Enemy of Labour? Analysing the Employment Effects of Mergers and Acquisitions

This paper analyses the employment effects of mergers and acquisitions (M&As) by using matched establishment-level data from Finland over the period 1989-2003. The data covers all sectors. We compare the employment effects of cross-border M&As with the effects arising from two different types of domestic M&As and internal restructurings. The results reveal that cross-border M&As lead to downsizing in manufacturing employment. The effects of cross-border M&As on employment in nonmanufacturing are much weaker. Changes in ownership associated with domestic M&As and internal restructurings also typically cause employment losses, but they exhibit an interesting sectoral variation.

Keywords: Mergers and acquisitions, M&As, takeovers, employment, workforce
Published: 1.9.2006
JEL: G34, J23, L23
ISBN: 952-209-028-X
ISSN: 1795-1801
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