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Can deindustrialisation be reversed? The role of outsourcing and foreign trade in the structural change of the main European economies (2010–20)

Claudio Di Berardino et al.

Cambridge Journal of Economics2025https://doi.org/10.1093/cje/beaf022article
AJG 3ABDC A
Weight
0.44

Abstract

This article offers new empirical evidence on the deindustrialisation paths of the main European economies (Germany, Italy, France and Spain) from 2010 to 2020. Using a multi-country version of the subsystem approach with data from the Eurostat Figaro database, we examine the role of outsourcing and exports in changes in manufacturing employment. The findings reveal that although traditional sectoral analysis indicates deindustrialisation, the subsystem approach shows that the share of employment in manufacturing is stable or slightly increasing. This suggests that deindustrialisation is more ‘apparent’ than ‘real’. Our analysis also highlights that exports, particularly to non-European markets, have been the primary drivers of employment growth in the manufacturing subsystem. These insights demonstrate a potential trend towards re-industrialisation, driven by global market integration and increasing integration in the service sector with manufacturing value chains.

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https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1093/cje/beaf022

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@article{claudio2025,
  title        = {{Can deindustrialisation be reversed? The role of outsourcing and foreign trade in the structural change of the main European economies (2010–20)}},
  author       = {Claudio Di Berardino et al.},
  journal      = {Cambridge Journal of Economics},
  year         = {2025},
  doi          = {https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1093/cje/beaf022},
}

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Evidence weight

0.44

Balanced mode · F 0.40 / M 0.15 / V 0.05 / R 0.40

F · citation impact0.32 × 0.4 = 0.13
M · momentum0.57 × 0.15 = 0.09
V · venue signal0.50 × 0.05 = 0.03
R · text relevance †0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20

† Text relevance is estimated at 0.50 on the detail page — for your query’s actual relevance score, open this paper from a search result.