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Union wage-setting and international trade with footloose capital

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  • Egger, Hartmut
  • Etzel, Daniel

Abstract

This paper sets up a general oligopolistic equilibrium model with two countries that differ in the centralization of union wage-setting. Being interested in the consequences of openness, we show that, in the short run, trade increases welfare and employment in both locations, and it raises income of capital owners as well as workers. In the long run, capital outflows from the country with the more centralized wage-setting generate winners and losers and make the two countries more dissimilar in terms of unemployment or welfare. Decentralization of wage-setting can successfully prevent capital outflow and the export of jobs.

Suggested Citation

  • Egger, Hartmut & Etzel, Daniel, 2014. "Union wage-setting and international trade with footloose capital," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 56-67.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:regeco:v:48:y:2014:i:c:p:56-67
    DOI: 10.1016/j.regsciurbeco.2014.04.008
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

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    2. Kenji Fujiwara, 2016. "Trade and FDI liberalization in a general oligopolistic equilibrium," Discussion Paper Series 150, School of Economics, Kwansei Gakuin University, revised Nov 2016.
    3. Hosaki Sano, 2018. "Labor union and firm fs relocation: A general oligopolistic equilibrium model analysis," Discussion Papers in Economics and Business 18-15-Rev., Osaka University, Graduate School of Economics, revised May 2018.
    4. T. Gries & R. Grundmann & I. Palnau & M. Redlin, 2017. "Innovations, growth and participation in advanced economies - a review of major concepts and findings," International Economics and Economic Policy, Springer, vol. 14(2), pages 293-351, April.
    5. Palokangas, Tapio K., 2017. "Labor Market Regulation, International Trade and Footloose Capital," IZA Discussion Papers 10468, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    6. Fujiwara, Kenji, 2017. "Trade and FDI liberalization in a general oligopolistic equilibrium," Japan and the World Economy, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 45-49.
    7. Colin Davis & Ken-ichi Hashimoto & Ken Tabata, 2021. "Unionization, Industry Concentration, and Economic Growth," ISER Discussion Paper 1154, Institute of Social and Economic Research, Osaka University.
    8. Hosaki Sano, 2020. "The endogenous decisions of unionization and international trade: A general oligopolistic equilibrium model analysis," Manchester School, University of Manchester, vol. 88(5), pages 641-663, September.
    9. Martín Tobal, 2017. "Regulatory Entry Barriers, Rent Shifting and the Home Market Effect," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 25(1), pages 76-97, February.
    10. Hosaki Sano, 2018. "The endogenous decisions of unionization and international trade: A general oligopolistic equilibrium model analysis," Discussion Papers in Economics and Business 18-14, Osaka University, Graduate School of Economics.
    11. Irlacher, Michael & Baumgarten, Daniel & Koch, Michael, 2017. "Short- versus long-run effects of offshoring when sectors are heterogeneous," VfS Annual Conference 2017 (Vienna): Alternative Structures for Money and Banking 168272, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    12. Rudy Colacicco, 2015. "Ten Years Of General Oligopolistic Equilibrium: A Survey," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(5), pages 965-992, December.
    13. Marco de Pinto, 2015. "Firm-level versus Sector-level Trade Unions – The Role of Rent-Sharing Motives," IAAEU Discussion Papers 201508, Institute of Labour Law and Industrial Relations in the European Union (IAAEU).
    14. Tapio Palokangas, 2020. "Public policy, footloose capital, and union influence," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(4), pages 976-991, September.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    General oligopolistic equilibrium; Union wage-setting; Asymmetric labor market institutions; Trade liberalization; Footloose capital; Decentralization in union wage-setting;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F12 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Models of Trade with Imperfect Competition and Scale Economies; Fragmentation
    • F16 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Trade and Labor Market Interactions
    • J51 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor-Management Relations, Trade Unions, and Collective Bargaining - - - Trade Unions: Objectives, Structure, and Effects
    • L13 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Oligopoly and Other Imperfect Markets

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