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Full-Text Articles in Economics

Making Sense Of Incentives: Taming Business Incentives To Promote Prosperity, Timothy J. Bartik Oct 2019

Making Sense Of Incentives: Taming Business Incentives To Promote Prosperity, Timothy J. Bartik

Timothy J. Bartik

In evaluating incentives, everything depends on the details: how much in incentives it takes to truly cause a firm to locate or expand, the multiplier effects, the effects of jobs on employment rates, how jobs affect tax revenue versus public spending needs. Do benefits of incentives exceed costs? This depends on the details. This book is about those details. What magnitudes of incentive effects are plausible? How do benefits and costs vary with incentive designs? What advice can be given to evaluators? What is an ideal incentive policy? Answering these questions about incentives depends on a model of incentive effects, …


Re-Conceptualizing The Economic Incorporation Of Immigrants: A Comparison Of The Mexican And Vietnamese, Shannon Gleeson Feb 2018

Re-Conceptualizing The Economic Incorporation Of Immigrants: A Comparison Of The Mexican And Vietnamese, Shannon Gleeson

Shannon Gleeson

Using data from the 2000 5 per cent Integrated Public Use Microdata Series, this article advocates three shifts in our theoretical and empirical approaches to understanding immigrant economic incorporation. First, through a comparison of Mexican and Vietnamese immigrants, these findings highlight the importance of an immigrant population’s relationship to the state for economic outcomes, and cautions against analyses that aggregate the foreign-born population. Second, through a joint analysis of unemployment and poverty outcomes, these findings call for researchers to be specific about the varied aspects of ‘‘economic incorporation’’ and distinguish between factors that drive labor market access, and those that …


Early Childhood Education And Local Economic Development, Timothy J. Bartik Oct 2017

Early Childhood Education And Local Economic Development, Timothy J. Bartik

Timothy J. Bartik

No abstract provided.


Better Incentives Data Can Inform Both Research And Policy, Timothy J. Bartik May 2017

Better Incentives Data Can Inform Both Research And Policy, Timothy J. Bartik

Timothy J. Bartik

No abstract provided.


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.


Considerations For States Planning Personal Reemployment Accounts, Christopher J. O'Leary Feb 2015

Considerations For States Planning Personal Reemployment Accounts, Christopher J. O'Leary

Christopher J. O'Leary

No abstract provided.


Unemployment Insurance In The United States: Analysis Of Policy Issues, Christopher J. O'Leary, Stephen A. Wandner Feb 2015

Unemployment Insurance In The United States: Analysis Of Policy Issues, Christopher J. O'Leary, Stephen A. Wandner

Christopher J. O'Leary

This book presents 15 original essays that reflect the state of knowledge on policy issues critical to the performance and success of the nation's UI system. The essays are based on program data, enabling the authors to provide analyses on and recommendations for issues at the forefront of the UI policy debate. Topics include coverage, eligibility, adequacy and duration of benefits, labor market attachment, benefit financing, fraud and abuse, the intersection of UI with other income maintenance programs, federal-state relations (including devolution), and more.


Alternative Measures Of State Ui Systems, Christopher J. O'Leary, Robert Tannenwald, Wei-Jang Huang, Pei Zhu Feb 2015

Alternative Measures Of State Ui Systems, Christopher J. O'Leary, Robert Tannenwald, Wei-Jang Huang, Pei Zhu

Christopher J. O'Leary

Comparisons among state unemployment insurance (UI) systems can be misleading. Frequently quoted indicators of benefit generosity, tax cost, and adherence to the experience-rating principle are influenced by the relative economic conditions of states. Such comparisons thereby obscure underlying structural differences in state UI systems. A business considering alternative states in which to locate a production facility should be cautious when interpreting UI information in an economic developer's marketing pitch. This paper offers alternative indicators based on how representative firms, with a well specified unemployment experience, would fare in different states. The authors use a micro-simulation approach to model the experiences …


A Changing Federal-State Balance In Unemployment Insurance?, Christopher J. O'Leary Feb 2015

A Changing Federal-State Balance In Unemployment Insurance?, Christopher J. O'Leary

Christopher J. O'Leary

No abstract provided.


Intergovernmental Relations In Employment Policy: The United States Experience, Christopher J. O'Leary, Robert A. Straits Feb 2015

Intergovernmental Relations In Employment Policy: The United States Experience, Christopher J. O'Leary, Robert A. Straits

Christopher J. O'Leary

Policies to regulate and support labor markets in the United States have mainly been an initiative of the federal government. Historically, states and localities were reluctant to act independently to build up worker rights and protections for fear of competitively disadvantaging resident industries with added costs. Federal constitutional authority to raise revenue and control commerce among the states governed development of labor market policy in the United States. Labor market support initiatives usually have been forged in difficult economic times with contributions and compromise from the full political spectrum. This paper examines the development of employment policy in the twentieth …


Ui Work Search Rules And Their Effects On Employment, Christopher J. O'Leary Feb 2015

Ui Work Search Rules And Their Effects On Employment, Christopher J. O'Leary

Christopher J. O'Leary

This paper summarizes state unemployment insurance (UI) job search policies based on a survey of state rules conducted in 2003 by the National Association of State Workforce Agencies (NASWA). Commonalities in policies are identified and a summary of research evidence on the effects of job search assistance (JSA) is then presented. The conclusion considers promising directions for future research and policy.


Short-Time Compensation As A Tool To Mitigate Job Loss? Evidence On The U.S. Experience During The Recent Recession, Katharine G. Abraham, Susan N. Houseman Feb 2015

Short-Time Compensation As A Tool To Mitigate Job Loss? Evidence On The U.S. Experience During The Recent Recession, Katharine G. Abraham, Susan N. Houseman

Susan N. Houseman

During the recent recession only 17 states offered short-time compensation (STC)—pro-rated unemployment benefits for workers whose hours are reduced for economic reasons. New federal legislation will encourage the expansion of STC. Exploiting cross-state variation in STC, we present new evidence indicating that jobs saved during the recession as a consequence of STC could have been significant in manufacturing, but that the overall scale of the STC program was generally too small to have substantially mitigated aggregate job losses in the 17 states. Expansion of the program is necessary for STC to be an effective counter-cyclical tool in the future.


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 …


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 …


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.


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, …


Comments On Papers By Michael Wasylenko And Ronald Fisher, Timothy J. Bartik Jan 2015

Comments On Papers By Michael Wasylenko And Ronald Fisher, Timothy J. Bartik

Timothy J. Bartik

No abstract provided.


Michigan's Business Taxes And Economic Development: Possible Reforms, Timothy J. Bartik Jan 2015

Michigan's Business Taxes And Economic Development: Possible Reforms, Timothy J. Bartik

Timothy J. Bartik

No abstract provided.


Employment Effects Of The Washington High Technology Business And Occupation Tax Credit, Timothy J. Bartik, Kevin Hollenbeck Jan 2015

Employment Effects Of The Washington High Technology Business And Occupation Tax Credit, Timothy J. Bartik, Kevin Hollenbeck

Timothy J. Bartik

No abstract provided.


Boosting Michigan's Economy Through Educational Improvements, Timothy J. Bartik Jan 2015

Boosting Michigan's Economy Through Educational Improvements, Timothy J. Bartik

Timothy J. Bartik

No abstract provided.


Why Investing In Kids Makes Sense For Local Economies, Timothy J. Bartik Jan 2015

Why Investing In Kids Makes Sense For Local Economies, Timothy J. Bartik

Timothy J. Bartik

No abstract provided.


How Policymakers Should Deal With The Delayed Benefits Of Early Childhood Programs, Timothy J. Bartik Jan 2015

How Policymakers Should Deal With The Delayed Benefits Of Early Childhood Programs, 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 chapter considers a problem with early childhood programs: their effects on earnings are mostly long-delayed. The delay occurs because most earnings effects are on former child participants. The chapter considers appropriate discounting of benefits and how the upfront costs of early childhood programs can be delayed or reduced. It also addresses how the long-run benefits of early childhood programs can be moved up or increased.


Labor Force Participation In Mississippi And Other Southern States: Final Report, Marta Lachowska, Stephen A. Woodbury Jan 2015

Labor Force Participation In Mississippi And Other Southern States: Final Report, Marta Lachowska, Stephen A. Woodbury

Marta Lachowska

Labor force participation is a key social indicator because the economic performance of a state and the well-being of its residents are closely tied to labor force outcomes. Together, the labor force participation rate (LFPR) and the unemployment rate are of paramount concern to state governments because living standards and consumption are so closely tied to work and earnings from employment.Mississippi has historically had one of the lowest LFPRs in the United States. The purpose of this report is threefold:• to describe the LFPR gap between Mississippi and other Southern states during the last 35 years• to describe key differences …


Labor Force Participation In Mississippi And Other Southern States, Marta Lachowska, Stephen A. Woodbury Jan 2015

Labor Force Participation In Mississippi And Other Southern States, Marta Lachowska, Stephen A. Woodbury

Marta Lachowska

No abstract provided.


Labor Force Participation In Mississippi And Other Southern States: Summary Report, Marta Lachowska, Stephen A. Woodbury Jan 2015

Labor Force Participation In Mississippi And Other Southern States: Summary Report, Marta Lachowska, Stephen A. Woodbury

Marta Lachowska

Labor force participation is a key social indicator because the economic performance of a state and the well-being of its residents are closely tied to labor force outcomes. Together, the labor force participation rate (LFPR) and the unemployment rate are of paramount concern to state governments because work and earnings from employment are central determinants of living standards.


A Methodology For Setting State And Local Regression-Adjusted Performance Targets For Workforce Investment Act Programs, Randall W. Eberts, Wei-Jang Huang, Jing Cai Jan 2015

A Methodology For Setting State And Local Regression-Adjusted Performance Targets For Workforce Investment Act Programs, Randall W. Eberts, Wei-Jang Huang, Jing Cai

Randall W. Eberts

Beginning with PY2009, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA) adopted a regression-adjusted approach for setting national targets for several federal workforce development programs, including WIA Adult, Dislocated Worker, and Youth programs. Prior to that time, national targets were based on past performance and the desire to encourage continuous improvement in the workforce programs. The continuous improvement approach typically increased target levels from year to year without a systematic way of accounting for changes in economic conditions or the ability to meet previous targets. The onset of the 2007–2009 recession drew into question this practice, and the …


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

Kevin Hollenbeck

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 …


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

Kevin Hollenbeck

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 …