023. "Labour market power and the quest for an optimal minimum wage: evidence from Italy," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 55(15), pages 1713-1727, March.
    7. Mertens, Matthias & Mottironi, Bernardo, 2023. "Do larger firms exert more market power? Markups and markdowns along the size distribution," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 121283, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    8. Akira Sasahara, 2022. "The Empirics of the China Trade Shock: A Summary of Estimation Methods and A Literature Review," Keio-IES Discussion Paper Series 2022-008, Institute for Economics Studies, Keio University.
    9. Mauro Caselli & Andrea Fracasso & Stefano Schiavo, 2021. "Trade policy and firm performance: introduction to the special section," Economia Politica: Journal of Analytical and Institutional Economics, Springer;Fondazione Edison, vol. 38(1), pages 1-6, April.
    10. Filippo Biondi & Sergio Inferrera & Matthias Mertens & Javier Miranda, 2023. "Declining Business Dynamism in Europe: The Role of Shocks, Market Power, and Technology," Jena Economics Research Papers 2023-011, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena.
    11. Charlie Joyez & Raja Kali & Catherine Laffineur, 2023. "Occupational Coherence and Local Labor Market Performance: Evidence from France," GREDEG Working Papers 2023-20, Groupe de REcherche en Droit, Economie, Gestion (GREDEG CNRS), Université Côte d'Azur, France.
    12. Jasmine Mondolo, 2022. "Product and labour market imperfections in the Italian manufacturing sector: a firm-level analysis," Economia Politica: Journal of Analytical and Institutional Economics, Springer;Fondazione Edison, vol. 39(3), pages 813-838, October.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Market power; Labour market; Market imperfections; China; Import competition;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F14 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Empirical Studies of Trade
    • F16 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Trade and Labor Market Interactions
    • J42 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Particular Labor Markets - - - Monopsony; Segmented Labor Markets
    • L13 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Oligopoly and Other Imperfect Markets

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