Trade exposure, immigrants, and workplace injuries

We study the effects of globalization on workplace accidents in the Italian manufacturing sector from 2008 to 2019. We focus on the local intensity of import exposure to China and the share of foreign-born residents. To address potential endogeneity, we instrument import competition using that of other high-income countries and immigration exposure with historical conational settlements. We find that increased import competition worsens workplace safety, especially in provinces with low population density, strong transport networks, limited outside options, and many small firms. The effect is stronger in areas with below-median immigrant shares, suggesting foreign workers may buffer its adverse impact.