Regional Economics Commons^™

Three Essays On Local Labor Markets, David Henry Nason

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation consists of three essays that employ applied econometric analysis to examine issues related to local labor markets. These analyses explore three distinct sources of structural change or policy interventions and evaluate their implications for regional labor markets. I examine the impact of occupational skill endowments on regional resilience to a recessionary shock, how exposure to increases in employer skill demand affects local labor markets, and whether grants extended by an existing federally chartered regional commission have a positive impact on distressed local labor markets within its service area.

The first chapter of this dissertation studies the impact that …

Food Insecurity Cost Estimates For El Paso: 2023, Thomas M. Fullerton Jr., Gregory S. Schober, Steven L. Fullerton, Eva Moya

Border Region Modeling Project

Food insecurity is a fairly pervasive problem throughout the United States that is especially burdensome for low-income regions. While the latter is generally recognized, there have been very few efforts to quantify the dollar costs of food insecurity, especially at the regional level. This study attempts to do so for El Paso County, Texas. This is achieved by first adjusting for inflation cost estimates in a prior national level study. Regional differences with respect to the nation are then utilized to calculate comparable costs for El Paso. Results indicate that the economic damage wrought by food insecurity in El Paso …

Three Essays In Urban And Regional Economics, Bryan Khoo Wyng Wai

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation "Three Essays in Urban and Regional Economics" contains three chapters which explore urban and regional economics. The first chapters focuses on examining the effect of stadiums on congestion; the second chapter on the effect of military base closures on the housing market; and the third chapter is a meta-analysis on historical instrumental variables.

The first chapter examines the effect of National Football League games on traffic congestion in Cincinnati, Ohio; Seattle, Washington; and Santa Clara, California during the 2018 and 2019 seasons. By linking sporting events to traffic congestion, this paper provides the mechanism for stadiums generating additional …

Nebraska Monthly Economic Indicators: January 27, 2023, Eric Thompson

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

The LEI-N fell by just 0.03% in December 2022. The leading indicator, which is designed to predict economic growth six months in the future, suggests that there will be little growth in the Nebraska economy during the first half of 2023. Three components of the leading indicator worsened in December. There was a decline in airline passenger counts on a seasonally-adjusted basis. Building permits for single-family homes also declined and there was another increase in initial claims for unemployment insurance in Nebraska. One positive component during December was the value of the U.S. dollar. The dollar declined in value which …

Nebraska Monthly Economic Indicators: January 6, 2023, Eric Thompson

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

The LEI-N fell by 0.16% in November 2022. The leading indicator, which is designed to predict economic growth six months in the future, has fallen in four of the last six months. Such a decline implies that the Nebraska economy will stagnate during the first half of 2023. Two components of the leading indicator worsened significantly during November. There was an increase in initial claims for unemployment insurance, signaling softening in the Nebraska labor market. There was also a drop in manufacturing hours worked during the month. It will be important to monitor whether these two trends continue since a …

Nebraska Monthly Economic Indicators: November 30, 2022, Eric Thompson

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

The LEI-N fell by 0.12% in October 2022. The leading indicator, which is designed to predict economic growth six months in the future, has fallen in four of the last six months. Such a decline signals a stagnant economy in Nebraska at the beginning of 2023. Four components of the leading indicator worsened during October. There was an increase in initial claims for unemployment insurance, signaling some softening of the Nebraska labor market. There was also an increase in the value of the U.S. Dollar in October. A rising dollar creates challenges for Nebraska businesses that compete in international markets. …

Nebraska Monthly Economic Indicators: October 26, 2022, Eric Thompson

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

The LEI-N rose by 0.34% in September 2022, after a small decline in July and August. The leading indicator is designed to predict economic growth six months in the future. A flat value for the indicator over the last three months signals a stagnant economy in Nebraska at the end of 2022 and the beginning of 2023. Three components of the leading indicator improved during September. There was an increase in hours worked in the manufacturing industry. There was also a decline in initial claims for unemployment insurance and respondents to the September Survey of Nebraska Business reported plans to …

Nebraska Monthly Economic Indicators: September 21, 2022, Eric Thompson

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

The LEI-N changed little in August 2022, falling by just 0.01%. The leading indicator is designed to predict economic growth six months in the future. As a result, the flat value for the indicator in August signals that economic growth in Nebraska will be slow at the beginning of 2023. Several components of the leading indicator worsened during August. First, there was a decrease in building permits for single-family homes, likely in response to rising interest rates. Second, initial claims for unemployment insurance rose during August, suggesting some softening of the state’s strong labor market. By contrast, positive business expectations …

Nebraska Monthly Economic Indicators: August 24, 2022, Eric Thompson

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

The LEI-N fell by 0.08% during July 2022. The decrease in the leading indicator, which is designed to predict economic activity six months in the future, signals that economic growth in Nebraska will be slow at the end of 2022 and the beginning of 2023. The indicator declined for two primary reasons. First, there was an increase in the value of the U.S. dollar in July, creating challenges for agriculture, manufacturers, and other businesses that compete in international markets. Second, there was a decline in airline passenger counts in July, likely in response to large increases in airline ticket prices. …

Nebraska Monthly Economic Indicators: August 1, 2022, Eric Thompson

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

The LEI-N rose by 0.68% during June 2022. The increase in the leading indicator, which is designed to predict economic activity six months in the future, signals that the Nebraska economy will grow slowly through the end of 2022. The indicator improved for two primary reasons. First, there was an increase in manufacturing hours-worked during June. Second, respondents to the June Survey of Nebraska Business reported plans to increase sales and employment.

Nebraska Monthly Economic Indicators: May 25, 2022, Eric Thompson

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

The LEI-N rose by 1.85% during April 2022. The increase in the leading indicator, which is designed to predict economic activity six months in the future, signals that the Nebraska economy will continue to grow through the 4th quarter of 2022. The indicator improved for three primary reasons. First, there was a sharp increase in airline passenger enplanements in April as that industry continues to recover. Second, initial claims for unemployment insurance fell, signaling a strong Nebraska labor market. Third, respondents to the April Survey of Nebraska Business reported plans to increase sales and employment. There also was a modest …

Nebraska Monthly Economic Indicators: April 20, 2022, Eric Thompson

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

The LEI-N rose by 0.89% during March 2022. The increase in the leading indicator, which is designed to predict economic activity six months in the future, signals continued economic growth in Nebraska through the 3rd quarter of 2022. The indicator improved for two primary reasons. First, initial claims for unemployment insurance fell during March suggesting continued strength in the Nebraska labor market. Second, respondents to the March Survey of Nebraska Business reported plans to increase sales and employment. By contrast, building permits for single-family homes fell during the month. There also was an increase in the value of the U.S. …

Short-Term Household Economic Stress Effects On Retail Sales In El Paso: 2002-2019, Thomas M. Fullerton Jr., Patricia Arellano-Olague

Border Region Modeling Project

Economic stress indices are beginning to be developed as gauges of business cycle conditions for regional economies. Although the popularity of these metrics is increasing, there have been only a small number of studies that analyze the effectiveness of these tools for monitoring regional economic developments. This effort employs data for one such index that is maintained by The University of Texas at El Paso Border Region Modeling Project. The sample period covers December 2002 through March 2019. Specific components of the index include inflation, unemployment, and housing prices. Estimation results indicate that the effects of any changes in economic …

Nebraska Monthly Economic Indicators: February 23, 2022, Eric Thompson

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

The LEI-N rose by 0.58% during January 2022. The increase in the leading indicator, which is designed to predict economic activity six months in the future, signals moderate economic growth in Nebraska through the summer of 2022. The indicator improved for three primary reasons. There were positive business expectations in January according to respondents to the monthly Survey of Nebraska Business. Initial claims for unemployment insurance also fell during the month as a sign of strength for the labor market. The value of the U.S. dollar also fell, which is helpful for Nebraska businesses that compete in international markets.

Nebraska Monthly Economic Indicators: February 2, 2022, Eric Thompson

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

The LEI-N rose by 0.73% during December 2021. The increase in the leading indicator, which is designed to predict economic activity six months in the future, signals moderate economic growth in Nebraska through June 2022. There were positive business expectations in December and an increase in building permits for single-family homes. Initial claims for unemployment insurance also fell during the month. Among declining indicators, there was a drop in manufacturing hours worked and airline passenger counts during December.

Nebraska Monthly Economic Indicators: December 21, 2021, Eric Thompson

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

The LEI-N rose by 0.96% during November 2021. The increase in the leading indicator, which is designed to predict economic activity six months in the future, signals moderate economic growth in Nebraska during the second quarter of 2022. There were positive business expectations in November and an increase in manufacturing hours-worked and building permits for single-family homes. There also was a decline in initial claims for unemployment insurance. However, there was another increase in the value of the U.S. dollar during November. A higher dollar is challenging for Nebraska businesses that compete in international markets.

Nebraska Monthly Economic Indicators: November 24, 2021, Eric Thompson

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

The LEI-N rose by 0.61% during October 2021. The increase in the leading indicator, which is designed to predict economic activity six months in the future, signals moderate economic growth in Nebraska during the spring of 2022. There was an increase in building permits for single-family homes in October and positive business expectations. There also was a decline in initial claims for unemployment insurance. However, several indicator components worsened during October. Airline passenger counts and manufacturing hours worked both declined slightly. There also was a modest uptick in the value of the U.S. dollar. A higher dollar is challenging for …

Nebraska Monthly Economic Indicators: October 27, 2021, Eric Thompson

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

The LEI-N fell by 0.91% during September 2021. The decline in the leading indicator, which is designed to predict economic activity six months in the future, suggests that economic growth will slow significantly in Nebraska during the first quarter of 2022. While business expectations remained solid, other components of the leading indicator worsened. Manufacturing hours worked, airline passenger counts, and building permits for single-family homes all declined. There also was an increase in initial claims for unemployment insurance during the month.

Nebraska Monthly Economic Indicators: September 22, 2021, Eric Thompson

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

The LEI-N rose by 0.79% during August 2021. The increase in the leading indicator, which is designed to predict economic activity six months in the future, suggests that economic growth will be moderate in Nebraska during the first months of 2022. Growth will decline from the rapid increases seen during 2021. Three components of the leading indicator improved during August. Building permits for single-family homes bounced back in August after weak permit activity in July. There also was growth in manufacturing hours worked during the month. Finally, respondents to the August Survey of Nebraska Business reported plans to increase sales …

Nebraska Monthly Economic Indicators: August 25, 2021, Eric Thompson

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

The LEI-N fell by 0.17% during July 2021, the first decline in ten months. The decline in the leading indicator, which is designed to predict economic activity six months in the future, suggests that economic growth will slow in Nebraska during the first months of 2022. Four components of the leading indicator worsened during July. Building permits for single-family homes declined while there was a small drop in manufacturing hours-worked. Initial claims for unemployment insurance and the value of the U.S. dollar also rose during July. A rising U.S. dollar is challenging for Nebraska businesses, which compete in international markets. …

Nebraska Monthly Economic Indicators: July 28, 2021, Eric Thompson

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

The LEI-N rose by 1.17% during June 2021, the ninth consecutive monthly increase. Steady improvement in the leading indicator implies that economic growth will be strong in Nebraska during the second half of 2021. Three components of the leading indicator rose during June. Business expectations, airline passenger counts, and initial claims for unemployment insurance all showed improvement. Specifically, respondents to the June Survey of Nebraska Business reported plans to increase sales and employment in the state over the next six months. Airline passenger enplanements rose sharply as the industry moved closer to pre-pandemic levels of activity. Initial claims for unemployment …

Nebraska Monthly Economic Indicators: June 30, 2021, Eric Thompson

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

The LEI-N rose by 2.33% during May 2021, the third month in a row of rapid growth and the eighth consecutive monthly increase. Rapid improvement in the leading indicator implies that economic growth will be strong in Nebraska during the second half of 2021. All six components of the leading indicator rose during May. Business expectations, manufacturing hours-worked, and airline passenger counts were the strongest components. Respondents to the May Survey of Nebraska Business reported plans to increase sales and employment over the next six months. Manufacturing hours-worked grew rapidly while airline passenger enplanements also rose sharply as the industry …

Nebraska Monthly Economic Indicators: May 26, 2021, Eric Thompson

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

The LEI-N rose by 1.96% during April 2021. The leading indicator rose due to strong business expectations, increased manufacturing activity, and growing airline passenger counts. Respondents to the April Survey of Nebraska Business reported plans to increase sales and employment over the next six months. The value of the U.S. dollar also fell during April, improving prospects for Nebraska businesses that compete in international markets. The composite LEI-N has risen during each of the last seven months, suggesting that the Nebraska economy will expand at a robust pace through the second half of 2021.

Nebraska Monthly Economic Indicators: April 28, 2021, Eric Thompson

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

The LEI-N rose by 1.49% during March 2021. The indicator has risen during each of the last six months, suggesting that the Nebraska economy will expand at a robust pace through the summer of 2021. In March, the leading indicator primarily rose due to strong business expectations and rising airline activity. The pace of recovery in airline passenger enplanements improved during March. In addition, March respondents to the Survey of Nebraska Business reported plans to increase sales and employment over the next six months. Manufacturing hours worked also rose in March while there was a small decline in initial claims …

Nebraska Monthly Economic Indicators: March 31, 2021, Eric Thompson

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

The LEI-N rose by 1.05% during February 2021. The indicator has risen during each of the last five months, suggesting that the Nebraska economy will expand solidly through the summer of 2021. In February, the leading indicator primarily rose due to increased manufacturing activity and strong business expectations. There was a large increase in manufacturing hours worked and respondents to the February Survey of Nebraska Business reported plans to increase sales and employment over the next six months. Airline passenger counts also rose modestly, while there was a small decline in initial claims for unemployment insurance on a seasonally-adjusted basis. …

Nebraska Monthly Economic Indicators: February 24, 2021, Eric Thompson

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

The LEI-N rose by 0.72% during January 2021. The indicator has risen during each of the last four months, suggesting that the Nebraska economy will expand solidly through mid- 2021. In January, the leading indicator primarily rose due to strong business expectations. Respondents to the January Survey of Nebraska Business reported plans to increase sales and employment over the next six months. Overall, three of the six components of the leading indicator improved during January. Airline passenger counts rose modestly, while the value of the U.S. dollar fell. A weaker dollar is positive for Nebraska businesses which compete in international …

Nebraska Monthly Economic Indicators: January 29, 2021, Eric Thompson

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

The LEI-N rose by 0.36% during December 2020. The indicator has risen during each of the last three months. The rising indicator suggests that the Nebraska economy will expand solidly over the next 6 months. Three of the six components of the leading indicator improved during December. Building permits for single-family homes and airline passenger counts both rose modestly. Further, the value of the U.S. dollar dropped sharply in December, which will improve competitive conditions for agricultural producers, manufacturers, and other Nebraska businesses that export. Business expectations, however, were one area of concern. Respondents to the December Survey of Nebraska …

An Economic Analysis Of Appalachian Power Industry Ecosystems County-Level Pie Supply Chain Analysis, Randall Jackson, Péter Járosi

Power Industry Ecosystem

This report describes an effort to provide for the Appalachian Region a clearer picture of the implications for the Power Industry Ecosystem (PIE) of power generating technology transitions and the geographical variations in PIE impacts. We develop and implement three measures that reveal meaningful characteristics of the PIE at the county level in terms of industry and place-based PIE dependence, changes in PIE-dependent employment, and susceptibility to impacts from a continued energy sector transition. We then use these three measures—Dependence, Impact, and Risk—to form a typology that we apply to identify and focus on counties in three identifiable categories: Hardship …

Nebraska Monthly Economic Indicators: December 23, 2020, Eric Thompson

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

The LEI-N rose by 0.61% during November 2020. The rising indicator suggests that the Nebraska economy will expand over the next 6 months. Five of the six components of the leading indicator improved during November. Manufacturing hours-worked and building permits for single-family homes both rose. Business expectations also were positive, with respondents to the November Survey of Nebraska Business reporting plans to increase employment. The value of the U.S. dollar also declined in November, which will improve competitive conditions for agricultural producers, manufacturers, and other Nebraska businesses which export. Airline passenger enplanements were the only component to decline during November.

Nebraska Monthly Economic Indicators: November 25, 2020, Eric Thompson

Leading Economic Indicator Reports

The LEI-N rose during October 2020, by 1.83%. The rising indicator confirms that the Nebraska economy should continue to expand over the next 6 months. Five of the six components of the leading indicator improved during October. Manufacturing hours-worked rebounded in October after declining over the previous 3 months. Business expectations also were positive, with respondents to the October Survey of Nebraska Business reporting plans to increase employment over the next 6 months. The value of the U.S. dollar also declined, which will improve competitive conditions for Nebraska businesses that export. Building permits for single-family homes and airline passenger enplanements …