Suchergebnisse

RésuméLes auteurs recherchent les déterminants des écarts salariaux au sein de l'Union européenne selon la position dans la distribution des salaires, suivant en cela la méthode proposée par Firpo, Fortin et Lemieux (2009) et par Fortin, Lemieux et Firpo (2011). Ils expliquent ces écarts à la fois par un effet de composition et par un effet de structure. Ce dernier effet, plus puissant, dépend surtout des facteurs non observés, alors que l'effet de composition peut ětre attribué principalement au niveau de diplôme, à la profession, à la fréquence des fonctions d'encadrement et, dans une moindre mesure, au secteur d'activité.

ResumenSe investigan los determinantes de las brechas salariales entre países de la Unión Europea a lo largo de la distribución salarial según la propuesta metodológica de Firpo, Fortin y Lemieux (2009) y de Fortin, Lemieux y Firpo (2011). Los efectos de estructura salarial y de composición inciden en las diferencias salariales, aunque el primero de una manera más marcada. Este efecto se deriva de las diferencias entre factores desconocidos, mientras que el efecto de composición se explica principalmente por las diferencias en materia de educación, proporción de trabajadores con responsabilidades de supervisión, estructura ocupacional y, en menor medida, estructura de la actividad económica.

AbstractThis article investigates the determinants of wage gaps between European Union countries along the wage distribution, applying the methodology proposed by Firpo, Fortin and Lemieux (2009) and Fortin, Lemieux and Firpo (2011). The authors conclude that both wage structure and composition effects contribute to explaining wage differentials, but that the wage structure effect is more important. This latter effect would appear to derive from differences between unknown factors, while the composition effect can largely be explained by differences in the following areas: education, proportion of workers with supervisory responsibilities, occupational structure, and, to a lesser extent, industrial structure.

FDI flows to the MENA region have been relatively low when compared to neighboring countries. This paper aims at investigating whether there are significant region-specific factors for FDI performance in MENA and EU regions. We employ a panel data approach and use the inward FDI performance index as dependent variable, including both institutional and macroeconomic variables as FDI determinants. The results reveal similar impact of the economic factors but significant differences between the two regions on some institutional determinants, in particular in what concerns the investment climate, government size and trade barriers. This leads to the conclusion that more appropriate policies are needed in the MENA region in order to develop a friendly economic and institutional environment to attract foreign investors.

In this paper we characterise the dynamics of trade among Central and Eastern European Countries (CEEC) and the EU using several methodologies that evaluate the type of trade and price-quality ranges. The analysis shows a significant decline in inter-industrial trade and an increasing specialisation in vertical intraindustry trade (IIT). Moreover, we found substantial differences in the unit values of exported and imported goods, which suggest that the increasing weight of IIT in the EU-CEEC trade did not result from a convergence on the factorial contents of the traded goods. Using a panel data approach we also identify the determinants of both vertical and horizontal IIT. The results suggest that there are some differences in the determinants of these types of trade, although both seem to have a statistically significant relationship with a country's size and foreign direct investment.

Most trade between the European Union (EU) and the Central and Eastern European Countries (CEEC) is inter-industrial in nature, based on comparative advantages. However, recent studies have uncovered structural changes in the nature of trade, the most unexpected being the rapid increase in Intra-industry trade (IIT). In this paper we characterise the dynamics of the CEEC-EU trade using several methodologies that evaluate the type of trade and price-quality ranges. The analysis confirms that there was a significant decline in inter-industrial trade and an increasing specialisation in vertical IIT. Moreover, we found substantial differences in the unit values of exported and imported goods, which suggest that the increasing weight of IIT in the EU-CEEC trade does not result from the factorial contents convergence of the traded goods. Therefore, these trends indicate the emergence of a new division of labour in the enlarged EU. Using a panel data approach we also identify the determinants of vertical and horizontal IIT. The results allow us to conclude that there are some differences in the determinants of these types of trade, although both seem to have a statistically significant relationship with country's size and Foreign Direct Investment flows.

Is foreign direct investment crossing Europe towards the East? During the last few years, news of foreign direct disinvestments have regularly emerged on the Portuguese media. The group of suspects have been identified as the new European Union members, where low wages, low corporate taxes and a highly educated labour force seems to attract multinationals eager to cut costs in an economy slowly recovering from recession. The clues of investment displacements abound, but no definite proof has yet been found in the empirical literature. This paper considers the available evidence, contributing to avoid possibly unfair incriminations.

The change of economic, social and political orientation in Central and Eastern European countries (CEEC), together with their expressed intention of joining the European Union (EU) in a foreseeable future, have raised a number of challenging questions. One object of interest has been the implications of Eastern openness in terms of international capital reallocation. This paper concentrates on the issue of foreign direct investment (FDI), which is considered a major channel of economic integration. In fact, in the particular case of these countries, a dramatic change in the pattern of FDI inflows took place in recent years. A number of studies have surveyed the determinants of FDI to this region but the issue still remains relatively unexplored from the empirical point of view. Using a random effects panel data model in the analysis, we try to empirically uncover the main determinants of FDI and to examine the probability of FDI diversion from the EU periphery to these transition economies. This issue is especially interesting for the EU periphery in general, and for cheap labour suppliers such as Portugal in particular, since there are reasons to believe that 'the east may be getting what would otherwise come south'.

The Eastern Enlargement represents an opportunity for trade growth for all the European Union (EU) countries. In fact, trade between the EU and the Central and Eastern European countries (CEEC) has increased considerably in the nineties. However, both benefits and losses from trade expansion do not equally affect all countries and regions inside the EU. This paper focus on the analysis of the potential bilateral trade flows between the EU and the CEEC and in special between the CEEC and the Southern European countries. The analysis is based on the gravity model approach using panel data from 1993 to 1999. It is possible to conclude that there is still scope for further expansion of the trade flows between some CEEC and some of the EU countries, in particular of some Southern countries.

The process of international economic integration has been continuously reinforced over the past decade. Such phenomenon is especially visible at the regional level, with the increase of Regional Integration Agreements (RIA), such as Mercosur, ASEAN, NAFTA and the project of European Union (EU) Eastern enlargement. Trade and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) flows are generally recognised as the two main channels of economic integration. Consequently, the most relevant issues in the debate on RIA relate to trade creation, trade diversion and to the possible reallocation of FDI and the respective economic effects. Since the beginning of the negotiation process for the Eastern enlargement of the EU, trade and FDI have played an important role in the approximation of member states and applicants. CEEC' transition phase to a market economy may now be considered as completed, since the geographical reorientation of trade seems to have reached its limits. Industrial recovery and rapidly rising levels of productivity in these countries induced changes in the sectoral composition of output, which will in turn influence trade patterns. The flows of FDI to the CEEC and the establishing of subcontracting agreements with EU industrial firms have become substantial, and were crucial to the restructuring process of industrial production and of international trade. The implementation of production and distribution networks involving Eastern and Western European firms has contributed to a stronger integration of Eastern firms in the world economy, in spite of the fact that some forms of alliance have not generated the upgrade or the technological autonomy of these firms. In the context of the enlargement, there is a potential risk of generalization of such forms of industrial cooperation, contributing to an asymmetric integration of Europe. The CEEC' integration in the EU will promote a broad market liberalisation and a higher level of economic and monetary stability. The new competitive environment will reinforce the role of the market as a mechanism of economic adjustment and of efficient resource allocation. As a consequence, the process of industrial and entrepreneurial restructuring, and the sectoral and geographical reorientation of trade patterns of the countries involved will be reinforced.