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Migration And Housing Price Effects Of Place-Based College Scholarships, Timothy J. Bartik, Nathan Sotherland Dec 2015

Migration And Housing Price Effects Of Place-Based College Scholarships, Timothy J. Bartik, Nathan Sotherland

Timothy J. Bartik

Place-based college scholarships, such as the Kalamazoo Promise, provide students who live in a particular place, and/or who attend a particular school district, with generous college scholarships. An important potential benefit from such “Promise programs” is their short-term effects on local economic development. Generous Promise scholarships provide an incentive for families to locate in a particular place, which may change migration patterns, and potentially boost local employment and housing prices. Using data from the American Community Survey, this paper estimates the average effects of eight relatively generous Promise programs on migration rates and housing prices in their local labor market. …


Benefits Vs. Costs Of Business Incentives, Timothy J. Bartik Dec 2015

Benefits Vs. Costs Of Business Incentives, Timothy J. Bartik

Timothy J. Bartik

No abstract provided.


Higher Education, The Health Care Industry, And Metropolitan Regional Economic Development: What Can "Eds & Meds" Do For The Economic Fortunes Of A Metro Area's Residents?, Timothy J. Bartik, George A. Erickcek Jan 2015

Higher Education, The Health Care Industry, And Metropolitan Regional Economic Development: What Can "Eds & Meds" Do For The Economic Fortunes Of A Metro Area's Residents?, Timothy J. Bartik, George A. Erickcek

Timothy J. Bartik

This paper examines the effects of expansions in higher educational institutions and the medical service industry on the economic development of a metropolitan area. This examination pulls together previous research and provides some new empirical evidence. We provide quantitative evidence of the magnitude of economic effects of higher education and medical service industries that occur through the mechanism of providing some export-base demand stimulus to a metropolitan economy. We also provide quantitative evidence on how much higher education institutions can boost a metropolitan economy through increasing the educational attainment of local residence. We estimate that medical service industries pay above …


Estimating A Performance Standards Adjustment Model For Workforce Programs That Provides Timely Feedback And Uses Data From Only One State, Timothy J. Bartik, Randall W. Eberts, Kenneth J. Kline Jan 2015

Estimating A Performance Standards Adjustment Model For Workforce Programs That Provides Timely Feedback And Uses Data From Only One State, Timothy J. Bartik, Randall W. Eberts, Kenneth J. Kline

Timothy J. Bartik

The purpose of this paper is to describe a methodology for adjusting performance standards for workforce programs offered by local workforce areas (LWAs). By performance standards adjustment, we mean a model that uses a statistical approach to attempt to better measure the relative performance of different local workforce areas in providing workforce system customers with "value added" in terms of the system's desired outcomes. Our paper's approach has four distinguishing features. First, the performance standards are based on the common measures proposed by the U.S. Department of Labor, which include short- and longer-term employment outcomes. Second, the model is estimated …


The U.S. Economic Crisis And A Revised New Jobs Tax Credit, Timothy J. Bartik Jan 2015

The U.S. Economic Crisis And A Revised New Jobs Tax Credit, Timothy J. Bartik

Timothy J. Bartik

An efficacious economic stimulus to help the U.S. economy recover from its current recession is the revival of the New Jobs Tax Credit. Unlike the original credit utilized by the federal government in 1977– 1978, the new version should be a refundable credit but at a lower current dollar value. My 2001 book, Jobs for the Poor: Can Labor Demand Policies Help? proposed a permanent version f the New Jobs Tax Credit that would be automatically triggered when the unemployment rate is high. My estimates, updated to 2008, suggest that such a revised credit might increase aggregate U.S. employment by …


The Effects Of Metropolitan Job Growth On The Size Distribution Of Family Income, Timothy J. Bartik Jan 2015

The Effects Of Metropolitan Job Growth On The Size Distribution Of Family Income, Timothy J. Bartik

Timothy J. Bartik

This paper examines how a metropolitan area's job growth affects its income distribution. The research uses annual Current Population Survey data on the income distribution in different metropolitan areas from 1979 through 1988. Faster metropolitan job growth increases real family income in the lowest income quintile by a significantly greater percentage than for the average family. Metropolitan job growth also increases the value of property owned by upper income quintiles, but property value effects are not large enough to offset the progressive effects of growth on labor income. Simulations indicate that economic development programs to increase metropolitan job growth will …


A Proposal For Early Impact, Persistent, And Cost-Effective Job Creation Policies, Timothy J. Bartik Jan 2015

A Proposal For Early Impact, Persistent, And Cost-Effective Job Creation Policies, Timothy J. Bartik

Timothy J. Bartik

No abstract provided.


The Role Of Public Policy In Skills Development Of Black Workers In The 21st Century, Timothy J. Bartik, Kevin Hollenbeck Jan 2015

The Role Of Public Policy In Skills Development Of Black Workers In The 21st Century, Timothy J. Bartik, Kevin Hollenbeck

Timothy J. Bartik

This paper discusses the role of public policy in the skills development system of the U.S. It further examines the implications of that policy for the skill development and career progression of black workers. The paper describes the current "system" for skills development in the United States as a two- tiered system: The "first-chance" or conventional system allows individuals to proceed through an extensive public elementary, secondary, and postsecondary educational sector that is supplemented by private educational institutions and is followed by employer-provided job training and work experience. The "second-chance" system is designed for individuals who do not successfully traverse …


Federal Policy Towards State And Local Economic Development In The 1990s, Timothy J. Bartik Jan 2015

Federal Policy Towards State And Local Economic Development In The 1990s, Timothy J. Bartik

Timothy J. Bartik

This paper suggests new federal policies towards state and local economic development assistance to business. I argue that there is some evidence that these programs can be effective in encouraging business growth and helping the unemployed. But state and local governments do not have the right incentives to adequately pursue national goals through economic development programs. State and local governments are not inclined to do quality evaluations of their programs and tend to favor business attraction programs over programs that might increase U.S. business productivity. In addition, it is unclear whether economic development efforts are most vigorously pursued by economically …


Economic Development Incentive Wars, Timothy J. Bartik Jan 2015

Economic Development Incentive Wars, Timothy J. Bartik

Timothy J. Bartik

No abstract provided.


Economic Development Strategies, Timothy J. Bartik Jan 2015

Economic Development Strategies, Timothy J. Bartik

Timothy J. Bartik

This paper provides a guide to economic development policies for local government managers. Local economic development policies today include not only tax subsidies for branch plants, but also job training to provide workers to businesses, advice and support services for potential entrepreneurs, and extension services to help businesses modernize and export. To help local government managers, this paper suggests a number of guiding principles, including: local economic development should be pursued cooperatively across the local labor market; economic development programs should consider the quality of jobs created; tax subsidies are expensive per job created; development subsidies are more effective if …


Thoughts On American Manufacturing Decline And Revitalization, Timothy J. Bartik Jan 2015

Thoughts On American Manufacturing Decline And Revitalization, Timothy J. Bartik

Timothy J. Bartik

No abstract provided.


An Analysis Of The Employment Effects Of The Washington High Technology Business And Occupation (B&O) Tax Credit: Technical Report, Timothy J. Bartik, Kevin Hollenbeck Jan 2015

An Analysis Of The Employment Effects Of The Washington High Technology Business And Occupation (B&O) Tax Credit: Technical Report, Timothy J. Bartik, Kevin Hollenbeck

Timothy J. Bartik

This paper estimates the effects of an R&D tax credit in the state of Washington on job creation. The research uses micro-data on the job creation and tax credits received by individual firms in the state of Washington from 2004 to 2009. We correct for the endogeneity of R&D tax credits received by individual firms by using instrumental variables based in part on national industry factor shares for R&D. We estimate that this tax credit created jobs, but at a high cost. The cost per job-year created is estimated to be between $40,000 and $50,000. The credit was so high …


Maximum Score Estimates Of The Determinants Of Residential Mobility: Implications For The Value Of Residential Attachment And Neighborhood Amenities, Timothy J. Bartik, J. S. Butler, Jin-Tan Liu Jan 2015

Maximum Score Estimates Of The Determinants Of Residential Mobility: Implications For The Value Of Residential Attachment And Neighborhood Amenities, Timothy J. Bartik, J. S. Butler, Jin-Tan Liu

Timothy J. Bartik

This paper examines the determinants of the decision of low-income renters to move out of their current dwelling. Maximum score estimation is shown to be superior to ordinary discrete choice estimation techniques (probit, logit) for this problem, and for similar discrete choices that require revering a previously optimal decision. The estimation reveals psychological costs from moving for typical low income renters of at least 8% of their income ; these costs are even higher for older, longer tenure, or minority households. Policies that displace low income renters will have large social costs. In addition, the estimation results are used to …


Examining The Effect Of Industry Trends And Structure On Welfare Caseloads, Timothy J. Bartik, Randall W. Eberts Jan 2015

Examining The Effect Of Industry Trends And Structure On Welfare Caseloads, Timothy J. Bartik, Randall W. Eberts

Timothy J. Bartik

Previous studies of the macro-economic determinants of welfare caseloads have had difficulty in explaining changes in welfare caseloads during the last decade or so using the simple macroeconomic measure of unemployment. Because welfare recipients will typically get entry-level jobs, employment variables that are closely related to job vacancies, such as employment growth, are also important in determining welfare caseloads, as we show empirically in this study. Recognizing that welfare recipients face more substantial barriers to employment than those who typically have more education and skills, we constructed several macro-economic variables that reflect the education requirements of industries and the predominance …


How Do The Effects Of Local Growth On Employment Rates Vary With Initial Labor Market Conditions?, Timothy J. Bartik Jan 2015

How Do The Effects Of Local Growth On Employment Rates Vary With Initial Labor Market Conditions?, Timothy J. Bartik

Timothy J. Bartik

This paper examines how the effects of increased employment growth on a metropolitan area’s employment to population ratio varies with the initial tightness of the metropolitan area’s labor market. This examination is relevant to evaluating the benefits of local economic development policies in different metropolitan areas. Much of the benefits of such policies are in higher employment rates. The empirical estimates suggest that the effectiveness of employment growth in increasing the employment to population ratio is lower in metropolitan areas with “tight” labor markets. In addition, some estimates suggest that growth has the greatest long-run effects on the employment to …


Distributional Effects Of Early Childhood Programs And Business Incentives And Their Implications For Policy, Timothy J. Bartik Jan 2015

Distributional Effects Of Early Childhood Programs And Business Incentives And Their Implications For Policy, Timothy J. Bartik

Timothy J. Bartik

This is a draft of a chapter of a planned book, Preschool and Jobs: Human Development as Economic Development, and Vice Versa [subsequently published as Investing in Kids, 2011]. This book analyzes early childhood programs effects on regional economic development. This chapter considers the effects of early childhood programs and business incentives on the income distribution. A key issue is whether early childhood programs should be targeted on the poor, or made universally available for free. Relevant considerations in addressing this issue include how benefits of early childhood programs benefit with family income, and the political feasibility of targeted versus …


Living Wages And Local Governments, Timothy J. Bartik Jan 2015

Living Wages And Local Governments, Timothy J. Bartik

Timothy J. Bartik

No abstract provided.


A Future Of Good Jobs? America's Challenge In The Global Economy, Timothy J. Bartik, Susan N. Houseman Jan 2015

A Future Of Good Jobs? America's Challenge In The Global Economy, Timothy J. Bartik, Susan N. Houseman

Timothy J. Bartik

No abstract provided.


Michigan's Economic Development Policies, Timothy J. Bartik, George A. Erickcek Jan 2015

Michigan's Economic Development Policies, Timothy J. Bartik, George A. Erickcek

Timothy J. Bartik

No abstract provided.


What Should The Federal Government Be Doing About Urban Economic Development?, Timothy J. Bartik Jan 2015

What Should The Federal Government Be Doing About Urban Economic Development?, Timothy J. Bartik

Timothy J. Bartik

The federal government should focus its policies towards economic development on areas in which the federal government has some unique advantages. Federal policy should: (1) discourage financial subsidies to specific large firms by state and local governments; (2) expand the federal role in economic development services in which national action has some special advantages, such as developing information on foreign markets, encouraging large national banks to be more involved in economic development, supporting the development of the "Information Superhighway," and encouraging new technology development; (3) provide modest support for state and local efforts to increase business productivity through technology extension …


Short-Run Employment Persistence For Welfare Recipients: The "Effects" Of Wages, Industry, Occupation, And Firm Size, Timothy J. Bartik Jan 2015

Short-Run Employment Persistence For Welfare Recipients: The "Effects" Of Wages, Industry, Occupation, And Firm Size, Timothy J. Bartik

Timothy J. Bartik

No abstract provided.


Estimating The Costs Per Job Created Of Employer Subsidy Programs, Timothy J. Bartik Jan 2015

Estimating The Costs Per Job Created Of Employer Subsidy Programs, Timothy J. Bartik

Timothy J. Bartik

No abstract provided.


Saturn And State Economic Development, Timothy J. Bartik, Charles Becker, Steve Lake, John Bush Jan 2015

Saturn And State Economic Development, Timothy J. Bartik, Charles Becker, Steve Lake, John Bush

Timothy J. Bartik

No abstract provided.


Michigan Budget Reform: Why Reform Is Needed, And Key Ideas For Reform, Timothy J. Bartik Jan 2015

Michigan Budget Reform: Why Reform Is Needed, And Key Ideas For Reform, Timothy J. Bartik

Timothy J. Bartik

No abstract provided.


Group Wage Curves, Timothy J. Bartik Jan 2015

Group Wage Curves, Timothy J. Bartik

Timothy J. Bartik

Using panel data on U.S. MSAs, this paper estimates how a typical MSA's wages of different demographic groups, and prices, are affected by overall MSA unemployment, the distribution of unemployment among different groups, and national prices and wages. MSA unemployment has strong effects on MSA wages and prices, but the distribution of unemployment among different groups has weak effects on wages and prices. Using these estimates, simulations show that targeting high-unemployment groups for unemployment reductions will not reduce wage or price inflation pressures. The estimates also show that the effects of MSA unemployment on prices and disadvantaged groups' wages are …


Incentive Solutions, Timothy J. Bartik Jan 2015

Incentive Solutions, Timothy J. Bartik

Timothy J. Bartik

This paper reviews the research literature relevant to economic development incentives provided by state and local governments, and recommends reforms in these incentives. I argue that the main problem with current incentive policies is that state and local governments often provide incentives that are not in the best interest of that state or local area, for example that are excessively costly per job created, or that provide jobs that do not improve the job opportunities of local residents. I suggest that reforms should be "bottom-up" rather than "top-down." Regulation of incentives by the federal government, or by international trade treaties, …


How Effects Of Local Labor Demand Shocks Vary With Local Labor Market Conditions, Timothy J. Bartik Jan 2015

How Effects Of Local Labor Demand Shocks Vary With Local Labor Market Conditions, Timothy J. Bartik

Timothy J. Bartik

This paper estimates how effects of shocks to local labor demand on local labor market outcomes vary with initial local economic conditions. The data are on U.S. metro areas from 1979 to 2011. The paper finds that demand shocks to local job growth have greater effects in reducing local unemployment rates if the local economy is initially depressed than if the local economy is booming. Demand shocks have greater effects on local wage rates if the local unemployment rate is initially low, but lesser effects if local job growth is initially high. These different effects of local demand shocks imply …


Social Costs Of Jobs Lost Due To Environmental Regulations, Timothy J. Bartik Jan 2015

Social Costs Of Jobs Lost Due To Environmental Regulations, Timothy J. Bartik

Timothy J. Bartik

This paper estimates the social costs of job loss due to environmental regulation. Per job lost, potential social costs of job loss are high, plausibly over $100,000 in present value costs (2012 dollars) per permanently lost job. However, these social costs will typically be far less than the earnings associated with lost jobs, because labor markets and workers adjust, increased leisure has some value, and employers benefit from wage reductions. A plausible range for social costs is 8–32 percent of the associated earnings of the lost jobs. Social costs will be higher for older workers, high-wage jobs, and in high …


Will Welfare Reform Cause Displacement?, Timothy J. Bartik Jan 2015

Will Welfare Reform Cause Displacement?, Timothy J. Bartik

Timothy J. Bartik

No abstract provided.