On-The-Job Training Under Firm-Specific Innovations and Worker Heterogeneity

In this article I present a general equilibrium adverse selection model of the labor market in which workers differ in their ability to learn and implement new technologies. Exogenous firm-specific process innovations require firms to teach workers the new firm-specific skills introduced by the new technology. As firms' training costs negatively depend on the expected ability of their labor force and positively on their technological level, firms seek to hire workers able to learn at least cost. I show how firm-specific human capital can explain employer- and plant-specific wage differentials caused by skilled-labor-biased technological shocks.     

An updated ranking of academic journals in economics

Abstract We conduct an update of the ranking of economic journals by Kalaitzidakis, Mamuneas, and Stengos (2003) . However, our present study differs methodologically from that earlier study in an important dimension. We use a rolling window of years between 2003 and 2008, for each year counting the number of citations of articles published in the previous 10 years. This allows us to obtain a smoother longer view of the evolution of rankings in the period under consideration and avoid the inherent randomness that may exist at any particular year, because of new entrants.     

On the growth and welfare maximizing allocation of public investment

In this paper we present an endogenous growth model to analyze the growth maximizing allocation of public investment among N different types of public capital. Using this general model of public capital formation, we analyze the stability of the long-run equilibrium and we derive the growth-maximizing values of the shares of public investment allocated to the different types of public capital, as well as the growth-maximizing tax rate (amount of total public investment as a share of GDP). The empirical implication of the model is that both the effects of the shares of public investment and the tax rate on the long-run growth rate are non-linear, following an inverse U-shaped pattern. Our analysis is completed by showing that the growth-maximizing shares of public investment and the growth-maximizing tax rate also maximize welfare in the decentralized economy.     

Do dictatorships redistribute more?

This paper examines the effect of political institutions on fiscal redistribution for a country-level panel from 1960–2010. Using data on Gini coefficients before and after government intervention, we apply a measure of effective fiscal redistribution that reflects the effect of taxes and transfers on income inequality. Our findings clearly indicate that non-democratic regimes demonstrate significantly greater direct fiscal redistribution. Subsequently, we employ fiscal data in an attempt to enlighten this puzzling empirical finding. We find that dictatorial regimes rely more heavily on cash transfers that exhibit a direct impact on net inequality and consequently on the difference between market and net inequality (i.e., effective fiscal redistribution), whereas democratic regimes devote a larger amount of resources to public inputs (health and education) that may influence market inequality but not the difference between market and net inequality per se. We argue that the driving force behind the observed differences within the pattern on government spending and effective fiscal redistribution is that democratic institutions lead survival-oriented leaders to care more for the private market, and thus to follow policies that enhance the productivity of the whole economy.     

Intra Eurozone Foreign Direct Investment and Deflation

After the recent economic turmoil, besides the severe recession that hit most European Union (EU) countries, and the resulting downward trend in inflation, foreign direct investment (FDI) levels in certain EU countries have bounced back. Hence, we evaluate the effect of deflation on intra-Eurozone FDI. Even though deflation tends to cause a negative effect on investment, low production cost opportunities may arise, thus attracting inward FDI. Using panel data that span from 2003 to 2015, we initially estimate an FDI equation that incorporates deflation as a pre-determined variable and, consequently, a two-equation model that treats both FDI and deflation as endogenous variables. Our results suggest that deflation in periphery Eurozone countries does not deter FDI flows from core to periphery Eurozone countries.     

Specification and sensitivity analysis of cross-country growth regressions

We compare the sensitivity analysis of cross-country growth regressions based on extreme bounds analysis to a more direct specification testing approach using non-nested hypotheses tests. The results suggest that those specifications that are adequate are also those that include two of the only few conditioning variables that are found to be robust, namely the standard deviation of inflation and the standard deviation of domestic credit. First Version Received: November 2000/Final Version Received: May 2001     

Employment impacts of energy: A survey and framework for analysis

This paper provides a critical review of the alternative approaches used for assessment of the employment effects of energy development. It also attempts an evaluation of the policy implications of their use in real-world planning cases. The presentation is based upon an extensive survey of the current practices in energy and employment analysis in Western countries. In the paper, we present an economic framework for the analysis and evaluation of the employment impacts caused by energy development. We proceed with a review of methods, models and techniques available for the study of the labour impacts of energy, their informational requirements, as well as their output and use characteristics. Finally, we attempt a critical presentation of the current practices in energy and employment issues and review the policy options usually employed. Directions for future, related research are identified and discussed.     

A non-linear sensitivity analysis of cross-country growth regressions

We extend the sensitivity analysis of cross-country growth regressions of Levine and Renelt (1992) by introducing a semi-parametric formulation of their regression function. Our results differ from theirs in how certain policy variables affect growth rates. We find that distortion variables, such as the standard deviation of gross domestic credit and inflation and real exchange rate distortions, have a robust negative effect on growth. JEL Classification: O47, C14
Une analyse de sensibilité non-linéaire des régressions de croissance pour divers pays. Les auteurs utilisent une formulation semi-paramétrique des équations de croissance de Levine et Renelt (1992) pour divers pays afin de rendre leur analyse de sensibilité plus compréhensive. Les résultats different de ceux de Levine et Renelt en ce que certaines variables de politique affectent les taux de croissance. On découvre que certains facteurs comme l'écart type du crédit intérieur brut et de l'inflation, et des distorsions des taux de change réels, ont un effet négatif important sur la croissance.     

FDI Attractiveness in Greece

This paper investigates the foreign direct investment (FDI) attractiveness for Greece as a host country compared with the rest of the EU countries. The main objective of this work is to identify the factors that improved or worsened Greece’s attractiveness during the last few years. An econometric model and a comparative index of FDI attractiveness have been constructed in order to identify the differences in the attractiveness of the countries. The results obtained prove that during the last few years Greece’s attractiveness as a host country for FDI has not only improved, but it also has a downward trend. The factors identified as crucial for the low FDI attractiveness in Greece are inefficient public governance, high taxation, inefficient infrastructure, and general macroeconomic conditions.

The Solow growth model: vector autoregression (VAR) and cross-section time-series analysis

The paper examines whether the Mankiw et al. results regarding the Solow model are specific tothe statistical methodology used. Therefore, instead of using cross-section data, annual data were used and the Solow model was investigated using a Vector AutoRegression (VAR) analysis for the G7 countries, and cross-section time-series data for the G3 countries. Analysis shows that, in both cases, the Mankiw et al. results generally hold. It also shows that the use of annual data can play an important and complementary role in revealing the differences in the growth process between individual countries.