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Full-Text Articles in Regional Economics

What Should States Do About Incentives?, Timothy J. Bartik Sep 2019

What Should States Do About Incentives?, Timothy J. Bartik

Presentations

No abstract provided.


Incentives And Local Job Creation, Timothy J. Bartik Jul 2018

Incentives And Local Job Creation, Timothy J. Bartik

Upjohn Institute Policy and Research Briefs

No abstract provided.


What Works To Help Manufacturing-Intensive Local Economies?, Timothy J. Bartik May 2018

What Works To Help Manufacturing-Intensive Local Economies?, Timothy J. Bartik

Upjohn Institute Technical Reports

No abstract provided.


Improving Economic Development Incentives, Timothy J. Bartik Mar 2018

Improving Economic Development Incentives, Timothy J. Bartik

Upjohn Institute Policy and Research Briefs

No abstract provided.


Who Benefits From Economic Development Incentives? How Incentive Effects On Local Incomes And The Income Distribution Vary With Different Assumptions About Incentive Policy And The Local Economy, Timothy J. Bartik Mar 2018

Who Benefits From Economic Development Incentives? How Incentive Effects On Local Incomes And The Income Distribution Vary With Different Assumptions About Incentive Policy And The Local Economy, Timothy J. Bartik

Upjohn Institute Technical Reports

This report presents results from a simulation model that examines the effects of economic development incentives (e.g., tax incentives such as property tax abatements or job creation tax credits) provided to businesses by state and local governments in the United States. The model simulates effects of incentive policies on the incomes of local residents, both for different income types (e.g., labor income versus property income) and for different income quintiles, under different assumptions about the economy’s workings and public policy. Net benefits of incentives for local incomes are greater if the incentives have greater job-creation effects conditional on their effects …


Race To The Bottom? Local Tax Break Competition And Business Location, Evan Mast Jan 2018

Race To The Bottom? Local Tax Break Competition And Business Location, Evan Mast

Employment Research Newsletter

No abstract provided.


New Evidence On State Fiscal Multipliers: Implications For State Policies, Timothy J. Bartik Jul 2017

New Evidence On State Fiscal Multipliers: Implications For State Policies, Timothy J. Bartik

Upjohn Institute Working Papers

When state and local governments engage in balanced budget changes in taxes and spending, what fiscal multiplier effects do such policies have on creating local jobs? Traditionally, the view has been that possible job-creation effects of such state and local “demand-side” policies are smaller, second-order effects. Such effects might be worthwhile to take into consideration when a state or local government balances its budget during a recession, but the effects were believed to be of modest magnitude, and not of major importance for more general state and local public policies. However, recent estimates of fiscal multiplier effects of state and …


Labor-Demand-Side Economic Development Incentives And Urban Opportunity, Timothy J. Bartik Jan 2016

Labor-Demand-Side Economic Development Incentives And Urban Opportunity, Timothy J. Bartik

Book Chapters

No abstract provided.


Jobless Capital? The Role Of Capital Subsidies, Carlianne E. Patrick Oct 2015

Jobless Capital? The Role Of Capital Subsidies, Carlianne E. Patrick

Upjohn Institute Working Papers

Using tax abatements, financial incentives, and public investments to attract (or retain) firms is the primary economic development tool for many local governments. Often local job creation policies focus on increasing capital through grants, low-interest financing, and other economic development incentives. Theory predicts that capital subsidies induce firm behaviors that limit their job creation effects. This paper employs the Incentives Environment Index, constructed from state constitutional provisions that limit and structure the ability of state and local governmental entities to aid private enterprises, and five-year county panels to test theoretical predictions on county capital expenditure and input mixes as well …


State Incentives For Innovation, Star Scientists, And Jobs: Evidence From Biotech, Enrico Moretti, Daniel J. Wilson Jul 2013

State Incentives For Innovation, Star Scientists, And Jobs: Evidence From Biotech, Enrico Moretti, Daniel J. Wilson

Upjohn Institute Working Papers

We evaluate the effects of state-provided financial incentives for biotech companies, which are part of a growing trend of placed-based policies designed to spur innovation clusters. We estimate that the adoption of subsidies for biotech employers by a state raises the number of star biotech scientists in that state by about 15 percent over a three-year period. A 10 percent decline in the user cost of capital induced by an increase in R&D tax incentives raises the number of stars by 22 percent. Most of the gains are due to the relocation of star scientists to adopting states, with limited …


Simulating The Effects Of Michigan's Mega Tax Credit Program On Job Creation And Fiscal Benefits, Timothy J. Bartik, George A. Erickcek Jun 2012

Simulating The Effects Of Michigan's Mega Tax Credit Program On Job Creation And Fiscal Benefits, Timothy J. Bartik, George A. Erickcek

Upjohn Institute Working Papers

This paper simulates job and fiscal impacts of Michigan’s MEGA tax credit program for job creation. Under plausible assumptions about how such credits affect business location decisions, the net costs per job created of the MEGA program are simulated to be of modest size. The job creation impacts of MEGA are simulated to be considerably larger than devoting similar dollar resources to general business tax cuts. The simulation methodology developed here is applicable to incentives in other states.


Mediating Incentive Use: A Time-Series Assessment Of Economic Development Deals In North Carolina, T. William Lester, Nichola Lowe, Allan Freyer Apr 2012

Mediating Incentive Use: A Time-Series Assessment Of Economic Development Deals In North Carolina, T. William Lester, Nichola Lowe, Allan Freyer

Upjohn Institute Working Papers

State incentive granting for the purpose of firm retention or recruitment remains highly controversial and is often portrayed as antithetical to long-range economic development planning. This paper uses quasi-experimental methods to measure the impact of state-level economic development incentives on employment growth at the establishment level in North Carolina. Using North Carolina’s rich history of strategic planning and sector-based economic development as a backdrop, we develop a theory of sectoral “mediation.” This enables us to compare the effectiveness of incentives offered in mediated and nonmediated industries and show that when incentives are coupled with sectoral economic development efforts they generate …


The Employment And Fiscal Effects Of Michigan's Mega Tax Credit Program, Timothy J. Bartik, George A. Erickcek Apr 2010

The Employment And Fiscal Effects Of Michigan's Mega Tax Credit Program, Timothy J. Bartik, George A. Erickcek

Upjohn Institute Working Papers

This paper estimates that Michigan's MEGA tax credit program to attract and retain businesses has large employment and fiscal benefits. MEGA provides discretionary tax credits to businesses, with the tax credit tied to the personal income taxes paid by employees on the new or retained jobs. We estimate the economic effects of MEGA using the Upjohn Institute's REMI model, and the research literature on how business location decisions respond to taxes. We estimate the fiscal effects of MEGA based on the research literature on how government spending and revenue respond to state personal income and population. The estimates suggest a …


What Should Michigan Be Doing To Promote Long-Run Economic Development?, Timothy J. Bartik Nov 2009

What Should Michigan Be Doing To Promote Long-Run Economic Development?, Timothy J. Bartik

Upjohn Institute Working Papers

This paper argues that Michigan can take cost-effective actions to significantly improve the primary state economic development goal: higher per capita income of Michigan's residents. Higher per capita income of Michigan's residents can be achieved through state policy actions that use cost-effective means to either lower the marginal costs of businesses that expand in the state, or boost the skills of state residents. In this paper, I offer eight ideas for how to lower marginal business costs and boost skills. Four of these ideas focus on lowering marginal business costs. Four other ideas focus on boosting skills. For each of …


Better Deals For State And Local Economic Development, Ann R. Markusen Apr 2007

Better Deals For State And Local Economic Development, Ann R. Markusen

Employment Research Newsletter

No abstract provided.


Incentive Solutions, Timothy J. Bartik Feb 2004

Incentive Solutions, Timothy J. Bartik

Upjohn Institute Working Papers

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, …


Does "Trickle Down" Work?: Economic Development Strategies And Job Chains In Local Labor Markets, Joseph Persky, Daniel Felsenstein, Virginia Carlson Jan 2004

Does "Trickle Down" Work?: Economic Development Strategies And Job Chains In Local Labor Markets, Joseph Persky, Daniel Felsenstein, Virginia Carlson

Upjohn Press

Persky, Felsenstein, and Carlson explore a new framework for evaluating state and local economic development efforts. They propose a method, referred to as the “job-chains approach,” that they say clarifies the potential justifications for economic development subsidies as well as the limitations surrounding these efforts. This innovative approach addresses not only the number of job vacancies created as a result of a subsidized business investment or expansion, but also the extent to which gains are achieved by the unemployed and the underemployed, whether skilled or unskilled.


Thoughts On American Manufacturing Decline And Revitalization, Timothy J. Bartik Sep 2003

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

Upjohn Institute Working Papers

The recent decline in American manufacturing probably reflects long-run problems. A sensible approach to revitalizing American manufacturing would focus on overcoming inefficiencies in the development of manufacturing, such as problems in small- and medium-sized manufacturers getting information about deploying new technologies. This approach to revitalizing manufacturing can best be implemented through federal efforts to encourage and support state and local economic development policies that help enhance manufacturing productivity. A decentralized approach to the revitalization of manufacturing encourages a variety of creative policies, is adaptable to local conditions, and is consistent with American political traditions.


Economic Impact Of State Farm Insurance’S Michigan Operations Center On The Marshall Area And Calhoun County, Brad R. Watts Aug 2003

Economic Impact Of State Farm Insurance’S Michigan Operations Center On The Marshall Area And Calhoun County, Brad R. Watts

Reports

The analysis estimates the economic impact on the Marshall area and Calhoun County of the closing of State Farm Insurance Company's Michigan Operations Center in the city of Marshall.


Local Economic Development Policies, Timothy J. Bartik Jan 2003

Local Economic Development Policies, Timothy J. Bartik

Upjohn Institute Working Papers

This chapter seeks to provide useful advice for local government policy towards economic development programs. The chapter: reviews the size and scope of local economic development programs in the United States; critically analyzes the various rationales offered for these programs; makes recommendations for what local policy should do about business attraction and incentives, business retention, new business development, high technology development, brownfield development, distressed neighborhoods, and downtowns; and discusses how local economic development programs should be organized, managed, and evaluated.


The Effectiveness Of State Enterprise Zones, Alan H. Peters, Peter S. Fisher Oct 2002

The Effectiveness Of State Enterprise Zones, Alan H. Peters, Peter S. Fisher

Employment Research Newsletter

No abstract provided.


The Role Of Partnerships In Economic Development And Labor Markets In The United States, Randall W. Eberts, George A. Erickcek Jan 2002

The Role Of Partnerships In Economic Development And Labor Markets In The United States, Randall W. Eberts, George A. Erickcek

Upjohn Institute Working Papers

This paper describes the role of local partnerships in the delivery of workforce and economic development services in the United States. Partnerships include both public and private organizations and increasingly depend upon local business people for leadership. With grassroots organizations traditionally taking the lead in addressing local issues and a long history of decentralized government, it is not surprising that a labyrinth of partnerships characterize the provision of public services. This paper grew out of a study tour that the Upjohn Institute conducted in conjunction with the Local Employment and Economic Development (LEED) Committee of the Organization for Economic Co-Operation …


State Enterprise Zone Programs: Have They Worked?, Alan H. Peters, Peter S. Fisher Jan 2002

State Enterprise Zone Programs: Have They Worked?, Alan H. Peters, Peter S. Fisher

Upjohn Press

Peters and Fisher evaluate 75 EZs located in 13 states to gain an understanding of the overall effectiveness of state enterprise zones. Faced with a paucity of data on EZs that could be used in standard economic analysis, the authors employ a hypothetical firm model in which they apply various EZ and non-EZ incentives to financial statements created for a set of "typical" firms. Observing the impacts of both types of incentives on firms' financial statements allow Peters and Fisher to predict the firms' resulting behavior. Between these findings and the data accumulated from actual EZs, they are able to …


"Smart" Economic Development, George A. Erickcek Apr 2001

"Smart" Economic Development, George A. Erickcek

Employment Research Newsletter

No abstract provided.


Bidding For Business: The Efficacy Of Local Economic Development Incentives In A Metropolitan Area, John E. Anderson, Robert W. Wassmer Jan 2000

Bidding For Business: The Efficacy Of Local Economic Development Incentives In A Metropolitan Area, John E. Anderson, Robert W. Wassmer

Upjohn Press

Anderson and Wassmer examine the use and effectiveness of local economic development incentives within a specific region, the Detroit metropolitan area. The Detroit area serves as a good example, they say, because of the area's 20-plus year track record of its communities offering the gamut of economic incentives aimed at redirecting economic activity and jobs. The evidence they uncover reveals factors that drive cities not just in this Southeast Michigan area, but nationwide to offer particular types of incentives that are more or less generous than those offered by their neighbors.


Industrial Incentives: Competition Among American States And Cities, Peter S. Fisher, Alan H. Peters Oct 1998

Industrial Incentives: Competition Among American States And Cities, Peter S. Fisher, Alan H. Peters

Employment Research Newsletter

No abstract provided.


Industrial Incentives: Competition Among American States And Cities, Peter S. Fisher, Alan H. Peters Jan 1998

Industrial Incentives: Competition Among American States And Cities, Peter S. Fisher, Alan H. Peters

Upjohn Press

This book is the first significant attempt to quantify the development efforts made by state and local governments. The authors' extensive research focuses on tax and incentive policies across the 24 most industrialized states in the United States and a sample of 112 cities from within those states.


Economic Development Strategies, Timothy J. Bartik Jan 1995

Economic Development Strategies, Timothy J. Bartik

Upjohn Institute Working Papers

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 …


Federal Policy Towards State And Local Economic Development In The 1990s, Timothy J. Bartik Mar 1993

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

Upjohn Institute Working Papers

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 …


Foreign Direct Investment In The United States: Issues, Magnitudes, And Location Choice Of New Manufacturing Plants, Jan Ondrich, Michael J. Wasylenko Jan 1993

Foreign Direct Investment In The United States: Issues, Magnitudes, And Location Choice Of New Manufacturing Plants, Jan Ondrich, Michael J. Wasylenko

Upjohn Press

What effect does foreign direct investment (FDI) have on job creation, wages, and productivity in the U.S.? How does FDI impact the budget deficit? How do changes in states' fiscal policy affect plant location choices? Ondrych and Wasylenko address these and other politically-charged questions concerning FDI. Provided is empirical evidence drawn from a pooled cross-section and time-series data set that identifies the criteria foreigners use to make location decisions. The authors also develop a model, against which they compare their findings, and review policy options available at the state and federal levels. Information provided will help states shape, focus, and …