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Regional Economics

Selected Works

Timothy J. Bartik

Economic development - Local labor markets

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Articles 1 - 14 of 14

Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

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.


The Future Of State And Local Economic Development Policy: What Research Is Needed, Timothy Bartik Jan 2015

The Future Of State And Local Economic Development Policy: What Research Is Needed, Timothy Bartik

Timothy J. Bartik

No abstract provided.


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 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 …


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 …


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 …


Jobs, Productivity, And Local Economic Development: What Implications Does Economic Research Have For The Role Of Government?, Timothy Bartik Jan 2015

Jobs, Productivity, And Local Economic Development: What Implications Does Economic Research Have For The Role Of Government?, Timothy Bartik

Timothy J. Bartik

No abstract provided.


Local Economic Development Policies, Timothy J. Bartik Jan 2015

Local Economic Development Policies, Timothy J. Bartik

Timothy J. Bartik

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 Revitalization Of Older Industrial Cities: A Review Essay Of Retooling For Growth, Timothy Bartik Jan 2015

The Revitalization Of Older Industrial Cities: A Review Essay Of Retooling For Growth, Timothy Bartik

Timothy J. Bartik

No abstract provided.


Evaluating The Impacts Of Local Economic Development Policies On Local Economic Outcomes: What Has Been Done And What Is Doable?, Timothy J. Bartik Jan 2015

Evaluating The Impacts Of Local Economic Development Policies On Local Economic Outcomes: What Has Been Done And What Is Doable?, Timothy J. Bartik

Timothy J. Bartik

This paper argues that more rigorous evaluations of local economic development policies are feasible. Programs that aid selected small firms can be rigorously evaluated using an experimental approach, without excluding firms from assistance, by randomly assigning some firms to receive more intense marketing efforts by the program. Programs that aid distressed local areas can be rigorously evaluated by random assignment of the program among eligible distressed areas. If an experiment cannot be done, a variety of statistical approaches can be used to compare firms or areas that use the program with comparison groups of firms or areas that do not …


Aggregate Effects In Local Labor Markets Of Supply And Demand Shocks, Timothy J. Bartik Jan 2015

Aggregate Effects In Local Labor Markets Of Supply And Demand Shocks, Timothy J. Bartik

Timothy J. Bartik

Anti-poverty policy in the U.S. has emphasized labor supply policies, such as welfare reform or job training. Anti-poverty policy in the U.S. has not emphasized policies to increase labor demand for the poor, such as public employment or subsidizing private employers to hire the poor. What are the aggregate effects of such policies on wages and unemployment of different groups? This paper estimates and simulates a model with several types of labor, using data from the Current Population Survey on state labor markets. The simulations suggest that forcing more disadvantaged persons into the labor market can displace many other persons …


Simulating The Effects Of Michigan's Mega Tax Credit Program On Job Creation And Fiscal Benefits, Timothy J. Bartik, George A. Erickcek Jan 2015

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

Timothy J. Bartik

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.


Simulating The Effects Of The Tax Credit Program Of The Michigan Economic Growth Authority On Job Creation And Fiscal Benefits, Timothy Bartik, George Erickcek Jan 2015

Simulating The Effects Of The Tax Credit Program Of The Michigan Economic Growth Authority On Job Creation And Fiscal Benefits, Timothy Bartik, George Erickcek

Timothy J. Bartik

No abstract provided.


Who Benefits From State And Local Economic Development Policies?, Timothy Bartik Dec 1990

Who Benefits From State And Local Economic Development Policies?, Timothy Bartik

Timothy J. Bartik

Bartik reviews evidence on whether state and local policies affect job growth. He then presents empirical data supporting the intentions of such programs, showing that job growth may lead to a number of positive long-term effects including: lower unemployment, higher labor force participation, higher real estate values, and better occupational opportunities. He also shows that the earnings gains to disadvantaged groups outweigh the resulting increased real estate values for property owners, and concludes by saying that regional competition for jobs may actually be a benefit for the nation as a whole.