Firms' Use of Outside Contractors: Theory and Evidence

Katharine Abraham () and Susan K Taylor

Journal of Labor Economics, 1996, vol. 14, issue 3, pages 394-424

Abstract: A firm's decision to contract out for business support services may be influenced by the wage and benefit savings it could realize, the volatility of its output demand, and the availability of specialized skills possessed by the outside contractor. Analysis of newly available establishment-level data shows that all three of these factors help to explain observed contracting behavior. The reported empirical findings are relevant both for understanding the recent growth in business support service contracting and for understanding firms' relationships with their own employees. Copyright 1996 by University of Chicago Press.

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Working Paper: Firms' Use of Outside Contractors: Theory and Evidence (1993)
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