Regional Differences in the Determinants of Investment Decisions of Private Firms in Brazil

This study takes on an important part or regional growth, that is, the investment decisions of private firms. The question asked is: do corporations decide on investments in the same way in different parts of the territory? The paper analyses investments of 482 large Brazilian firms in the period 1996-2004. The role of sales, cash-flow, external financing, and working capital is investigated through regression analysis, following the literature on firm investment decisions. Regional dummies used to capture differences in the role of those determinants indicate that there are significant differences across regions. This is important information for regional development policy, for different mechanisms should be used in different regions in order to foster private investments.

Tertiary activities and informality: quantitative importance and interconnections within the economy in Brazil

This paper studies the importance of the Tertiary sector and the informal sector for the Brazilian economy, making an interconnection between them and with them and the rest of the economy and the formal sector. To do so, this work makes use of the data presented in the System of National Accounts and the National Survey of Households (PNAD), both from IBGE, and the Leontief model. The results show: a) the importance of the Tertiary sector for the Brazilian economy in terms of employment (around 61% of the occupied persons), and income generation (around 67% of the economy Value Added); b) the high share of the informal sector in the Brazilian economy (around 58% of the occupied persons and 34% of the income); c) the combination of these factors results in an economy with low wages and salaries and with an high concentration of income; and d) that the present productive structure of the Brazilian economy contributes to the concentration of income in the country.Tertiary Activities; Informality; Input-Output; Employment

Desempenho das revistas e dos departamentos de economia brasileiros segundo publicações e citações recebidas no Brasil

The paper assesses the performance of the Brazilian departments and journals of Economics. The assessment of journal impacts is based on citations received in Brazilian journals in the five-year period following publication. The assessment of department performance is based on the volume of papers published in Brazil and the impact of the journals in which they were published. The results indicate the most important journals and departments in Brazil in the period 1970-1998.O trabalho procura avaliar o desempenho dos departamentos e das revistas de economia brasileiros, usando como critério o número de citações recebidas no Brasil, além do volume de suas publicações. Inicialmente, avalia-se o impacto das revistas técnicas de economia brasileiras, considerando-se as citações recebidas nos cinco anos subsequentes à publicação dos artigos. Em seguida, levanta-se o volume da produção de artigos dos departamentos, o que se considera como um dos elementos de avaliação de desempenho. Adicionalmente, pondera-se a produção de artigos dos departamentos pela qualidade da revista em que foram publicados (impacto). Com esses procedimentos, foi possível aferir o desempenho das revistas e dos departamentos de economia do Brasil no período 1970-1998

Onde vender o peixe? Repercussão das principals revistas brasileiras de Economia na virada do século

The paper deals with the number of citations received by articles published in the leading Brazilianjournals in Economics (levels A and B, according to Capes classification). The main focus ofinterest is the period 1997-2001, but information is also given for the period 1970-2001. The results provide a good indicator of the influence of the Brazilianjournals among academic economists in Brazil

Concentração regional e dispersão das rendas per capita estaduais: análise a partir de séries históricas estaduais de PIB, 1939-1995

O trabalho tem como um de seus objetivos apresentar metodologia desenvolvida para compatibilizar as distintas séries de PIB disponíveis e divulgar os resultados obtidos para um período de 56 anos

A influência do poder público na localização industrial

A distribuição espacial das atividades econômicas, notadamente as industriais, revela uma grande concentração em alguns poucos pontos do território

Cómo afecta la integración internacional a las exportaciones de los estados brasileños

Este trabajo busca determinar los impactos de la integración internacional en la exportación de los estados brasileños. Utilizamos un modelo gravitacional con variables dummy para los bloques principales de comercio y para cada región brasileña. Variables que capturan la apertura y la competitividad regionales también se incluyen. Estimamos un modelo de pooled cross-section, con datos para 2 países, 27 estados, y años. Controlando para el tamaño y la distancia, el comercio con MERCOSUR y la UE es más intenso que con el resto del mundo. Los estados brasileños que abarcan partes más grandes del comercio interregional total tienden a negociar menos internacionalmente, mientras que lo contrario se sostiene para los que sean más competitivos. Los resultados también indican que las especificidades sectoriales desempeñan un papel en explicar las exportaciones del estado, como en el caso de la agricultura. ____________________________________________This paper assesses the impacts of international integration on the export flows of Brazilian states. We use a gravity model with dummy variables for the main partner blocs and for each pair Brazilian region-partner country, to account for the specificities of particular trade relations. Variables capturing regional openness and competitiveness are also included. We estimate a pooled cross-section model, with data for 2 countries, 27 states, and years. After controlling for size and distance, trade with Mercosur and the EU is more intense than with the rest of the world. States accounting for larger shares of interregional trade tend to trade less internationally, while the opposite holds for those that are more competitive. The results also indicate that sectoral specificities play a role in explaining state’s exports, as in the case of agriculture

Estimating Regional Poverty Lines With Scarce Data: An Application to Brazilian Regions

The recent emphasis on fighting poverty in Brazil makes the determination of the size of the targeted population an important issue (What is the right poverty line? What is the real size of the poor population? How much money should be given to each poor family?). The application of poverty lines based on national income levels tends to produce important distortions at the regional level. Using data from a Household Expenditure Survey (HES) that covered some regions in Brazil, the paper develops and applies a methodology to define poverty lines for all regions and urban areas. These lines are based on nutritional requirements, thus avoiding the purchasing power parity problem, and take into account non-monetary income and in-kind consumption, aspects that are very important at the rural level. The HES results are matched with Census data, allowing for the estimation of rural and urban poverty lines for Brazilian regions.

Productive Structure and Income Distribution: the Brazilian Case.

This study deals with the impacts of structural changes on income distribution in Brazil in the period 1992-2002. A Pure Leontief Model and a Leontief-Miazawa Model were utilized to portray the structure of the economy in both years, and to perform counterfactual simulations on some important changes occurring during the period. The methodology allowed for the identification of the high and low inequality sectors in both years, and to their contribution to the increasing inequality during the period. It is interesting to notice that some sectors with low internal inequality ended-up provoking increased global inequality through their interaction pattern with other sectors in the economy,and through the consumption structure. The results also indicate that the change in sectoral shares in the period contributed to diminishing inequality. Therefore, the causes for increasing inequality remains within the distribution of wages within the sectors.