Impact of Foreign Direct Investment on Employment in Pacifi c Island Countries: An Empirical Study of Fiji

Among the 14 Pacifi c island countries, (PICs) Fiji, with its relatively better endowments in land and human resources as well as physical infrastructure, has been one of the ten favourite destinations of foreign direct investment (FDI) in Asia-Pacifi c. The gains from FDI include not only creation of employment in those sectors, which attracted overseas investors, but also of additional employment opportunities in ancillary sectors, which are supportive to all production oriented activities in the economy. This paper undertakes an econometric study of the impact of FDI in Fiji during a 30-year period. The study results confi rm that FDI contributed to employment creation and economic growth.