We study the choice of an MNE in deciding whether to establish a branch plant within a region, explicitly taking into account exit, as well as entry, costs. Protecting workers by having stict lay-off rules deters potential investment while subsidies attract it.

In the last two decades we have witnessed a rapid increase in foreign direct investment (FDI). Simultaneously, there has been a process of economic integration between countries, bringing down costs of trade. At first sight, the increased importance of FDI seems paradoxical; we would expect...

We examine the economic justification for providing investment subsidies to foreign-owned multinationals. These provide employment opportunities and generate demand for domestic intermediate inputs, produced by domestic workers with increasing returns to scale. Offering subsidies to...