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How ‘Provincial’ is your Region? Effects on Labour Productivity in Europe

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  • Gambardella, Alfonso
  • Mariani, Myriam
  • Torrisi, Salvatore

    (MERIT)

Abstract

This paper estimates the determinants of labour productivity in European NUTS regions during 1989-1996. Unlike previous studies, which have focussed either on local technological capabilities or on agglomeration economies, we compare three potential explanations of regional advantages: Technological capabilities (proxied by regional patents), agglomeration economies (employment density), and openness. To study the latter we use a new measure, the number of airplane passengers embarked and disembarked in the region, and found that in spite of some limitations, this is a meaningful index for the openness of the regions and possibly of other locations (e.g. cities). By using instrumental variables, we confirm existing results that patents and employment density affect labour productivity. Our novel finding is that openness affects labour productivity as well.

Suggested Citation

  • Gambardella, Alfonso & Mariani, Myriam & Torrisi, Salvatore, 2002. "How ‘Provincial’ is your Region? Effects on Labour Productivity in Europe," Research Memorandum 004, Maastricht University, Maastricht Economic Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
    • Handle: RePEc:unm:umamer:2002004
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Jacques Mairesse & Benoît Mulkay, 2007. "An Exploration of Local R&D Spillovers in France," Annals of Economics and Statistics, GENES, issue 87-88, pages 145-166.
    2. Akcomak, Semih & Ter Weel, Bas, 2007. "How do social capital and government support affect innovation and growth? Evidence from the EU regional support programmes," MERIT Working Papers 2007-009, United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
    3. Thomas Barnebeck Andersen & Carl-Johan Dalgaard, 2006. "Cross-Border Flows of People, Technology Diffusion and Aggregate Productivity," DEGIT Conference Papers c011_006, DEGIT, Dynamics, Economic Growth, and International Trade.
    4. Akçomak, I. Semih & ter Weel, Bas, 2009. "Social capital, innovation and growth: Evidence from Europe," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 53(5), pages 544-567, July.
    5. Thomas Andersen & Carl-Johan Dalgaard, 2011. "Flows of people, flows of ideas, and the inequality of nations," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 16(1), pages 1-32, March.

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