Spatial Effects Upon Employment Outcomes: The Case of New Jersey Teenagers

UC Berkeley Working Paper IBER-CalBerk E96-247

38 Pages Posted: 19 Jun 1998

See all articles by Katherine M. O'Regan

Katherine M. O'Regan

New York University (NYU) - Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service

John M. Quigley

University of California, Berkeley, College of Letters & Science, Department of Economics (Deceased); University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business, Real Estate Group (Deceased)

Abstract

Theories about the importance of space in urban labor markets have emphasized the role of employment access, on the one hand, and neighborhood composition, on the other hand, in affecting employment outcomes. This paper presents an empirical analysis which considers both of these factors, together with individual human capital characteristics and household attributes in affecting youth employment. The analysis is based upon an unusually rich sample of micro data on youth in four New Jersey metropolitan areas. The empirical analysis is based on a sample of some 18,000 at home youth, matched to detailed census tract demographic information and specially constructed measures of employment access. The research includes a comparison of the importance of neighborhood access in affecting youth employment when individual and household attributes are also measured. The results demonstrate the overall importance of these spatial factors (particularly neighborhood composition) in affecting youth employment in urban areas.

JEL Classification: I3, J4, J7

Suggested Citation

O'Regan, Katherine M. and Quigley, John M., Spatial Effects Upon Employment Outcomes: The Case of New Jersey Teenagers. UC Berkeley Working Paper IBER-CalBerk E96-247, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=97788 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.97788

Katherine M. O'Regan

New York University (NYU) - Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service ( email )

The Puck Building
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John M. Quigley (Contact Author)

University of California, Berkeley, College of Letters & Science, Department of Economics (Deceased) ( email )

Berkeley, CA 94720-3880
United States
510-643-7411 (Phone)
510-643-7357 (Fax)

University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business, Real Estate Group (Deceased) ( email )

Berkeley, CA 94720-1900
United States