Estimates of new foreign manufacturing employment in Ireland (1956-1972)

Abstract

The penetration of Irish manufacturing by transnational corporations (TNCs) has been one of the most important economic developments of the past thirty years. This article estimates the levels of employment in new TNCs for each year from 1956 to 1972, using employment data for 428 TNCs in 1973 and a model of companies' employment-growth paths. Together with post-1972 IDA survey data, the estimates provide time series of TNC employment in each often manufacturing sectors as well as electronics, pharmaceuticals and health products. The evolution of the TNCs' share of total manufacturing employment is discussed.