Spatial Labor Markets and Technology Spillovers - Analysis from the US Midwest

In this paper we examine the relation between geographic location and innovative behavior. Knowledge spillins, as opposed to knowledge spillovers, are modeled as an externality which exists between geographically close economic agents and enters the representative inventor production function explicitly from neighboring regions. To proxy new innovative behavior and new knowledge generated we use counts of patent filings per county. The proposed geographic spillin is tested for the US Midwestern States of Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota and North Dakota using a newly constructed data set and implementing spatial statistical methods. The data set is comprised of primary inventor utility patent filings per county for the years 1975-2000. The results do indeed suggest spatial interaction does occur and innovative activity in surrounding counties is an important factor in explaining new innovative behavior. Further analysis also reveals lagged patenting behavior within the county also has a significant impact on patenting activity suggesting innovative externalities exist over both space and time.patents; employment growth; technology spillovers; spatial spillovers

Rural Homeownership and Labor Mobility in the U.S.

Labor and Human Capital,

Identifying the driving forces of rural economic growth: the impact of intellectual spillovers, technology, and amenities on employment growth in the US Midwest

This dissertation examines a number of issues related to economic growth in rural regions. The major themes explored are the roles of spatial technological externalities in the creation of new knowledge, the impacts of technology and technology spillovers on non-farm employment growth, and the role of amenities influencing non-farm employment growth. The theoretical model examines the interaction between rural and urban areas in an overlapping generations model allowing migration of high skill workers. The major theoretical conclusions reached suggests: (1) if technology spillovers exist in the urban market then high skill individuals will seek employment in the urban area where they earn an income superior to that in the rural area; and (2) the usefulness of rural amenities as a means to attract individuals is not unambiguous since the trade-off between higher urban wages and rural amenities will depend to a large extent on what type of equilibrium, i.e. high vs. low steady state equilibrium, the economy is in currently. In the empirical applications spatial econometric methods are employed to control for and examine the effect of economic activity in surrounding counties. In chapter two are identified the variables which have significant impacts on new knowledge and technology creation as measured by patents and finds impressive evidence of spatial knowledge spillins. That is, the patenting behavior in close, neighboring proximity tends to have a positive impact on patenting activity in the home county. Chapter three examines the role of local technology and knowledge creation embodied in patents on employment growth in the US Midwest over the period 1969--2000. The results from the empirical analysis overwhelmingly suggest that when patent counts within the county are used as an indicator for new knowledge and technology, then this variable has a strong positive impact on non-farm employment growth within the county. The final chapter exploits the tradeoff relationship between wages and non-monetary amenity benefits. The research indicates amenities in the home county as well as amenities in surrounding counties have an important influence on non-farm employment growth

RURAL GROWTH IN U.S. HEARTLAND

This study identifies factors that explain growth in rural areas using data from 618 counties in the U.S. rural heartland. We evaluate many of the growth hypotheses in the context of sectoral employment growth for counties in Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota and North Dakota. Separate estimates for rural and urban counties provide insight into factors that are important in explaining employment growth. The results support the importance of human capital as a factor contributing to sectoral employment growth and show that increased concentration and specialization of employment within a county lead to slower growth in the rural heartland counties.Community/Rural/Urban Development,

Does Land Fragmentation Reduce Efficiency: Micro Evidence from India

Land Economics/Use,

Racially motivated offending and targeted interventions

This research aimed to identify the prevalence of racially motivated offending among young people in England and Wales and to shed light on the response to racially motivated offending within the youth justice system

Innovative behavior and spatial location: using patent counts and geographic location to estimate innovative spillins

In this paper we examine the relation between geographic location and innovative behavior. Knowledge spillins, as opposed to knowledge spillovers, are modeled as an externality which exists between geographically close economic agents and enters the representative inventor production function explicitly from neighboring regions. To proxy new innovative behavior and new knowledge generated we use counts of patent filings per county. The proposed geographic spillin is tested for the US Midwestern States of Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota and North Dakota using a newly constructed data set and implementing spatial statistical methods. The data set is comprised of primary inventor utility patent filings per county for the years 1975-2000. The results do indeed suggest spatial interaction does occur and innovative activity in surrounding counties is an important factor in explaining new innovative behavior. Further analysis also reveals lagged patenting behavior within the county also has a significant impact on patenting activity suggesting innovative externalities exist over both space and time