Marginal Intra-Industry Trade and Labor Adjustment Cost in EU

Abstract

Intra- Industry Trade is a crucial issue from the point of view of increased importance in international trade and its' labor adjustment cost influence in the literature. This research analyzes the relationship between MIIT and labor adjustment cost by comparing the different measures of marginal intra-industry trade. We compare the A, MD1, and MD2 indexes, which are different measures of MIIT. 127 manufacturing subsectors are used in 15 European Union countries in the period between 1990- 2017. The result of dynamic panel data of system GMM shows that the MD2 measurement method explains the low adjustment cost better than MD1. It significantly correlates with a few of the variables concerning trade. MD1j has a strong relationship with sectoral employment, consumption, productivity, and openness in the manufacturing industry in the European Union. Three measures of MIIT present a negative link between MIIT and adjustment cost, which is suitable with the literature.