The Impact of Foreign Direct Investment on Employment in OECD and Developing Countries

In the recent decades, foreign direct investment (FDI) has expanded greatly in many countries due to the globalization Foreign direct investment affects employment level through direct and indirect channels. FDI as a source of the capital, increases output and, therefore, can directly increase employment. Also through transferring new technology, management skills, and knowledge and their spillovers, FDI can improve competitiveness, enhance the labor knowledge and productivity, and improve the balance of payments, which indirectly increase the demand for labor and thus employment.
In this study, we examine the effect of FDI on employment using a panel data including 49 countries (OECD and developing countries) during 1990-2013. The results show that FDI has a positive effect on employment in OECD countries and a negative effect on employment in developing countries.