Agglomeration and labour productivity in Spain over the long term

This paper analyses the relationship between spatial density of economic activity and interregional differences in the productivity of industrial labour in Spain during the period 1860–1999. In the spirit of Ciccone and Hall (Am Econ Rev 86:54–70, 1996) and Ciccone (Eur Econ Rev 46:213–227, 2002), we analyse the evolution of this relationship over the long term in Spain. Using data on the period 1860–1999 we show the existence of an agglomeration effect linking the density of economic activity with labour productivity in the industry. This effect was present since the beginning of the industrialisation process in the middle of the nineteenth century but has been decreasing over time. Our results show that doubling employment density raises average labour productivity in the industrial sector by between 3 and 5% in all periods analysed, with the exception of the last segment from the twentieth century. Hence, we find significant evidence of agglomeration effects. However, these effects seem to have been falling sharply from the mid-nineteenth century until late in the twentieth century, and there appears to be no positive evidence of agglomeration effects in industry in the period 1985–1999. This result could be explained by an important increase in the congestion effects in large industrial metropolitan areas that would have compensated the centripetal or agglomeration forces at work. Furthermore, this result is also consistent with the evidence of a dispersion of industrial activity in Spain during the last decades.

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Distortions,factor proportions and efficiency losses: Argentina in the latin american scenario

Zusammenfassung Verzerrungen, Faktorproportionen und Effizienzverluste: Argentinien im lateinamerikanischen Szenario. - Dieser Aufsatz verfolgt einen doppelten Zweck. Erstens werden Faktormarktverzerrungen quantitativ gesch?tzt und ihre Auswirkungen auf die Besch?ftigung mit einer Simulation ermittelt, wobei eine einfache Verhaltensgleichung des partiellen Gleichgewichts benutzt wird. Zweitens wird eine aggregierte Sch?tzung des Effizienzverlustes vorgelegt, der auf Verzerrungen auf den Faktor- und Güterm?rkten zurückgeführt werden kann. Die Analyse bezieht sich auf den gewerblichen Sektor Argentiniens. Anschlie\end werden die Sch?tzungen mit ?hnlichen Sch?tzungen für andere lateinamerikanische Staaten verglichen. Die Ergebnisse deuten darauf hin, da\ von der Wirtschaftspolitik hervorgerufene Verzerrungen in signifikantem Ausma\ die Besch?ftigungsm?glichkeiten verringert und au\erdem zu beunruhigend hohen Effizienzverlusten geführt haben.

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Résumé Distorsions, proportions de facteur et pertes d’efficacité: L’Argentine en scénario latinoamericain. - Le but de cet article est de deux sortes. D’abord, l’auteur présente des estimations quantitatives des distorsions au marché de facteur et il simule leurs effets sur l’emploi en applicant une simple équation de comportement de l’équilibre partiel. Puis, l’auteur donne une estimation agrégée de la dimension de la perte d’efficacité qu’on peut attribuer aux distorsions aux marchés de bien et de facteur. L’analyse est faite pour le secteur manufacturier argentin, et les estimations sont comparées avec des similaires analyses faites pour d’ autres pays latinoamericains. Les résultats suggèrent que les distorsions induites par la politique ont réduit des possibilités d’emploi d’une manière significative et de même causé des pertes d’efficacité aux dimensions alarmantes.

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Resumen Distorsiones, proportión de factures y pérdida de eficiencia: Argentina en el contexte latinoamericano. - El objetivo de este trabajo es doble. Primero se presentan estimaciónes cuantitativas de distorsiones en los mercados de factures y se simula su impacto sobre el empleo, utilizando una simple ecuaci?n de comportamiento de equilibrio parcial. En segundo lugar se provee una estimation agregada de la magnitud de la pérdida de eficiencia atribuída a distorsiones en el mercado de factores y en el de bienes. El analisis comprende el sector manufacturera argentino; las estimaciónes son comparadas con estimaci?nes similares para otros pafses latinoamericanos. Los resultados obtenidos sugieren que las distorsiones inducidas por la politica econ?mica redujeron las oportunidades de empleo de manera significativa, y que también dieron lugar a pérdidas de eficiencia alarmantes.

     

A note on the “size” of determinacy and indeterminacy

Summary. It is shown in this note that in an incomplete markets economy with uncountably many states of the world there may be uncountably many isolated equilibria as well as uncountably many non-isolated equilibria. Moreover, both subsets can be simultaneously of second category. Therefore, none of the subsets can be considered negligible with respect to the other, neither from a cardinality point of view nor from a topological one. Unfortunately, this fact prevents from claiming that these economies may have “typically” determinate equilibria – even though uncountably many of them – as would have been desirable for comparative statics exercises. Received: May 19, 1995; revised version: March 24, 1997     

External Financial Fragility and Capital Flight in Mexico

Mexico suffered capital flight from 1973 up to 1988 practically without interruption. This paper attempts to evaluate the real cost to Mexico of capital flight. A simple macro-economic model is specified on whose basis an estimate of this cost is attempted. It is found that the cost of this capital flight has been enormous. It gave rise to over-indebtedness when financing was still available from external sources, and it entailed short- and long-term losses of output which the country might have generated. The loss of output was estimated at between 1.5% and 2.5% of the total GDP for the period 1973–1991, between 0.9% and 2% for the 1982–1991 period, and between 3.1% and 5.7% for the 1982–1988 adjustment period.     

The new Spanish system of intergovernmental transfers

This article analyses the workings of the new Spanish system of intergovernmental transfers, which has been in operation since 2009, and compares its expected effects with those of the model that was in force until 2008. The paper considers the effects of the new model at the base year of application and the growth over time of these effects. On the positive side, the reform has significantly reduced the dispersion of the distribution of regional resources per capita. On the negative side, the system has become very complex and obscure regarding the distribution criteria it uses; also, of the five (1987, 1992, 1997, 2002, 2009) major revisions of the system, this is the most expensive.     

On the epidemiology of injury in developing countries: A one-year emergency room-based surveillance experience from León,Nicaragua

Background Regularly available data has been shown to be inadequate for developing, implementing, and evaluating injury prevention and control programs in Nicaragua. A specific prevention-oriented local injury surveillance system has therefore been set up in the city of León. Objectives The aim of this paper is to describe the epidemiology of fatal and non-fatal injuries over a one-year period in a well-defined local population in Nicaragua, as emerging from the perspective of emergency room and inpatient treatments over a one-year period. Methods A hospital-based injury surveillance system was established to collect data for different levels of severity. All treated unintentional and intentional injuries were registered, including information on the external causes according to the ICD-9. Results Of all emergency room visits, 15.9% (9,970) were injuries. For every death due to injuries, there were 31 hospital admissions and 253 emergency room visits. Home and street/roads were the main arenas for the accidents. The estimated underreporting rate was about 6%, and in 20.3% of the cases, no E-code was assigned. The overall incidence and mortality rates were 56.2 per 1,000 and 20 per 100,000 inhabitants, respectively. However, comparison with a parallel household survey showed that the reporting rate of the surveillance system is only about 9%. The overall ratio of male to female injury rates was 2.1 to 1. The main causes of non-fatal injuries were falls, whereas the main cause of death was traffic accidents. Conclusions Hospital discharge and emergency room data systems are effective and feasible means for collecting the data needed to prevent injuries. However, in a country like Nicaragua with limited access to hospital health services, it is necessary to supplement such a system with additional sources of information in order to gain a more comprehensive picture of injury occurrence.     

Process- Versus Function-Based Hierarchies

I consider a firm's choice between having people who carry out complementary tasks report to the same manager and having them report to separate, function-based managers. Even supposing that the former enhances coordination, the latter may be preferred because it improves the firm's control over employees. I show that, because switching from a function-based hierarchy to a process-based hierarchy reduces the firm's direct control, it raises the attractiveness of making the employee pay more sensitive to performance. Also, this switch tends to raise the profitability of fostering altruism between employees. I extend the analysis so that it deals with the relative benefits of IT- and M-form organizations. I show that the M form becomes more profitable as the firm gets large.