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Trade openness, real exchange rates and job reallocation: evidence from Belgium

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  • Italo Colantone

Abstract

This paper investigates the impact of real exchange rate movements on job reallocation at the industry level. The analysis focuses on the manufacturing sector of Belgium, using data for 82 NACE 3-digit industries, over the time span 1996–2002. I find that real exchange rate changes do have a significant impact on job flows, and that this impact is magnified by increasing levels of trade exposure. In particular, a real appreciation is found to lower net employment growth through higher job destruction, while job creation is not significantly affected. These results are in line with previous empirical evidence on the United States, and differ from earlier findings for France and Germany, where the adjustment to real exchange rate shocks has been found to occur mainly through the job creation margin. I suggest that these differences may be explained by the fact that Belgium is a small open economy. Copyright The Author(s) 2012

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  • Italo Colantone, 2012. "Trade openness, real exchange rates and job reallocation: evidence from Belgium," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 148(4), pages 669-706, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:weltar:v:148:y:2012:i:4:p:669-706
    DOI: 10.1007/s10290-012-0132-3
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    3. Bussolo Maurizio & Capelle Damien & Lokshin Michael M. & Torre Iván & Winkler Hernan, 2023. "Explaining the Evolution of Job Tenure in Europe, 1995–2020," IZA Journal of Labor Policy, Sciendo & Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA), vol. 13(1), pages 1-32, January.
    4. Melo, Ligia & Ballesteros, Carlos, 2014. "Impacto de los factores externos sobre la creación y destrucción de empleo en el sector manufacturero colombiano," Revista Lecturas de Economía, Universidad de Antioquia, CIE, issue 81, pages 155-186, April.
    5. Sajid Ali, 2016. "How does Interest rate effect Exchange rate of Pakistan. Evidence of ARDL Bound Testing Approach," Journal of Finance and Economics Research, Geist Science, Iqra University, Faculty of Business Administration, vol. 1(2), pages 119-133, October.
    6. Ma, Hong & Qiao, Xue & Xu, Yuan, 2015. "Job creation and job destruction in China during 1998–2007," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 43(4), pages 1085-1100.
    7. Ergun Dogan & M. Qamarul Islam & Mehmet Yazici, 2018. "Real exchange rates and job flows: evidence from Turkey," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 50(42), pages 4489-4499, September.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Trade openness; Real exchange rates; Job reallocation; F16; F4;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F16 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Trade and Labor Market Interactions
    • F4 - International Economics - - Macroeconomic Aspects of International Trade and Finance

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