Integration of microdata from business surveys and the social statistics database
In national and international political debate the issue of globalisation is very prominent. Although there seems to be a difference in attention to this theme from several political and scientific perspectives as well as over time periods, it is nevertheless seen as an important factor which affects every day life in an economic and sociological sense ([12], [13], and [23]). The rejection in some EU countries of a European Constitution seems to reflect the perceived disadvantages of open borders. But on the other hand, for the Dutch situation at least, opening the borders has resulted in an additional purchasing power of an average 300 euro per citizen [8].
Many studies lack causal inferences on the effects of globalisation. The complicated context of several variables influencing the everyday behaviour of companies, people, and governments makes it very difficult to determine the causal effects of (inter)national policies. Furthermore, the economic and social effects of globalisation are usually treated mostly separately in many studies. In addition, the mere fact that national statistics ´stop at the border´ complicates the analysis of the international flows of goods, capital and persons. All these issues lead to a scattered and incomplete picture of the effects of globalisation. In other words, there is an urgent need for information about the effects of globalisation on the distribution of welfare and employment.
