DP4527 Spatial Determinants of Productivity: Analysis for the Regions of Great Britain
Author(s): | Patricia Rice, Anthony 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.