Mapping Local Productivity Advantages in Italy: Industrial Districts, Cities or Both?

Journal of Economic Geography, 14(2), pp. 365-394, 2014

30 Pages Posted: 15 Jun 2014

Multiple version iconThere are 2 versions of this paper

Date Written: March 2014

Abstract

Using data from a large sample of Italian manufacturing firms we provide novel empirical evidence on the magnitude of local productivity advantages in two types of spatially concentrated regions: urban areas (UAs) and industrial districts (IDs). A larger surplus is estimated for cities compared to industrial clusters, only partially related to the more skilled workforce employed in UAs. Over the last decade, the productivity premium of UAs has remained essentially unchanged, while that of IDs has showed a tendency to decline, suggesting that the former were better able to cope with the major shocks that hit the world economy.

Keywords: Urban areas, industrial districts, agglomeration economies

JEL Classification: C52, D24, R12

Suggested Citation

Di Giacinto, Valter and Gomellini, Matteo and Micucci, Giacinto and Pagnini, Marcello, Mapping Local Productivity Advantages in Italy: Industrial Districts, Cities or Both? (March 2014). Journal of Economic Geography, 14(2), pp. 365-394, 2014, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2450523

Valter Di Giacinto

Bank of Italy ( email )

Via Nazionale 91
Rome, 00184
Italy

Matteo Gomellini

Bank of Italy ( email )

Via Nazionale 91
Rome, 00184
Italy

Giacinto Micucci

Bank of Italy ( email )

Via Nazionale 91
Rome, 00184
Italy

Marcello Pagnini (Contact Author)

Bank of Italy ( email )

Via Nazionale 91
Rome, 00184
Italy

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