Showing papers in "Austrian Economic Quarterly in 2000"

Economic Integration, Specialisation and the Location of Industries. A Survey of the Theoretical Literature

Abstract: Globalisation and the process of European integration have dramatically changed the competitive environment for European manufacturing. The literature survey gives an insight into theoretically possible impacts of these ongoing processes on industrial structures, the specialisation patterns of EU economies, the location of industrial activities within Europe and the possible emergence of core-periphery patterns.

Specialisation of European Manufacturing

Abstract: The article investigates how the structure of manufacturing changes in the EU countries over the past 15 years: it presents evidence about the specialisation of countries in production and exports in general and whether the share of the most important industries is decreasing or increasing under the impact of integration and globalisation.

An Evaluation of the Economic Effects of Austria's EU Membership

Abstract: EU membership implied for Austria in the first place considerable adjustments in the area of economic policy and also of the private sector. In many policy areas the government had to cede competence to the Community. Austria as the fourth-richest EU member state, is a net payer to the EU budget. The participation in the Single Market increased competitive pressure and brought liberalisation in areas which were protected before. This process is still going on. An overall economic evaluation indicates that EU membership produced welfare effects – mainly for consumers – of about 2 percent of GDP. Since 1995, the full integration of Austria in the Single Market and in the early stage of EMU resulted in an cumulative increase of real GDP of 3 percentage points (or of about ½ percent per year).

Deregulation of Placement Services. The Case of Austria

Abstract: Labour market mechanisms are being transformed, as the composition of labour supply and demand are changing in the wake of demographic changes and industrial reform and restructuring. In the course of the implementation of new organisations of work, labour turnover increased significantly since the mid 1980s. As a result, the Labour Market Service was faced with an increasing mismatch between jobs advertised and unemployed registered with them. The skill and occupational composition of the unemployed becomes more heterogeneous, while the job vacancies registered with the LMS remain traditional. This is a major challenge for job matching, the core business of the LMS. The Public Employment Services (the Austrian Labour Market Service) responded to the problem with deregulation and privatisation in the late 1980s and the 1990s. However, the reforms were half-hearted and did not embrace the potential for public-private partnerships in job matching. Thus, the problem of an increasing mismatch between labour supply and demand remains an open issue.

Do Growth Rates Differ in European Manufacturing Industries

Abstract: A detailed examination of the determinants of industry growth is of particular relevance to industrial policy. This article uses a comprehensive panel approach to analyse the growth process of manufacturing industries in the EU countries over the period 1985-1997. Following a review theoretical hypotheses and previous empirical literature, stylised facts about the growth process in European manufacturing over the past ten years are presented. A presentation of panel estimates concludes the paper.

The Impact of EU Accession of Selected CEECs on Bilateral Economic Relations with the EU. A Dynamic Gravity Approach

Abstract: A dynamic panel data approach was applied in order to evaluate the impact of EU accession of selected Central and Eastern European countries on their bilateral economic relations in terms of trade and FDI with the EU member states. Assuming the accession for 2005 and taking projections for the GDPs of the CEECs in the case of accession and non-accession, we obtain the following results in real terms by our model simulation: Bilateral exports by the average EU country to the selected CEECs increase by an additional ½ percent p.a. The effect on the growth rate of outward stocks of FDI is about triple that figure (+1½ percent p.a.).

Consequences of EU Eastern Enlargement on Austrian Agriculture

Abstract: The EU's eastern enlargement will mean both opportunities and risks for the agricultural sector in Austria For most of the sectors of production analysed problems will, however, be greater than benefits On balance, market share losses must be expected, which in turn will intensify the adjustment pressure exerted on farmers

The Impact of Internationalised Production on the Domestic Growth of Firms

Abstract: Based on data from the WIFO Investment Surveys, this paper analyses the relationship between a firm's foreign production and its growth at its domestic location. Firms with a high share of foreign production are more export-oriented than the average company. They have achieved a critical minimum size and are mainly active in technology-intensive industries. Internationalised firms tend to rely on a strategy which is built on both exports and foreign production. The econometric analysis confirms that larger firms on average grow more slowly but that internationalised firms, despite their above-average size, maintain and sometimes even expand their growth potential at home.