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on International Activities of Firms |
| By: | Márta Bisztray (ELTE Centre for Economic and Regional Studies); Gábor Békés (CEU; ELTE Centre for Economic and Regional Studies; CEPR); Alexandros Charos (WIFO); Klaus Friesenbichler (WIFO; ASCII); Miklós Koren (CEU; ELTE Centre for Economic and Regional Studies; CEPR; CESifo); Agnes Kügler (WIFO; ASCII); Balázs Lengyel (ELTE Centre for Economic and Regional Studies; Corvinus University Budapest); Amanda De Pirro (USI); Birgit Meyer (WIFO; ASCII) |
| Abstract: | Recent events have posed considerable challenges to supply chain, as demonstrated by trade data. Yet, firm-level information on the recent challenges remains scarce. The Supply Chain Disruption Survey addresses this gap by generating insights into firms’ experiences and expectations regarding their supplier relationships, with a special focus on the role of intangibles and changes over time. Conducted as part of the RETHINK-GSC Horizon research project, the survey was carried out in Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Hungary between mid-2023 and spring 2024. The survey focused on medium-sized and large firms operating in various manufacturing industries. This paper has two main objectives: first, it provides information about the survey's background, design, questionnaire, and implementation; and second, it presents the key patterns visible in the survey. The results indicate that sourcing remains anchored in Europe but is diversified. Experiencing disruption was nearly universal between 2020 and 2023, mostly due to COVID-19, but also due to the war in Ukraine and trade policy changes. Despite the perception of the disruptions being of temporary nature, the anticipation of risk increased. Firms adopted different risk mitigation strategies, including diversifying their supplier portfolio and information sharing with suppliers. |
| Keywords: | survey, questionnaire, supply chain, empirical research |
| JEL: | F14 D22 |
| Date: | 2025–11 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:has:discpr:2517 |
| By: | Marina Dodlova; Justyna Jantos; Krisztina Kis-Katos; Anna Kochanova |
| Abstract: | This paper examines the impact of floods on regional import dynamics in South Africa. Floods can disrupt firms' production activities and thereby hinder their participation in import markets. At the same time, firms may increase imports to compensate for disruptions in domestic supply networks. We study these opposing adjustment mechanisms using administrative firm-level data combined with detailed customs transactions records from South Africa. |
| Keywords: | Climate change, Flood, Import, Customs data, South Africa |
| Date: | 2026 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:unu:wpaper:wp-2026-28 |
| By: | Rita Pető (HUN-REN Centre for Economic and Regional Studies) |
| Abstract: | This paper examines how foreign direct investment (FDI) influences the gender wage gap, using matched employer-employee data from Hungary between 2003 and 2017. I find that foreign-owned firms exhibit a 4 percentage points larger within-firm gender wage gap compared to domestic firms, even after accounting for worker- and firm-level selection. This gap persists even after foreign capital withdraws, suggesting a lasting structural imprint. Furthermore, the results highlight the role of cultural norms: subsidiaries of companies from countries with more favorable economic opportunities for women show significantly smaller gender disparities. Greater wage-setting flexibility is also associated with a wider gender wage gap, especially among new hires. Overall, the study demonstrates that foreign ownership not only affects wage structures through economic channels but also transmits cultural norms that shape gender inequality in the labor market. |
| Keywords: | gender inequality, wage inequality, foreign-owned firms |
| JEL: | J16 J31 M52 F23 |
| Date: | 2025–06 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:has:discpr:2509 |
| By: | Rita Pető (HUN-REN Centre for Economic and Regional Studies); Balázs Reizer (HUN-REN Centre for Economic and Regional Studies) |
| Abstract: | How does foreign direct investment impact wages and the task content of jobs? Using linked employer-employee data from Hungary and an event study approach we show that FDI increases the returns to abstract tasks, while it does not affect the returns to routine and face-to-face tasks. This finding appears to be driven by skill-biased changes in technology, as acquired firms innovate more with their foreign partners, import more machines and improve product quality. These suggest that FDI-induced technological change is an important driver of growing inequality in developing countries. |
| Keywords: | wage inequality, foreign-owned firms |
| JEL: | J31 M52 F23 |
| Date: | 2025–06 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:has:discpr:2510 |
| By: | KUMANOMIDO, Hiroshi |
| Abstract: | Large exchange rate appreciations pose a fundamental challenge for open economies: they compress export margins, weaken competitiveness, and force firms and regions to adjust their production and employment structures. However, evidence on how such adjustments unfold over the long run remains limited. This paper studies these mechanisms using Japan’s sharp yen appreciation following the 1985 Plaza Accord. Combining a firm-level panel data from 1980 to 1999 with industry-level shock exposure, I estimate how appreciation affected firms’ employment, sales, and labor productivity. The results show sharp declines in sales and productivity but modest employment losses, reflecting Japan’s rigid labor practices. Industries more exposed to export shocks expanded FDI in Asia without inducing additional domestic employment adjustment, but leading to a sharper decline in measured labor productivity. At the regional level, labor reallocation from manufacturing to services occurred in shock-exposed regions, suggesting that the yen appreciation led to gradual structural transformation. |
| Keywords: | Exchange rate, Trade policy, Firm, Plaza Accord, Structural Transformation |
| JEL: | F14 F31 F68 |
| Date: | 2026–03 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hit:tdbcdp:e-2025-04 |