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Agglomeration, Congestion, and Regional Unemployment Disparities

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  • Ulrich Zierahn

    (University of Kassel)

Abstract

Regional labor markets are characterized by huge disparities of unemployment rates. Models of the New Economic Geography explain how disparities of regional goods markets endogenously arise but usually assume full employment. This paper discusses regional unemployment disparities by introducing a wage curve based on efficiency wages into the New Economic Geography. The model shows how disparities of regional goods and labor markets endogenously arise through the interplay of increasing returns to scale, transport costs, congestion costs, and migration. In result, the agglomeration pattern might be catastrophic or smooth depending on congestion costs. The transition between both patterns is smooth.

Suggested Citation

  • Ulrich Zierahn, 2011. "Agglomeration, Congestion, and Regional Unemployment Disparities," MAGKS Papers on Economics 201106, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Faculty of Business Administration and Economics, Department of Economics (Volkswirtschaftliche Abteilung).
    • Handle: RePEc:mar:magkse:201106
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    Cited by:

    1. Zierahn, Ulrich, 2012. "Monocentric cities, endogenous agglomeration, and unemployment disparities," HWWI Research Papers 130, Hamburg Institute of International Economics (HWWI).
    2. Eva Lajtkepová, 2020. "Distribution of Wages in the Regions of the Czech Republic," ACTA VSFS, University of Finance and Administration, vol. 14(2), pages 123-136.
    3. Kondo, Keisuke, 2015. "Spatial persistence of Japanese unemployment rates," Japan and the World Economy, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 113-122.
    4. Zierahn, Ulrich, 2011. "Regional unemployment and new economic geography," HWWI Research Papers 105, Hamburg Institute of International Economics (HWWI).
    5. Xinmeng Li & Dao-Zhi Zeng, 2022. "Frictional unemployment, bargaining, and agglomeration," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 68(1), pages 151-179, February.
    6. Xi Yang, 2014. "Labor market frictions, agglomeration, and regional unemployment disparities," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 52(2), pages 489-512, March.
    7. José M. Gaspar, 2018. "A prospective review on New Economic Geography," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 61(2), pages 237-272, September.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    regional unemployment; New Economic Geography; core-periphery; wage curve; labor migration;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J64 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Unemployment: Models, Duration, Incidence, and Job Search
    • R12 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Size and Spatial Distributions of Regional Economic Activity; Interregional Trade (economic geography)
    • R23 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Household Analysis - - - Regional Migration; Regional Labor Markets; Population

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