IBS Lunchtime Research Seminar - A Portrait of Backshorers. Evidence from Italian Administrative Data

You are cordially invited to attend an International Business and Strategy Departmental Research Meeting, during which there will be a presentation by Dr Katiuscia Lavoratori, Henley Business School. A reminder that attendance for IBS (full time, research oriented) staff and full-time students is compulsory, and where possible, must be in person. Individuals unable to attend in person, due to legitimate reasons will be provided a Teams link on request. Non-IBS staff are welcome to attend, but must register prior to the event. If you have not received the email invite please email Angie Clark

Please join us in Room 108, Henley Business School, if you would like to attend, please register using the link below:

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Please make sure you let me know in advance if you intend to attend in person so that the correct amount of catering is booked.

Date: Wednesday 26th February 2025, HBS Room 108

Time: 13.00 - 14.15pm

Abstract:

We investigate the determinants and effects of the backshoring phenomenon. We develop a strategy to identify production backshoring events that draws on the literature on offshoring. We identify backshoring events as persistent negative changes in bilateral imports in the same industry as firm production that are not matched by any increase in offshoring to any other countries. According to our results, backshoring remains relatively rare, with only about 5% of all offshoring firms doing backshoring over 2008-2015. Backshoring firms, on average, are smaller, younger, less productive, less internationally exposed, and employ a higher proportion of part-time workers. They predominantly operate in medium to low-skill sectors. Backshoring is associated with a temporary increase in employment, mainly driven by temporary workers, that is quickly re-absorbed. After backshoring, value-added and turnover display a declining trend. Backshoring appears to drive a reshuffling in labour force composition from white-collar to blue-collar workers and from highly educated to less educated employees. These findings have significant implications for the desirability and design of policies aimed at promoting backshoring.