The Logic of Agglomeration

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gilles Duranton ◽  
William Kerr
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
Internal Structure ◽  
Empirical Research ◽  
Economic Geography ◽  
Agglomeration Economies ◽  
Firm Level ◽  
City Formation ◽  
Level Data ◽  
Firm Level Data ◽  
Internal Operations

This chapter discusses frontier topics in economic geography as they relate to firms and agglomeration economies. The chapter focuses on areas where empirical research is scarce but possible. The chapter first outlines a conceptual framework for city formation that allows us to contemplate what empiricists might study when using firm-level data to compare the functioning of cities and industries with each other. The chapter then examines a second model of the internal structure of a cluster to examine possibilities with firm-level data for better exposing the internal operations of clusters. An overwhelming theme of the review is the vast scope for enhancements of our picture of agglomeration with the new data that are emerging.

Economic Geography and Manufacturing Productivity in Africa: Ananalysis of Firm Level Data

2008 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 223-252
Author(s):  
Ibrahim Elbadawi ◽  
Taye Mengistae ◽  
Tilahun Temesge ◽  
Albert Zeufack
Keyword(s):  
Economic Geography ◽  
Firm Level ◽  
Level Data ◽  
Firm Level Data ◽  
Manufacturing Productivity

scholarly journals Firm Sorting and Agglomeration

2018 ◽  
Vol 108 (11) ◽  
pp. 3117-3153 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cecile Gaubert
Keyword(s):  
General Equilibrium ◽  
Economic Activity ◽  
Heterogeneous Firms ◽  
Agglomeration Economies ◽  
Firm Level ◽  
Large Cities ◽  
French Firm ◽  
Level Data ◽  
Firm Level Data ◽  
Aggregate Effects

To account for the uneven distribution of economic activity in space, I propose a theory of the location choices of heterogeneous firms in a variety of sectors across cities. In equilibrium, the distribution of city sizes and the sorting patterns of firms are uniquely determined and affect aggregate TFP and welfare. I estimate the model using French firm-level data and find that nearly half of the productivity advantage of large cities is due to firm sorting, the rest coming from agglomeration economies. I quantify the general equilibrium effects of place-based policies: policies that subsidize smaller cities have negative aggregate effects. (JEL D22, D24, R11, R32)

Will manufacturing investors go to border zones? The case of central Thailand

2019 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Minh Tam Thi Bui ◽  
Arayah Preechametta
Keyword(s):  
Economic Integration ◽  
Agglomeration Economies ◽  
Regional Economic Integration ◽  
Firm Level ◽  
Regional Economic ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Policy Interventions ◽  
Level Data ◽  
Firm Level Data ◽  
Central Thailand

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine effects of regional economic integration on the concentration of manufacturing firms in provinces of Thailand on the border with Cambodia. It aims to clarify the interactions between dispersion and agglomeration forces within a firm’s location choice in the presence of economic integration and thereby to explain the feasibility of the border SEZs. Design/methodology/approach The theory of industrial clustering and New Economic Geography provides a theoretical framework to understand the locations of economic activities when regional economies are integrated. This paper employs provincial level data to calculate industry location quotients across a 10-year period from 2007 to 2017 in central Thailand and uses firm-level data from industrial censuses in 2006 and 2011 to estimate logit models for two border provinces with Cambodia and three eastern seaboard provinces. Two base models and extended models are tested to explain the persistent agglomeration of Thai firms in each manufacturing industry. Findings The authors found a positive correlation between the agglomeration level in 2006 and the choice of firms toward the border provinces in 2011. The disaggregated analysis shows that depending on the initial level of concentration in each industry, there can be agglomeration or dispersion effects. The advantage of low trade costs and labor costs of unskilled migrant workers are not significant factors attracting firms to the border. Firms in industries with increasing returns are more likely to stay in the hub. Practical implications The disaggregated analysis by industry provides very important implications for SEZ policy interventions. The important role of agglomeration economies limits the extent to which such policies can be successful. It would be an enormous challenge for policy makers to initiate forces which are strong enough to induce firms to relocate away from areas with high agglomerations. Policy interventions with attractive incentives should be very selective to industries already have a certain degree of concentration in the provinces so as to reinforce the agglomeration effects. Originality/value The research extends the empirical literature on SEZs by offering a unique case study of an emerging economy with a strong market foundation rather than a transitional or developed economy. It is also different from other research on SEZs when taking into account the effects of regional integration on border SEZ formation and firms’ location choices. In addition, this study employs firm-level data rather than provincial data to bring empirical insights and fill in the knowledge gap on agglomeration economies in Thailand with the presence of regional economic integration.

Ageing and Employability. Evidence from Belgian Firm-Level Data

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariann Rigo ◽  
Vincent Vandenberghe ◽  
Fábio Waltenberg
Keyword(s):  
Firm Level ◽  
Level Data ◽  
Firm Level Data

scholarly journals Who Really Benefits from Consumption Tax Cuts? Evidence from a Large VAT Reform in France

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 38-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
Youssef Benzarti ◽  
Dorian Carloni
Keyword(s):  
Value Added ◽  
Consumption Tax ◽  
Difference In Differences ◽  
Firm Level ◽  
Employment Effects ◽  
Level Data ◽  
Price Effects ◽  
Firm Level Data ◽  
Material Goods ◽  
Firm Owners

This paper evaluates the incidence of a large cut in value-added taxes (VATs) for French sit-down restaurants in 2009. In contrast to previous studies, which only focus on the price effects of VAT reforms, we estimate the effects of the VAT cut on four groups: workers, firm owners, consumers, and suppliers of material goods. Using a difference-in-differences strategy on firm-level data, we find that: firm owners pocketed more than 55 percent of the VAT cut; consumers, sellers of material goods, and employees shared the remaining windfall with consumers benefiting the least; and the employment effects were limited. (JEL H22, H25, L83)

Multinational Banks and IMF Conditionality

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Trung A Dang ◽  
Randall W Stone
Keyword(s):  
Political Economy ◽  
Investment Decisions ◽  
Location Decisions ◽  
Preferential Treatment ◽  
Firm Level ◽  
Financial Firms ◽  
Level Data ◽  
Firm Level Data ◽  
Imf Programs ◽  
Investment Location

Abstract We find firm-level evidence that US banks receive preferential treatment in countries under IMF conditionality. We rely on investment location decisions to infer firms’ expectations about future profits and find that US firms are approximately 53 percent more likely to acquire financial firms in countries under financial conditionality. IMF programs without financial conditionality and FDI in other sectors serve as placebo tests. Financial conditionality has weak effects on investment decisions by non-US firms, which implies a political-economy interpretation. Firm-level data indicate that the distinctive behavior of US firms is not due to advantages of scale or to a US-firm fixed effect, but to US influence in the IMF. Firms from other major IMF shareholders benefit as well, but the effects are much weaker. The effects are concentrated in the politically relevant firms that have local affiliates, which is consistent with the interpretation that firms lobby for preferential treatment.

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