Offshoring and labour market reforms: modelling the German experience

"A usual interpretation of the high performance of the German economy since 2005 is that the Hartz labour market reforms have boosted German competitiveness, resulting in higher exports, higher production and lower unemployment. This explanation is at odds with the sequence of observed facts. W...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Beissinger, Thomas, Chusseau, Nathalie, Hellier, Joel
Institution:ETUI-European Trade Union Institute
Format: TEXT
Language:English
Published: Bonn 2015
IZA
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.labourline.org/KENTIKA-19113665124919318479-offshoring-and-labour-market-r.htm
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author Beissinger, Thomas
Chusseau, Nathalie
Hellier, Joel
author_facet Beissinger, Thomas
Chusseau, Nathalie
Hellier, Joel
collection Library items
description "A usual interpretation of the high performance of the German economy since 2005 is that the Hartz labour market reforms have boosted German competitiveness, resulting in higher exports, higher production and lower unemployment. This explanation is at odds with the sequence of observed facts. We propose and model an alternative scenario in which offshoring explains the gains in competitiveness but increases unemployment and inequality, and the subsequent labour market reforms lower unemployment by lessening the reservation wage and expanding the non-tradable sector. The model replicates the developments of the German economy since 1995: 1) Germany offshores more intensively than other advanced countries; 2) The increase in competitiveness and in the exports/production ratio occurs before the implementation of the labour market reform, and this comes with both higher inequality and higher unemployment; 3) The implementation of the reform reduces unemployment, but also decreases the exports/production ratio and increases inequality. The model also predicts that the reduction in unemployment in Germany would have occurred without the Hartz reforms, but later and less intensively. We finally discuss the possible extension of this 'strategy' to other Eurozone countries, and alternative policies that activate similar mechanisms without increasing inequality."
format TEXT
geographic Germany
id 19113665124919318479_5332df6de35d47cf951dd849d5d04551
institution ETUI-European Trade Union Institute
is_hierarchy_id 19113665124919318479_5332df6de35d47cf951dd849d5d04551
is_hierarchy_title Offshoring and labour market reforms: modelling the German experience
language English
physical 43 p.
Digital
publishDate 2015
publisher Bonn
IZA
spellingShingle Beissinger, Thomas
Chusseau, Nathalie
Hellier, Joel
competitiveness
international relocation of industry
labour market reform
unemployment
social inequality
Offshoring and labour market reforms: modelling the German experience
thumbnail https://www.labourline.org/Image_prev.jpg?Archive=108261392644
title Offshoring and labour market reforms: modelling the German experience
topic competitiveness
international relocation of industry
labour market reform
unemployment
social inequality
url https://www.labourline.org/KENTIKA-19113665124919318479-offshoring-and-labour-market-r.htm