教育人力资本与区域经济增长的关系研究

目前国内关于人力资本对经济增长作用机制的研究,很少考虑空间依赖性引起的区域间的相互影响。文章引入空间变量,利用卢卡斯内生经济增长函数,构建空间面板回归模型,对1990-2006年我国30个省市自治区教育人力资本与区域经济增长之间可能存在的空间关系进行了实证研究,验证了空间依赖性的存在,证实了教育人力资本对区域经济增长具有推动作用,且空间面板回归模型较传统面板回归模型更好地诠释了教育人力资本与区域经济增长之间的关系。     

Does Evidence on Regional Economic Convergence Depend on the Estimation Strategy? Outcomes from Analysis of a Set of NUTS2 EU Regions

Abstract

The regional economic convergence/divergence issue has been discussed extensively recently, but results obtained are not always interpretable unequivocally as a consequence of the different estimation strategies used. As it is widely recognized, the most common theoretical framework applied to measure the speed of economic convergence among countries or regions remains the β-convergence approach, linked to the neoclassical Solow model. There have been many attempts to consider variations of the basic cross-sectional specification ranging from panel data models to Bayesian spatial econometric techniques. The application of spatial econometric methodologies is an essential tool for proper statistical inference on regional data. In this context, the aim of this paper is to connect the different results obtained in the literature. More specifically, we address whether or not evidence on convergence depends upon the estimation strategy, by taking the same set of data and systematically comparing the results obtained from different estimation strategies. The results from a set of NUTS2 EU regions conclude that both the model implied by the cross-sectional analysis and the one referring to the space-time dynamics incorporated in the panel specification point to convergence. The concept of convergence implied is, however, quite different, as demonstrated throughout the paper.     

The spatial impact of employment centres on housing markets

The spatial impact of employment centres on housing markets. Spatial Economic Analysis. Local economic growth tends to affect neighbourhood house prices unevenly. It has been observed that prime locations experience price hikes far in excess of the surrounding local area. Yet, this phenomenon is not well captured by existing economic models. This research provides a model of spatial and temporal interactions between housing and employment markets. The results show that rapid growth of employment centres increases house prices in neighbouring locations even after adjusting for fundamentals. It is concluded that spatial clustering of companies creates an option value for existing and potential employees that goes beyond ease of access for commuting purposes.     

A heterogeneous coefficient approach to the knowledge production function

Past literature has used conventional spatial autoregressive panel data models to relate patent production output to knowledge production inputs. However, research conducted on regional innovation systems points to regional disparities in both regions’ ability to turn their knowledge inputs into innovation and to access external knowledge. Applying a heterogeneous coefficients spatial autoregressive panel model, we estimate region-specific knowledge production functions (KPFs) for 94 NUTS-3 regions in France using a panel covering 21 years from 1988 to 2008 and four high-technology industries. A great deal of regional heterogeneity in the KPF relationship exists across regions, providing new insights regarding spatial spillin and spillout effects between regions.     

Measuring the diffusion of housing prices across space and over time

How fast and how long (and to what magnitude) does a change in housing prices in one region affect its neighbors? In this paper, I apply a time series technique for measuring impulse response functions from local projections to a spatial autoregressive model of housing prices. For a dynamic panel of California counties, the data reveal that the diffusion of regional housing prices across space lasts up to two and half years. This result, and the econometric techniques employed, should be of interest not only to housing and regional economists, but to a variety of applied econometricians as well. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Incorporating Transportation Network Structure in Spatial Econometric Models of Commodity Flows

Abstract

We use a spatial econometric extension of the traditional regression-based gravity model to model commodity flows, focusing on a formal methodology for incorporating information regarding the highway network into the spatial connectivity structure of the spatial autoregressive econometric model. We show that our simple approach to incorporating this information in the model produces improved model fit and higher likelihood function values. Empirical estimates of the relative importance of the different types of origin–destination connectivity between regions indicates that the strongest spatial autoregressive effects arise when both origin and destination regions have neighbouring regions located on the highway network.     

公共服务供给、空间溢出与新型城镇化发展质量

本文利用省级面板数据实证研究了公共服务供给对新型城镇化发展质量的作用机理及其空间效应。研究结果表明,公共服务供给和新型城镇化发展质量存在显著的空间相关性,且公共服务供给对新型城镇化发展质量的空间溢出效应日趋增强。教育具有显著的正向空间溢出作用,交通基础设施的空间溢出效应为负但并不显著,医疗具有较为明显的空间抑制作用。进一步进行区域异质性分析发现,公共服务供给对新型城镇化的直接效应和空间效应在三大地区存在明显的差异性。因此,不同区域要基于公共服务供给及其空间溢出效应的特点制定新型城镇化高质量发展政策措施,包括优化公共交通基础设施服务功能、提高人力资源配置效率、改善区域性医疗卫生条件等。     

The effect of minimum wage hikes on employment: Evidence from regional panel data from Romania

Minimum wage hikes aim to increase the income of low-wage workers and improve their labour market participation. However, there are concerns that large increases may reduce employment, especially in countries where minimum wages increased quickly and whose competitiveness depends, at least partly, on low production costs. This study examines the employment effect of large increases in the minimum wage in Romania between 2008 and 2016. It uses regional (NUTS III) data and dynamic panel methods. The results do not support the hypothesis that minimum wage hikes reduce employment. They are robust to the use of different econometric methods, plausible variations of the specification and definitions of the key variables. Moreover, the results suggest insignificant effects even for low wage, less developed or high unemployment regions.     

Innovation and Co-location

Abstract

Here we attempt to advance the understanding of the impact of co-locative factors on regional innovation performance. The objectives are to answer what role co-location plays in explaining differences in regional innovation performance and what methodological improvements can compensate for the shortcomings of existing econometric analyses. The study is based on register data from the Business Register of Statistics Norway and the patent data from the Norwegian Patent Office for the period 1995–2003, aggregated to 161 labour market regions of Norway. A Bayesian spatial autoregressive (heteroscedastic) estimation procedure is applied. The results confirm the role of various co-locative factors in the spatial distribution of innovation.     

ECONOMETRIC ESTIMATION OF ARMINGTON IMPORT ELASTICITIES FOR A REGIONAL CGE MODEL OF THE ILLINOIS ECONOMY

One of the main concerns associated with the development and use of regional CGE models is the determination of key parameter values, particularly substitution and other price elasticities. A common problem is the lack of appropriate regional data for econometric estimation. Consequently, it is important to identify key parameters that are likely to be important in determining quantitative results and then to prioritize these for estimation where appropriate data are available. In this paper, the focus is on the estimation of the regional trade (import) substitution parameters, which tend to be important in analysis for regional economies (given their openness to trade). Here, commodity import elasticities for the Illinois economy are estimated and tested in a single region CGE model of the Illinois economy. In our econometric estimation, we apply a model that takes account of market size and distance in estimating the substitutability between commodities produced in Illinois and other US states.     

Spatial Vector Autoregressions

Abstract

A spatial vector autoregressive model (SpVAR) is defined as a VAR which includes spatial as well as temporal lags among a vector of stationary state variables. SpVARs may contain disturbances that are spatially as well as temporally correlated. Although the structural parameters are not fully identified in SpVARs, contemporaneous spatial lag coefficients may be identified by weakly exogenous state variables. Dynamic spatial panel data econometrics is used to estimate SpVARs. The incidental parameter problem is handled by bias correction rather than more popular alternatives such as generalised methods of moments (GMM). The interaction between temporal and spatial stationarity is discussed. The impulse responses for SpVARs are derived, which naturally depend upon the temporal and spatial dynamics of the model. We provide an empirical illustration using annual spatial panel data for Israel. The estimated SpVAR is used to calculate impulse responses between variables, over time, and across space. Finally, weakly exogenous instrumental variables are used to identify contemporaneous spatial lag coefficients.     

Raising the bar (11)

This editorial summarizes the papers published in issue 14(2) so as to raise the bar in applied spatial economic research and highlight new trends. The first paper deals with past and current challenges for regional science research. The second paper investigates whether people living in deprived neighbourhoods have less chance of succeeding in a job application. The third paper finds evidence that real estate firms can avoid price competition when market shares of their allies increase in the vicinity. The fourth paper is methodological: it considers a spatial autoregressive (SAR) model with heterogeneous coefficients and extensively analyzes the impact of this extension on the direct and indirect effects estimates. The fifth paper proposes an innovative method to estimate the elements of the spatial weight matrix in a spatial econometric model. The final paper is econometric–theoretical: it proposes a new generalized method of moments (GMM) estimator of the coefficients of a SAR model if the error terms are heteroskedastic of an unknown form.     

Dismantled Spatial Fixes in the Aftermath of Recession: Capital Switching and Labour Underutilization in the Greek Capital Metropolitan Region

The article offers a fresh, empirically grounded look at the spatialities of crisis‐triggered employment forms—a largely overlooked issue in contemporary critical geography literature. Specifically, it discusses the interconnection between investment flows from manufacturing to the built environment (capital switching) and underemployment in urban metropolitan regions to substantiate its impact on emerging spatial fixities. The article, which is based on an empirical analysis informed by a radical political economy, investigates changing fixed capital formations in Greece over an extended period prior to and during the recession, from 1995 to 2012. It traces the evolution of part‐time waged work in the capital metropolitan region of Attica (Athens) vis‐à‐vis the rest of the country's regional labour markets, focusing on the polarized 2005–2012 period and the demise of the construction industry. The article highlights that ‘disrupted’ capital switching that occurred in Greece, closely associated with recalibrated sectoral priorities and institutional interventions, resulted in the uneven sprawling of underemployment. Our findings offer insight into how the dismantling of spatial fixes within core metropolitan regions of the southern European Union (and beyond) are connected to labour surplus and successive slumps in manufacturing and construction. The article closes by calling for new theorizations of contemporary urban regional unevenness and its spatiotemporal fixities, which account for the role of changes in labour turnover time.     

The spatial dynamics of new firm births during an economic crisis: the case of Great Britain, 2004–2012

Abstract

Spatial variations in entrepreneurial activity have been shown to be a time persistent phenomenon in many countries. This paper analyses how these spatial variations have been affected by the recent financial crisis within the context of theories of regional resilience and adaptability. The analysis applies Exploratory Spatial Data Analysis techniques to data on firm births across Local Authority Districts of Great Britain during the period 2004–2012. The results demonstrate that, whilst the overall shape of the spatial distribution of firm births remained persistent, there is evidence of an increase in regional inequality. This is primarily associated with a divergence between London and the rest of the distribution. London, together with part of its surrounding area, appears to constitute a resilient entrepreneurial regime that has generated a dynamic, adaptive response to the crisis with high rates of new firm formation in contrast to other regions which have remained locked into lower rates of entrepreneurship. This supports the view that regional entrepreneurship is a path dependent process: entrepreneurial regions are more adaptable to the effects of an exogenous shock than less entrepreneurial regions. Accordingly, entrepreneurship is a critical factor influencing the resilience of regions in responding to an economic crisis.     

Raising the bar (7)

This editorial summarises the papers published in issue 13.1 so as to raise the bar in applied spatial economic research and highlight new trends. The first paper adopts a scale neutral approach to investigate the spatial mechanisms that cause regional innovation and growth. The second paper claims that population-weighting when calculating indices of regional inequality might lead to inconsistent outcomes. The third paper estimates the effect of distance between family residence and higher education institution on a student's academic performance, thereby accounting for endogenous regressors. The fourth paper shows an inverted U-shaped relationship between economic development at region of origin and the propensity to migrate using a multilevel approach. The fifth paper provides spatial econometric evidence of price competition between sellers of used books on Amazon.com. The last paper estimates a hedonic housing price equation and parameterizes the spatial weight matrix to determine how far back in time buyers, sellers and realtors are looking at the housing market.     

Diagnosing housing fever with an econometric thermometer

Housing fever is a popular term to describe an overheated housing market or housing price bubble. Like other financial asset bubbles, housing fever can inflict harm on the real economy, as indeed the U.S. housing bubble did in the period following 2006 leading up to the general financial crisis and great recession. One contribution that econometricians can make to minimize the harm created by a housing bubble is to provide a quantitative “thermometer” for diagnosing ongoing housing fever. Early diagnosis can enable prompt and effective policy action that reduces long-term damage to the real economy. This paper provides a selective review of the relevant literature on econometric methods for identifying housing bubbles together with some new methods of research and an empirical application. We first present a technical definition of a housing bubble that facilitates empirical work and discuss significant difficulties encountered in practical work and the solutions that have been proposed in the past literature. A major challenge in all econometric identification procedures is to assess prices in relation to fundamentals, which requires measurement of fundamentals. One solution to address this challenge is to estimate the fundamental component from an underlying structural relationship involving measurable variables. A second aim of the paper is to improve the estimation accuracy of fundamentals by means of an easy-to-implement reduced-form approach. Since many of the relevant variables that determine fundamentals are nonstationary and interdependent we use the endogenous instrumental variable based method (IVX) to estimate the reduced-form model to reduce the finite sample bias which arises from highly persistent regressors and endogeneity. The recursive evolving test proposed by Phillips, Shi, and Yu (PSY) is applied to the estimated nonfundamental component for the identification of speculative bubbles. The new bubble test developed here is referred to as PSY-IVX. An empirical application to the eight Australian capital city housing markets over the period 1999–2017 shows that bubble testing results are sensitive to different ways of controlling for fundamentals and highlights the importance of accurate estimation of these housing market fundamentals.     

中国网络基础设施资本回报率的区域差异与空间收敛性研究

研究目标:揭示我国网络基础设施资本回报率的区域差异及其空间收敛性。研究方法:采用生产函数法测算出1993～2019年全国、分区域和分省份的网络基础设施资本回报率,并运用Dagum基尼系数及其分解方法,揭示网络基础设施资本回报率的区域差异,进一步借助收敛模型、普通面板模型、空间面板模型,检验其收敛性。研究发现:中国网络基础设施资本回报率在样本期间呈波动下降趋势,且平均值由东向西呈梯次降低态势。除中部地区内部差异呈波动下降趋势外,全国整体以及东部、西部地区均呈上升态势;三大区域间差异也均呈波动上升趋势。区域间差异是产生如此差异的最主要来源,区域内差异次之,超变密度最小。就收敛特征而言,仅东部地区存在显著σ收敛;全国和三大区域均存在绝对β收敛和条件β收敛,且在后者时收敛速度都相对更大;然而,进入工业化后期后,全国整体的β收敛趋势已不存在。研究创新:较早聚焦网络基础设施资本回报率,刻画并测度其空间分布和区域差异,检验其σ收敛、β收敛,探究促进收敛的影响因素。研究价值:对于缩小网络基础设施资本回报率的区域差异、促进区域间网络基础设施的协调发展具有重要意义。     

Spatial Growth Regressions: Model Specification,Estimation and Interpretation

Abstract

We attempt to clarify a number of points regarding use of spatial regression models for regional growth analysis. We show that as in the case of non-spatial growth regressions, the effect of initial regional income levels wears off over time. Unlike the non-spatial case, long-run regional income levels depend on: own region as well as neighbouring region characteristics, the spatial connectivity structure of the regions, and the strength of spatial dependence. Given this, the search for regional characteristics that exert important influences on income levels or growth rates should take place using spatial econometric methods that account for spatial dependence as well as own and neighbouring region characteristics, the type of spatial regression model specification, and weight matrix. The framework adopted here illustrates a unified approach for dealing with these issues.     

The impact of interest subsidies on the inter- regional allocation of capital: An econometric analysis for Belgium

Regionally differentiated interest rate subsidies are assumed to have on theoretical grounds both a generative and a redistributive impact on investment. In the conventional econometric approach, these effects are captured by the interest rate parameters that appear in regional investment functions which are usually estimated by single equation methods. This paper focusses on the redistributive impact of regional interest subsidies. The theoretical framework choosen for the analysis is that of a multiregional firm that maximizes overall profits subject to a capital cost constraint. The resulting allocation model for capital stock is similar to a system of consumer demand equations. It is estimated by a maximum likelihood method. The empirical results indicate that the redistributive effects of interest rate subsidies are significant.     

Efficiency of Regional Public Investment: An NPV-Based Spatial Econometric Approach

This paper develops a new methodology of spatial econometric modelling for regional public investment in local economies. The approach, based on the financial concept of net present value of cash flows, can be applied in the analysis of regional public investment with long-term financial inputs and outputs. With local public revenues related to spending in the model, one can observe economies of scale of investment with possible saturation effects and a marginal investment multiplier, explaining the extent to which public investment costs translate into public revenues. The main advantage of the proposed model is to behave counter-cyclically due to accumulation over the periods and to cover multi-period investments as well as postponed effects. This paper gives an example of public investment efficiency in Polish NUTS-5 municipalities regions.