The Stagnant Export Upgrading in Northeast China: Evidence from Value‐added Tax Reform

China's 2004 value‐added tax (VAT) pilot reform in the Northeast region, which changed the VAT from production type to consumption type, introduced a sizable tax credit for fixed investment in manufacturing industries, leading to more investment and higher productivity at firm level. This paper, however, uses difference‐in‐difference estimation and finds a negative structural effect; that is, the VAT pilot reform leads to a reduction in the export sophistication of Northeast cities relative to other cities in China, and the results hold for a battery of robustness checks. It is found that resources are reallocated towards less‐sophisticated industries. As the products with higher export sophistication are more skill and research and development (R&D) intensive, the shortfalls of skilled labor and R&D spending hinder the upgrading process. With a new round of revitalization plans in the Northeast, policymakers should be cautious with similar structural effects and focus on increasing skilled labor supply and R&D investment.     

Impact of Outward Foreign Direct Investment on Domestic R&D Activity: Evidence from Taiwan's Multinational Enterprises in Low‐wage Countries

This paper theoretically and empirically investigates the home‐country effects of a firm's outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) activity, specifically OFDI motivated by lower labor costs in the host country. A two‐country imperfect competition model is developed, and the interaction between a firm's R&D spending and its OFDI is examined. It is found that the relationship between a firm's OFDI and its domestic R&D is indeterminate because there is a complementary effect as well as a substitution effect induced by OFDI activity. Panel data on Taiwanese manufacturing firms from 1992–2005 are applied to test the validity of the theoretical results. The propensity score matching method is used to construct a comparison group without selection bias. Our empirical evidence reveals that a Taiwanese firm's OFDI is positively related to its domestic R&D spending, particularly in R&D‐intensive industries.     

How Do Local Labor Markets and Human Capital Affect Employment Outcomes after Job Loss?

This article uses the Longitudinal Employer‐Household Dynamics to evaluate how local industry concentration affects earnings losses for displaced workers. “Concentrated industries” are those industries with a high employment share within a labor market. This article compares earnings changes between displaced workers and job stayers within concentrated industries to the same within less concentrated industries. A separate comparison is made based on the expected level of job availability within the labor market. The findings show that earnings changes for displaced workers relative to job stayers are 7–13% higher within concentrated industries when job loss occurs during periods of high job availability. Earnings changes are 4.5–6% lower, however, when the same comparison is made during periods of low job availability. When firms are hiring workers, they are more likely to hire those previously employed within the same industry, since these workers have accumulated more relevant human capital.     

Innovation and Firm‐Level Productivity: Evidence from Bangladesh

In this paper, the labor productivity impact of manufacturing firms’ innovation in Bangladesh, a region which has, to date, been understudied in this respect, is examined through World Bank Enterprise Survey data from 2003 to 2006. We apply the Cobb–Douglas production function, augmented with innovation‐related inputs (and other expected sources of productivity) in a simultaneous three‐equation system connecting R&D to its determinants, innovation output to R&D, and productivity to innovation output; and in a two‐equation system connecting innovation output to its determinants and productivity to innovation output. Our results reveal that Bangladeshi firms’ process innovation is an important factor for their labor productivity, whereas the significant effect of product innovation is not clearly established.     

基于双阶段DEA模型的湖南省高新技术产业创新绩效研究

基于湖南省14个市州2010-2017年的高新技术产业面板数据,运用双阶段数据包络分析（DEA）方法,将高新技术产业的创新过程分为技术研究阶段和经济产出阶段,研究各地区高新技术产业创新绩效效率。研究结果表明：湖南省高新技术产业可分为粗放型、高研发低转化、低研发高转化、集约型这四种产业模式,不同阶段存在投入产出不匹配、投入冗余的情况。     

环境规制差异、行业特征与就业动态

文章基于2004-2011年中国分省分行业的工业数据,将地区环境规制程度与行业特征相结合,采用倍差非线性计量模型,实证考察了环境规制强度的省际差异对不同特征行业就业的净影响及其就业集聚效应。实证结果表明：环境规制强度的地区差异导致污染密集型行业的就业呈现向环境规制较为宽松地区集聚的趋势,基于行业就业人数和就业份额的实证结果均比较显著。将工业行业划分为高污染-高资本行业、高污染-低资本行业、低污染-高资本行业和低污染-低资本行业四大类,通过计算环境规制的边际就业效应发现,环境规制会对高污染-高资本密集型行业产生正向的就业效应,环境规制带来的负向就业效应仅在纺织、纺织服装和有色金属采选等高污染的劳动密集型行业表现得比较明显。     

Productivity Gains from Offshore Outsourcing: Evidence from the Chinese Manufacturing Industry

Using the Cobb–Douglas production function and vertical specialization share, the present paper measures the productivity spillover effects of offshore outsourcing in the Chinese manufacturing industry. We examine different production factors and the degree of openness by dividing the Chinese manufacturing industry into five major categories: capital‐intensive business, technological‐intensive business, labor‐intensive business, open business and non‐open business. The results show that offshore outsourcing is positively associated with productivity in the Chinese manufacturing industry as a whole, but less so in labor‐intensive industries and more in capital‐intensive industries. Moreover, the positive impact of outsourcing on productivity is slightly higher in open industries than in non‐open industries. These results shed light on the differential spillover effects of offshore outsourcing on productivity. Our findings suggest that outsourcing structure is important to China's long‐run competitive advantage. China's policy‐makers should encourage further offshore capital‐intensive and technology‐intensive activities and focus more on outward‐oriented offshore businesses.     

STOCK MARKET VALUATIONS OF R&D AND ELECTRONICS FIRMS DURING TAIWAN'S RECENT ECONOMIC TRANSITION

The objective of the present study is to investigate the market valuation of Research and Development (R&D) investments in the Taiwanese stock market from July 1988 to June 2002. The motivation stems from Taiwan's recent economic transition from a labor‐intensive, then to a capital‐intensive, and currently to a technology‐based economy. The results support not only the existence, but also the persistence of R&D‐associated mispricing. More importantly, it has become stronger as the electronics industry gradually dominates the economy. First, R&D‐intensive stocks tend to outperform stocks with little or no R&D. Second, the R&D‐intensity effect cannot fully be attributed to firm size. Third, the R&D‐intensity effect is more pronounced for firms in the electronics industry after 1996.     

高技术产业创新影响因素研究

以柯布-道格拉斯生产函数为基础,将高技术产业作为研究对象构建创新生产函数模型.运用岭回归分析R&D经费内部支出、R&D人员折合全时当量、政府财政科技拨款对高技术产业创新的影响作用.研究结果表明,R&D经费内部支出、R&D人员折合全时当量、政府财政科技拨款3个指标均对中国高技术产业的有效发明专利数和主营业务收入具有显著的正向作用.     

Tax policy implications for a two‐engine growing economy

In an endogenous growth model with two engines of R&D and capital, we investigate the environment of “inclusive growth” for tax reallocations (tax increases or tax credits) to gain broader benefits in terms of promoting the overall GDP growth without an increase in income inequality. Our results show that a tax increase in the capital‐good sector can result in inclusive growth, boosting overall growth and reducing income inequality, provided that the status quo tax rate is not too high. Surprisingly, tax credits are not able to achieve such inclusive growth. While the GDP growth rises, a tax credit in the R&D sector not only increases income inequality but also decreases the aggregate employment, if the labor mobility cost between the final‐good and R&D/capital‐good sectors is relatively low. This provides a caution to policymakers given the fact that research tax credits have served as a common incentive to strengthen the R&D environment.     

不同行业领域企业研发机构创新效率评价核心指标的选择——以大中型工业企业为例的DEA分析

以创新效率评价作为切入点,着重分析不同行业领域企业研发机构创新效率评价核心指标的选择问题。研究发现：效率评价指标体系的设定对于不同行业领域企业研发机构最终的评价结果会产生直接的影响,其中,高学历人员等人力资源类指标对劳动密集型行业效率影响较大;经费支出等财力物资类指标对资本密集型行业效率影响较大;有效发明专利等创新成果类指标对技术密集型行业效率影响较大;而新产品产值等经济效益类指标对于三大类行业效率均有明显影响。     

Do E‐verify mandates improve labor market outcomes of low‐skilled native and legal immigrant workers?

We examine the impact of the 2007 Legal Arizona Workers Act (LAWA) on employment outcomes of low‐skilled legal workers. We use the synthetic control method to select a group of states against which the labor market trends of Arizona can be compared. Our results suggest that contrary to its intent, LAWA does not appear to have improved labor market outcomes of legal low‐skilled workers who compete with unauthorized immigrants, the target of the legislation. In fact, we find some evidence of diminished employment and increased unemployment among legal low‐skilled workers in Arizona. These findings are concentrated on the largest demographic group of workers—non‐Hispanic white men. While they are less likely to find employment, those who do have on average higher earnings as a result of LAWA. The pattern of results points to both labor supply and labor demand contractions due to LAWA, with labor supply dominating in terms of magnitude.     

我国高技术产业创新绩效与区域差异性研究

采用我国2000—2010年26省市的高技术产业面板数据,对国内研发、技术转移和国外技术溢出与高技术产业的创新绩效关系进行实证研究。同时,考虑到省市间经济发展水平和创新能力存在较大差异,又把26个省市按照经济发展水平划分为三个区域,分别考察各区域的创新绩效。研究发现,本国科研人员投入及技术转移对技术发明起到明显的促进作用,科研人员投入等本国要素及FDI、出口贸易等国外因素则对产业创新有较为显著的作用。各因素对不同收入水平的地区有明显的地区差异性:国内研发等要素投入对高收入地区的技术创新促进性作用比较明显,而FDI等因素对低收入地区整体创新能力均产生明显的积极效应。因此需要根据各地区的经济发展水平和创新能力制定相应的科技政策。     

Intellectual Property Rights and Patenting in China＇s High-technology Industries： Does Ownership Matter？.

This paper aims to systematically investigate the impacts of strengthening intellectual property rights on patenting in China's high‐technology industries and to explore the potential differences in response to patent reform by ownership. Empirical results show that the estimated patent elasticity of R&D is lower than that for OECD countries, indicating relatively low R&D productivity for China's high‐technology industries. The direct innovation effect of technology imports is negative, while the absorptive ability embodied in R&D helps in gaining external sources of knowledge, thus contributing to innovations. Specifically, strengthening intellectual property rights can induce more innovations in terms of patents in China's high‐technology industries and is particularly relevant to foreign‐owned high‐technology enterprises.     

FDI,labor market flexibility and employment in China

This paper discusses the influence and underlying mechanisms of foreign direct investment (FDI) and the labor market on Chinese employment. We analyze data from 30 Chinese provinces and municipalities over the period 2000–2015, in the first instance to examine employment effects of both FDI and labor market flexibility through the moderating effect; here we verify the moderating effect with respect to labor market flexibility. Second, using subsamples, we explore the effects of regional and skill differences on the employment. Finally, to test the three mechanisms, we employ a mixed model of moderating and mediating effects. Contrary to previous studies, we observe a positive employment effect of FDI, with labor market flexibility playing a significant positive moderating role, a 1% increase in FDI is associated with an expected employment increase of 0.216. Additionally, wages, human capital, and R&D investment play positive mediating roles when labor market flexibility moderates the employment effect of FDI.     

“凿空之旅”泽万民:“一带一路”对外直接投资如何提高劳动收入份额

文章基于2003-2016年中国上市公司数据,采用倾向得分匹配和双重差分法（PSM-DID）探讨"一带一路"沿线对外直接投资与母国劳动收入份额之间的因果关系。实证发现,企业对外直接投资长期内整体上提高了职工的工资份额。考虑企业所处地区、行业和劳动者的异质性后,结论仍然稳健。具体而言,企业通过对外直接投资的逆向技术溢出提高了创新能力、研发投入和全要素生产率,从而提高了母国职工工资份额。此外,企业的技术进步具有高技能劳动力的偏向性,母国高技能劳动者的工资份额在企业对外直接投资中得以显著提升,但对于母国低技能劳动者的工资份额影响不显著。文章研究发现"一带一路"沿线对外直接投资对母国劳动收入份额的影响机制和具体效应提供了微观证据。     

R&D,unemployment, and labor market policies

This paper studies the effects of labor market policies on R&D activities and unemployment. I develop a search and matching model in which firms’ R&D decisions are endogenously determined. The model demonstrates that more intensive labor market policies that protect workers reduce the levels of R&D activities. This study offers a theoretical framework to understand the relationship between R&D activities, labor market policies, and unemployment which is discussed in empirical studies.     

WHO DEVELOPS INNOVATIONS IN MEDICINE FOR THE POOR? TRENDS IN PATENT APPLICATIONS RELATED TO MEDICINES FOR HIV/AIDS,TUBERCULOSIS, MALARIA,AND NEGLECTED DISEASES

This paper analyzes patent data of medicines and vaccines for diseases spreading in low‐income countries. The data were retrieved from a database of the Japan Patent Office. Who invents medicines for the poor of the world? This is the main question that the paper addresses. Results indicate that not only public institutions but also private firms have played an important role in developing innovations for fighting both global diseases such as HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis, and so‐called neglected diseases including malaria, which seem to spread almost exclusively in low‐income countries. Moreover, the basic mechanism of innovation is similar between the development of medicines for HIV/AIDS and those for neglected diseases. Finally, among firms, infectious disease fighting innovations are quite diverse. R&D stock and economies of scope are used to explain frequent patent applications by a high‐performing pharmaceutical firm.     

The transition from imitation to innovation: An enquiry into China's evolving institutions and firm capabilities

How is the Chinese economy making the transition from imitation to innovation as the source of sustained long-term growth? We address this question using the evolutionary approach to growth in which institutions support technical advance and enterprises develop capabilities to learn and innovate. Growth is seen as a series of disequilibria in which obstacles to innovation such as outdated institutions and weak incentive systems can cause growth to slow. We review existing literatures on institutions and firm behavior in China and compare these findings with those of our survey of Chinese firms in 2006. Industry and firm studies in the literature show how productivity is rising because of firm entry and exit rather than the adoption of new technologies. A striking feature both of the studies in the literature and our survey is the increasing competitive pressures on firms that encourage learning. Our survey of privately owned small and medium enterprises in five high-tech industries in Zhejiang province found a market-based innovation system and evidence of much process and some product innovations. These enterprises respond to growing product competition and demanding customers with intensive internal learning, investment in R&D and a variety of international and research linkages.     

Productivity Spillovers from FDI in Malaysian Manufacturing: Evidence from Micro‐panel Data*

Using an establishment‐level panel dataset for the Malaysian manufacturing industries for 2000–2004, we argue that differences in the proxies and degrees of foreign shareholdings in measuring foreign presence lead to opposite signs and/or significance of spillover effects. The results show significant evidence of positive productivity spillovers to local establishments in the same industry, based on a broad measure of foreign presence. However, there is no evidence of positive spillover when employment share is used as a proxy for foreign presence. Furthermore, significant negative spillover effects are related to higher employment shares of wholly foreign‐owned establishments. Although there is no significant difference in labor productivity between wholly foreign‐owned and locally‐owned establishments, both majority and minority foreign‐owned establishments have significantly lower levels of labor productivity than locally‐owned establishments in Malaysia.