Impact of outward foreign direct investment on employment volatility: Evidence from China

Abstract

Does outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) help stabilize employment in the home country? This paper studies the relationship between the volatility of employment growth and the OFDI of a firm using matched data of Chinese firms from 2000 to 2019. The empirical analysis shows that employment in OFDI firms is less volatile than that in non-OFDI firms. For firms in the eastern coastal areas of China, OFDI has a more obvious effect in restraining employment volatility. OFDI is also conducive to reducing employment volatility for firms that conduct OFDI in Asian, European, and American countries. Firms in the service sector conducting OFDI see a greater reduction in employment volatility. In addition, OFDI affects employment volatility mainly through the channels of technological innovation and production transfers. This study recommends that the government enact reforms in the domestic market to encourage more firms in China to invest.