Discussion paper

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

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.

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Citation

Venables, A and P Rice (2004), ‘DP4527 Spatial Determinants of Productivity: Analysis for the Regions of Great Britain‘, CEPR Discussion Paper No. 4527. CEPR Press, Paris & London. https://cepr.org/publications/dp4527