GEP Research Paper 03/26
Exporting May Not Always Boost Firm Level Productivity
David Greenaway, Joakim Gullstrand and Richard Kneller
Abstract
A growing empirical literature suggests that the performance characteristics of firms that export are different from firms that do not. Specifically, exporters tend to be larger, more productive and pay higher wages than non-exporters. This paper reports on an econometric analysis of the characteristics of exporters and non-exporters in Swedish manufacturing industry. We use matching and differences in differences analysis to investigate a large panel dataset spanning almost 20 years. In contrast to the findings for every other country analysed so far, we find that the performance characteristics of exporters and non-exporters are remarkably similar.
Issued in July 2003.
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