Labor Market of a U.S.‐Japanese Automobile Joint Venture

Starting with a brief location analysis of the plant site, in this paper we analyze the characteristics and geography of the labor market for a U.S.‐ Japanese automobile joint venture. Based on a survey of the firm's employees, we show that the labor market is two‐tiered and stretches over many states in the United States. There are clear differences in skills, gender and socio‐demographic characteristics between short and long distance movers, and American workers are willing and able to adapt to technology and work practices originating in a different culture. Most employees hold positive opinions of the work environment and practices at the plant, Japanese influence in the U.S. economy and U.S.‐Japanese economic relations, despite perceiving Japan as an economic threat to the United States. We conclude with some policy implications of our findings and an agenda for future research.