Unions are often stigmatized as being a source of inefficiency due to higher collective bargaining outcomes. This is in stark contrast with the descriptive evidence presented in this paper. Larger firms choose to export and are also more likely to adopt collective bargaining. We rationalize...

Unions are often stigmatized as being a source of inefficiency due to higher collective bargaining outcomes. This is in stark contrast with the descriptive evidence presented in this paper. Larger firms choose to export and are also more likely to adopt collective bargaining. We rationalize...

In theoretical trade models with variable markups and collective wage bargaining, export exposure may reduce the exporter wage premium. We test this prediction using linked German employer-employee data from 1996 to 2007. To separate the rent-sharing mechanism from assortative matching, we...

Fast ein Drittel aller Betriebe des Verarbeitenden Gewerbes in Deutschland setzte im Jahr 2014 Produkte im Ausland ab. Diese exportierenden Betriebe beschäftigten mehr als zwei Drittel aller Arbeitnehmer der Branche. Während 58 Prozent der Exportbetriebe im Zeitraum von 2000 bis 2014 die...

Wage moderation in Germany is often cited as a major cause of its recent export success. We construct competitiveness measures at both industry and plant level using OECD STAN data in order to confront this hypothesis with empirical evidence. Our results show that plants' export intensity is...