Outsourcing, Occupational Restructuring, and Employee Well-Being: Is There a Silver Lining?

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between outsourcing and various aspects of employee well‐being by devoting special attention to the role of occupational restructuring as a conveying mechanism. Using linked employer–employee data, we find that offshoring involves job destruction, especially when the destination is a low‐wage country. In such circumstances, staying employees’ job satisfaction is reduced. However, the relationship between outsourcing and employee well‐being is not entirely negative. Our evidence also shows that offshoring to high‐wage countries stimulates the vertical mobility of employees in affected firms in a manner that improves perceived well‐being, particularly in terms of better prospects for promotion.