The practice of shifting manufacturing activities to lower wage countries has thrived lately as firms attempt to reduce labor and other costs. However, success has been elusive for many of these firms. We investigate the determinants of offshoring success, with emphasis on the role of...

The practice of shifting manufacturing activities to lower wage countries has thrived lately as firms attempt to reduce labor and other costs. However, success has been elusive for many of these firms. We investigate the determinants of offshoring success, with emphasis on the role of...

We quantify and explain the firm responses and worker impacts of foreign demand shocks to domestic production networks. To capture that firms can be indirectly exposed to such shocks by buying from or selling to domestic firms that import or export, we use Belgian data with information on both...

The policy debate views offshoring as job destruction. Theoretical models of offshoring mostly assume full employment. We develop a model of task trade that allows for equilibrium unemployment. In this model, there are two margins of adjustment. At the extensive margin, moving tasks offshore...

The policy debate views offshoring as job destruction. Theoretical models of offshoring mostly assume full employment. We develop a model of task trade that allows for equilibrium unemployment. In this model, there are two margins of adjustment. At the extensive margin, moving tasks offshore...