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Persistence in industrial policy impacts: Evidence from Depression-era Mississippi

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  • Freedman, Matthew

Abstract

This paper studies the effects of a large-scale industrial policy implemented in 1930s Mississippi on contemporaneous and modern-day labor market outcomes. Attracted by unprecedented government incentives under Mississippi’s Balance Agriculture with Industry (BAWI) Program, 13 large manufacturing plants established operations in the state between 1936 and 1940. Using difference-in-differences and synthetic control matching techniques, I find that counties that received these plants experienced an over 15% increase in female labor force participation on average in the short run. Moreover, these effects persisted decades into the future, well after many of the original companies shut down. I also find suggestive evidence of an increase in educational attainment among women in counties where BAWI investment occurred. The results highlight the potential for even transitory government interventions to have long-lived effects on labor markets.

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  • Freedman, Matthew, 2017. "Persistence in industrial policy impacts: Evidence from Depression-era Mississippi," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 102(C), pages 34-51.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:juecon:v:102:y:2017:i:c:p:34-51
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jue.2017.08.001
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    Cited by:

    1. Wang, Jiangyuan & Gan, Jiawu & Li, Zhen, 2021. "Industrial policy, uncertainty, and analysts’ earnings forecast: Evidence from China," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 249-258.
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    3. Freedman, Matthew & Khanna, Shantanu & Neumark, David, 2023. "JUE Insight: The Impacts of Opportunity Zones on Zone Residents," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 133(C).
    4. Timothy J. Bartik, 2020. "Using Place-Based Jobs Policies to Help Distressed Communities," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 34(3), pages 99-127, Summer.
    5. Carlianne Patrick & Mark Partridge, 2022. "Agglomeration Spillovers and Persistence: New Evidence from Large Plant Openings," Working Papers 22-21, Center for Economic Studies, U.S. Census Bureau.
    6. Agrawal, David R. & Trandel, Gregory A., 2019. "Dynamics of policy adoption with state dependence," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    7. Jacob Bundrick & Weici Yuan, 2019. "Do Targeted Business Subsidies Improve Income and Reduce Poverty? A Synthetic Control Approach," Economic Development Quarterly, , vol. 33(4), pages 351-375, November.
    8. Wang, Chao & Feng, Chen & Bai, Caiquan, 2023. "Industrial policy and resident health: Historical evidence from China’s Third Front construction," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 89(C).
    9. Brad J. Hershbein & Bryan A. Stuart, 2020. "Recessions and Local Labor Market Hysteresis," Upjohn Working Papers 20-325, W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research.
    10. Andrew Hanson, 2021. "Taxes and Economic Development: An Update on the State of the Economics Literature," Economic Development Quarterly, , vol. 35(3), pages 232-253, August.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Industrial policy; Local labor markets; Agglomeration economies; Social norms; Gender inequality; Path dependence;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H25 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Business Taxes and Subsidies
    • H71 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - State and Local Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue
    • J21 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Force and Employment, Size, and Structure
    • J78 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Discrimination - - - Public Policy (including comparable worth)
    • N92 - Economic History - - Regional and Urban History - - - U.S.; Canada: 1913-
    • R11 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Regional Economic Activity: Growth, Development, Environmental Issues, and Changes
    • R58 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Regional Government Analysis - - - Regional Development Planning and Policy

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