The Impact of International Trade on Wages

The Impact of International Trade on Wages PDF Author: Robert C. Feenstra
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 0226239640
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 420

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Book Description
Since the early 1980s, the U.S. economy has experienced a growing wage differential: high-skilled workers have claimed an increasing share of available income, while low-skilled workers have seen an absolute decline in real wages. How and why this disparity has arisen is a matter of ongoing debate among policymakers and economists. Two competing theories have emerged to explain this phenomenon, one focusing on international trade and labor market globalization as the driving force behind the devaluation of low-skill jobs, and the other focusing on the role of technological change as a catalyst for the escalation of high-skill wages. This collection brings together innovative new ideas and data sources in order to provide more satisfying alternatives to the trade versus technology debate and to assess directly the specific impact of international trade on U.S. wages. This timely volume offers a thorough appraisal of the wage distribution predicament, examining the continued effects of technology and globalization on the labor market.

The Impact of International Trade on Wages

The Impact of International Trade on Wages PDF Author: Robert C. Feenstra
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 0226239640
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 420

Get Book Here

Book Description
Since the early 1980s, the U.S. economy has experienced a growing wage differential: high-skilled workers have claimed an increasing share of available income, while low-skilled workers have seen an absolute decline in real wages. How and why this disparity has arisen is a matter of ongoing debate among policymakers and economists. Two competing theories have emerged to explain this phenomenon, one focusing on international trade and labor market globalization as the driving force behind the devaluation of low-skill jobs, and the other focusing on the role of technological change as a catalyst for the escalation of high-skill wages. This collection brings together innovative new ideas and data sources in order to provide more satisfying alternatives to the trade versus technology debate and to assess directly the specific impact of international trade on U.S. wages. This timely volume offers a thorough appraisal of the wage distribution predicament, examining the continued effects of technology and globalization on the labor market.

Stolper-Samuelson (lost) in the Tropics?

Stolper-Samuelson (lost) in the Tropics? PDF Author: Donald J. Robbins
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Devaluation of currency
Languages : en
Pages : 54

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Book Description


Quantifying the Impact of Trade on Wages

Quantifying the Impact of Trade on Wages PDF Author: Stephen Tokarick
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
This paper uses an applied general-equilbrium model to decompose the effects of changes in trade- and technology-related variables between 1982 and 1996 in the United States on the wages of skilled and unskilled labor. The results indicate that trade-related variables (tariff cuts, improvement in the terms of trade, and the increase in the trade deficit) had little impact on the widening wage gap. The major factor behind the rise in the skilled wage relative to the unskilled wage was differential rates of growth in skill-biased technical change across sectors. The paper also highlights the role that nontraded goods play in explaining the wage gap. Finally, the paper presents estimates of how wages would change if the economy moved to autarky. The results show that expanding trade could actually reduce wage inequality, rather than increase it.

Trade and Wages

Trade and Wages PDF Author: Jagdish N. Bhagwati
Publisher: A E I Press
ISBN:
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 138

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Book Description
A discussion of the perceived widening wage gap between skilled and unskilled workers that analyzes the implications of such a gap upon trade in the context of NAFTA. Woven into this presentation is the authors strong skepticism regarding the fear that freer trade has actually pushed down the wages of unskilled workers, or that it will do so in the future. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Trade and Employment

Trade and Employment PDF Author: Bernard M. Hoekman
Publisher: World Bank Publications
ISBN:
Category : Commerce
Languages : en
Pages : 37

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Book Description
"The substantial literature investigating the links between trade, trade policy, and labor market outcomes-both returns to labor and employment-has generated a number of stylized facts, but many open questions remain. This paper surveys the subset of the literature focusing on trade policy and integration into the world economy. Although in the longer run trade opportunities can have a major impact in creating more productive and higher paying jobs, this literature tends to take employment as given. A common finding is that much of the shorter run impacts of trade and reforms involve reallocation of labor or wage impacts within sectors. This reflects a pattern of expansion of more productive firms-especially export-oriented or suppliers to exporters-and contraction and adjustment of less productive enterprises in sectors that become subject to greater import competition. Wage responses to trade and trade reforms are generally greater than employment impacts, but trade can only explain a small fraction of the general increase in wage inequality observed in both industrial and developing countries in recent decades. A feature of the literature survey is that the focus is almost exclusively on industries producing goods. Given the importance of service industries as a source of employment and determinants of competitiveness, the paper argues that one priority area for future research is to study the employment effects of services trade and investment reforms. "--World Bank web site.

How International Trade Affects Wages and Employment

How International Trade Affects Wages and Employment PDF Author: Ivan T. Kandilov
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 320

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Book Description


Trade and Wages

Trade and Wages PDF Author: Robert Z. Lawrence
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Foreign trade and employment
Languages : en
Pages : 48

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Book Description
Abstract: This study uses both a net factor content analysis and a small simulation model to explore the impact on the U.S. labor market of a fivefold increase in imports of manufactured goods from developing countries. The simulation, which is parameterized by the US economy in 1990, involves a balanced trade expansion which displaces almost half of US manufacturing workers who are reemployed in the remaining manufacturing and non-trade sectors. The results show that relative wages of workers with a high school education or less would be depressed, while those with some college education would rise. However, despite the magnitude of the shock, the effects are surprisingly small. Once account is taken of productivity increases, labor force growth and export sector wage premiums, given unitary elasticities of demand and of substitution between workers with different levels of education, relative wages of workers with some college education rise by 3.5 percent, while the real wages of workers with a high school education or less decline by 1.3 percent. The impact of a variety of parameter assumptions is also explored.

The Impact of Trade Prices on Employment and Wages in the United States

The Impact of Trade Prices on Employment and Wages in the United States PDF Author: Ms.Dalia Hakura
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
ISBN: 1451942419
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 27

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Book Description
This paper investigates the sensitivity of sectoral employment and wages in the United States to changes in foreign trade prices for 1980–90. Previous studies have concentrated mainly on the impact of changes in import prices on employment and wage levels. This paper estimates the impact of changes in both import and export prices on employment and wages in each of 12 three-digit standard industrial classification (SIC) manufacturing sectors. The basic conclusion is that, for most sectors, changes in trade prices do not have significant effects on employment and wages, although they generally have a larger impact on employment than on wages.

Trade, Technology, and Wage Inequality

Trade, Technology, and Wage Inequality PDF Author: Gordon H. Hanson
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Income distribution
Languages : en
Pages : 60

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Book Description
In Mexico during the 1980s, the wages of more-educated, more- experienced workers rose relative to those of less-educated, less- experienced workers. We assess the extent to which the increase in the skilled-unskilled wage gap was associated with Mexico's recent trade reform. In particular, we examine whether trade reform has shifted employment towards industries that are relatively intensive in the use of skilled labor (Stolper-Samuelson-type effects). The results suggest that the rising wage gap is associated with changes internal to industries and even internal to plants that cannot be explained by Stolper-Samuelson-type effects. We also find that other characteristics associated with globalization -- such as foreign investment and export orientation -- matter. Exporting firms and joint ventures pay higher wages to skilled workers and demand more skilled labor than other firms.

Quantifying the Impact of Tradeon Wages

Quantifying the Impact of Tradeon Wages PDF Author: Stephen Tokarick
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
ISBN:
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 38

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Book Description
This paper uses an applied general equilbrium model to decompose the effects of changes in trade and technology-related variables on wages of skilled and unskilled labor between 1982 and 1996 in the United States. The results indicate that trade-related variables (tariff cuts, improvement in the terms of trade, and the increase in the trade deficit) had little impact on the widening wage gap. Also, changes in total factor productivity had a small effect on relative wages. The major factor behind the rise in the skilled wage relative to the unskilled wage was differential rates of growth in skill-biased technical change across sectors. The paper also highlights the role that nontraded goods play in explaining the wage gap. Finally, the paper presents estimates of the effect of trade on wages by calculating what wage rates would be under autarky. The results show that expanding trade could actually reduce wage inequality, rather than increase it. The welfare costs to the U.S economy of moving to autarky (using 1996 as a base) are about 6 percent of GDP.