DP4527 Spatial Determinants of Productivity: Analysis for the Regions of Great Britain

Author(s):	Patricia Rice, Anthony J Venables
Publication Date:	August 2004
Keyword(s):	clustering, productivity, regional disparities
JEL(s):	O40, R10
Programme Areas:	International Trade and Regional Economics
Link to this Page:	cepr.org/active/publications/discussion_papers/dp.php?dpno=4527

This Paper uses NUTS3 sub-regional data for Great Britain to analyse the determinants of spatial variations in income and productivity. We decompose the spatial variation of earnings into a productivity effect and an occupational composition effect. For the former (but not the latter) we find a robust relationship with proximity to economic mass, suggesting that doubling the population of working age proximate to an area is associated with a 3.5% increase in productivity in the area. We measure proximity by travel time, and show that effects decline steeply with time, ceasing to be important beyond approximately 80 minutes.