Globalisation and crisis effects on the Austrian regions - a new methodology to estimate regional trade and an analysis of the crisis effects (project)

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Globalisation and crisis effects on the Austrian regions - a new methodology to estimate regional trade and an analysis of the crisis effects

Client/Funding Institution

Austrian Ministry of Economy, Family and Youth

Abstract

Foreign trade and foreign direct investments (FDI) are key elements for economic development and growth of both a country and its regions. This study introduces a method to estimate foreign trade of the nine Austrian NUTS-2 regions. The basic idea of the method is to disaggregate national foreign trade data to the regional level using na-tional input-output, regional employment and other supplemental data. This allows for the estimation of foreign trade of the Austrian regions for the years 1999 to 2009. The results indicate highly differentiated patterns of trade competitiveness across the Austrian regions. While Upper Austria and Vorarlberg per-form well on European and global markets, other regions, foremost Burgenland, are in a much more difficult position. The regions’ reactions to the 2009 economic crisis were equally differentiated. Although the decline of foreign trade led to an employment loss in all Austrian regions, Vorarlberg and Tyrol proved to be much more resilient than others.