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Import penetration and manufacturing employment: Evidence from Africa

Author

Listed:
  • Owusu, Solomon

    (UNU-MERIT, Maastricht University, and German Development Institute, and University of Oxford)

  • Ndubuisi, Gideon

    (UNU-MERIT, Maastricht University, and German Development Institute)

  • Mensah, Emmanuel. B.

    (UNU-MERIT, Maastricht University, and GGDC, University of Groningen)

Abstract

Exposure to import competition can either help or hurt domestic employment creation. There is, however, a dearth of cross-country empirical evidence assessing labor market effects of import penetration in Africa. This paper fills this gap. Using manufacturing industry and establishment-level data across 20 African countries and estimating a conditional and unconditional labor demand model, we find an unambiguous employment creation effect of intermediate good import penetration, whilst final good import penetration has a negative, or at best, an insignificant effect on employment. Splitting intermediate good import penetration into their origins, we find that intermediate good import penetration from developed (developing) countries is employment increasing (reducing). Further analyses reveal that the positive employment effects of intermediate import penetration from developed countries disproportionately benefit the skilled workforce. We also find that industries with higher absorptive capacity stand to gain more from intermediate good import penetration from developed countries, with the negative effects of intermediate good import penetration from developing countries also diminished for these industries. We discuss the implications of our findings.

Suggested Citation

  • Owusu, Solomon & Ndubuisi, Gideon & Mensah, Emmanuel. B., 2022. "Import penetration and manufacturing employment: Evidence from Africa," MERIT Working Papers 2022-007, United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
  • Handle: RePEc:unm:unumer:2022007
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Import Penetration; Employment; Absorptive Capacity; Manufacturing; Africa;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F11 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Neoclassical Models of Trade
    • F14 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Empirical Studies of Trade
    • L25 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Firm Performance
    • L60 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Manufacturing - - - General
    • O14 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Industrialization; Manufacturing and Service Industries; Choice of Technology
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration

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