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on Urban and Real Estate Economics |
| By: | David Agorastos; Rowena Gray; Ronan Lyons; Allison Shertzer |
| Abstract: | We construct the first consistent market rent and home sales price series for American cities across the 20th century using millions of newspaper real estate listings. Our findings revise several stylized facts about U.S. housing markets. Real market rents did not fall during the 20th century for most cities. Instead, real rental price levels increased by about 20 percent from 1890 to 2006. There was also greater growth in real housing sales prices from 1965 to 1995 than is commonly understood. Using these series, we document several new facts about housing markets. The return to homeownership has varied considerably across cities and over time, but rental returns were historically much more important than capital gains in every city. We discuss the implications of our indices for the business cycle and the consumer price index. Finally, we provide evidence that housing prices increased unevenly across cities over time in response to natural building and regulatory constraints |
| Keywords: | Housing prices; rental indices; hedonic analysis; housing markets |
| JEL: | E3 N1 O18 R3 |
| Date: | 2024–06–20 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fip:fedpwp:98408&r= |
| By: | Heuermann, Daniel F. (University of Europe for Applied Sciences); Vom Berge, Philipp (Institute for Employment Research (IAB), Nuremberg) |
| Abstract: | We examine the residential segregation of workers and the unemployed in the 80 largest cities in Germany. Drawing on a large set of geo-referenced data for the period from 2000 until 2015, we are able to study the within-city distribution of unemployment in unprecedented detail. We document a strong and persistent rise in segregation between workers and the unemployed along three dimensions: spatial unevenness, centrality, and localization. First, we show that cities have become spatially less even with respect to the distribution of unemployment. Regarding centrality, we demonstrate that local unemployment rates tend to be highest in downtown areas and decrease quickly with distance from the urban core. This relationship has strengthened over time. We investigate whether a strong reurbanization trend in German cities after 2007 might explain rising unevenness and concentration of unemployment in the center, but find little affirmative evidence. Instead, the strong overall rise of segregation was characterized by a third phenomenon: a trend towards 'localization', i.e., a tendency of workers and the unemployed to sort into increasingly small-scale but internally more homogeneous residential areas. |
| Keywords: | unemployment, urban labor markets, residential segregation, spatial structure |
| JEL: | J61 R11 R12 R23 |
| Date: | 2024–06 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp17058&r= |
| By: | Christian A. L. Hilber; Tracy M. Turner |
| Abstract: | We examine the role that housing market regulatory restrictiveness plays in differentially affecting the net wealth of owners and renters over time, and its contribution to wealth inequality. In tightly regulated desirable cities, house prices and rents rise strongly in response to growing demand. Rising prices financially benefit existing homeowners. Rising rents hurt renters. Because credit constraints prevent many households from becoming homeowners, this can lead to growing differences in wealth accumulation between homeowners and renters and, consequently, rising wealth inequality. Employing the confidential version of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID), we explore to what extent changes in household net wealth can be explained by regulatory restrictiveness and demand shock-induced spatial differences in house price growth. We find that, accounting for sorting, a household with average characteristics that owns instead of rents in a tightly regulated location accumulates 56% more in net wealth between 1999 and 2019. This effect explains 59% of the observed difference in net wealth accumulation between actual owners and renters in these locations, consistent with an observed increase in the Gini-coefficient of wealth inequality during our sample period of 13%. In less regulated metro areas, we do not find a difference in wealth accumulation by homeownership status nor rising wealth inequality. Examining homeowners only and accounting for sorting, our findings suggest that if a homeowner with average characteristics had resided in a tightly rather than loosely regulated metro area, their predicted twenty-year net wealth increase would be 81% higher. We examine transition and timing effects and find theoretically plausible results that the housing boom yielded net wealth changes that varied by regulatory status, but the housing bust did not. We conduct robustness checks that examine the potential endogeneity of initial homeownership, account for unobserved heterogeneity and test for homeowner cash-out/reinvest behavior. In a falsification test, we show that our findings cannot be explained by correlations between local house price growth, a rising college premium and local variation in stock investment behavior. Taken as a whole, our findings imply that expected gains provide powerful financial incentives to existing homeowners in tightly regulated markets to maintain regulatory stringency, further exacerbating housing unaffordability and wealth inequality. |
| Keywords: | land use regulation, wealth accumulation, wealth inequality, house prices, housing rents, housing supply, housing affordability |
| Date: | 2024–06–10 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cep:cepdps:dp2003&r= |
| By: | Arsenii Shcherbov |
| Abstract: | Recent years have spurred significant migration movements, underscoring the need to understand their impacts. This study explores a widely-debated correlation between crime and migration. Specifically, I investigate the 2014 migration wave, studying the response of Russian crime rates to the influx of immigrants from Ukraine. I approximate local crime rates using court data on sentencing decisions and describe relevant migration flows with internet search activity. The application of the difference-in-differences method reveals positive effects for property crime sentencing and the heterogeneous response of violent crime sentencing. The findings of this study are policyrelevant and could prove beneficial in understanding and mitigating the effects of future migration waves. |
| Keywords: | Crime, Migration |
| Date: | 2024–06 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cer:papers:wp782&r= |
| By: | Mona Förtsch |
| Abstract: | Do changes in public infrastructure impact voter turnout? After reunification numerous high schools have been closed in East Germany. Difference-in-differences estimations show that high school closures between 1992 and 2010 triggered a decline in voter turnout in the following state election, suggesting a sense of resignation among voters. However, this effect is not mirrored in national elections, indicating that voters do not extend their frustration to a higher level. The decline in voter turnout in state elections is rather short-living. This suggests that while voters may initially react to changes in local public infrastructure, they demonstrate resilience, at least in the medium term. |
| Keywords: | Local schools, Voter turnout, Resilience, Germany, Elections |
| JEL: | D72 H40 R10 |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ces:ifowps:_411&r= |
| By: | Martins, Pedro S.; Ferreira, João R. |
| Abstract: | We evaluate a political reform in Portugal that introduced individual teacher performancerelated pay and tournaments in public schools. We find that the focus on individual performance decreased student achievement, as measured in national exams, and increased grade inflation. The results follow from a difference-in-differences analysis of matched student-school panels and two complementary control groups: public schools in regions that were exposed to lighter reforms; and private schools, whose teachers had their incentives unchanged. Students in public schools with a higher proportion of teachers exposed to the tournament also perform worse. Overall, our results highlight the potential social costs from disruption of cooperation amongst public sector workers due to competition for promotions. |
| Keywords: | Tournaments, Public Sector, Teacher Merit Pay, Matched School-Student Data |
| JEL: | I21 M52 I28 |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:glodps:1441&r= |
| By: | Pan, Alexandra; Deakin, Elizabeth PhD; Shaheen, Susan PhD |
| Abstract: | Suburban areas have lower density development than urban areas, which may make them less accessible for the growingpopulation of low- and moderate-income suburban residents, particularly those without a personal vehicle. This research examines factors that lead these households to move to suburban areas and identifies accessibility barriers they face. We use a mixed-methods approach with Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) data from the U.S. Census, online/in-person surveys (n=208), and interviews conducted in English and Spanish (n=25) with households in Contra Costa County with an income of less than $75, 000. To understand key differences in housing and transportation choices between urban and suburban residents, these data were compared to survey and interview data from low-income Oakland residents from 2020-2021. We found that low- and moderate-income households choose to live in suburbs due to rising rents and otherrequirements (e.g., credit score, rental history) in urban areas, and a desire for home ownership and safer environment for children. Yet lack of tenant protections is leaving them vulnerable to rising rents in suburban areas. Transportation costs are higher in suburbs due to longer commutes and higher reliance on personal vehicles. Despite higher levels of carownership in the suburbs, households often go without a car due to maintenance issues or inability to make car payments. When faced with the lack of an automobile, suburban households have few quality transportation alternatives. |
| Keywords: | Social and Behavioral Sciences, Suburbs, housing, tenants, accessibility, automobile ownership, middle income groups, low income groups, travel costs |
| Date: | 2024–06–01 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:itsrrp:qt2gv2h5vr&r= |
| By: | Soga, Kenichi PhD; Comfort, Louise PhD; Zhao, Bingyu PhD; Tang, Yili Kelly PhD; Han, Tianyu |
| Abstract: | Located within the seismically active Pacific Ring of Fire, California's transportation infrastructure, especially in the Bay Area, is susceptible to earthquakes. A review of current research and stakeholder interviews revealed a growing awareness of emergency preparedness among local jurisdictions and transit agencies in recent years. However, many have yet to formalize and publish their recovery plans. This study introduces an agent-based multimodal transportation simulation tool to enhance post-earthquake transportation resilience. Integrating a road network simulator with a metro system simulator, the tool employs an optimized Dijkstra-based algorithm to calculate optimal routes, travel times, and fares. A case study is conducted for the East Bay, using the simulator to gauge the impact of a compromised Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system. The results suggested that original BART passengers could face either longer commute times or higher costs during the recovery phase of a major earthquake without appropriate policies. Such outcomes could disproportionately burden low-income riders, affecting their mobility and overall travel time. |
| Keywords: | Engineering, Public transit, multimodal transportation, disaster resilience, earthquakes, evacuation, computer simulation |
| Date: | 2024–06–01 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:itsrrp:qt9s73f674&r= |
| By: | Sharma, Smriti (Newcastle University); Sunder, Naveen (Bentley University) |
| Abstract: | It has been demonstrated that violent crime has profound effects on a number of socioeconomic outcomes. But, does day-to-day crime also shape human capital accumulation? We answer this question in the Indian context by combining multiple years of district-level data on the incidence of various types of crime with a nationally representative survey on learning achievement of school-aged children. Our empirical strategy leverages the within-district across-year variation in crime to estimate the crime-learning gradient. We show that an increase in violent crime is associated with lower achievement in reading and math, while non-violent crimes have no discernible correlation with learning outcomes. The effects are short-lived, driven by contemporaneous crime, and are similar for boys and girls. Additionally, we find that violent crimes impose greater costs on learning of children from socioeconomically disadvantaged households. We find evidence that both household-level factors (reduced child mobility and poorer mental health) and school-level factors (lower availability of teachers) are possible mechanisms underpinning these findings. |
| Keywords: | crime, education, learning, India |
| JEL: | I25 J24 O12 |
| Date: | 2024–05 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp17037&r= |
| By: | Eduardo Duque; Juan S. Pereyra; Juan Pablo Torres-Mart\'inez |
| Abstract: | The student-optimal stable mechanism (DA), the most popular mechanism in school choice, is the only one that is both stable and strategy-proof. However, when DA is implemented, a student can change the schools of others without changing her own. We show that this drawback is limited: a student cannot change her classmates without modifying her school. We refer to this new property as local non-bossiness. Along with strategy-proofness, it ensures a local notion of group strategy-proofness in which manipulating coalitions are restricted to students in the same school. Furthermore, local non-bossiness plays a crucial role in incentives when students have preferences over their colleagues. As long as students first consider the school to which they are assigned and then their classmates, DA induces the only stable and strategy-proof mechanism in this preference domain. To some extent, this is the maximal domain in which a stable and strategy-proof mechanism exists for any school choice context. |
| Date: | 2024–06 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arx:papers:2406.01398&r= |
| By: | Demetrio Guzzardi; Salvatore Morelli |
| Abstract: | Detailed distributional estimates at finer geographical levels remain scarce, despite their critical relevance for household well being and policy intervention. This paper leverages Italian income tax records dating back to 1976 focusing on top income concentration and inequality across the country’s regions, macro-areas, and the recently introduced classification of the National Strategy for Inner Areas (SNAI). Our analysis reveals a persistent rise in income concentration over the past few decades, particularly among the top earners, while also highlighting nuanced regional and sub-regional dynamics. Notably, city size plays a crucial role, with larger cities experiencing a more pronounced level of income concentration compared to smaller ones. Southern regions exhibit lower income concentration levels among the top income groups, emphasizing the need for disaggregated analyses to capture these complexities accurately. |
| Keywords: | Income Inequality; Top Income Shares; Italy; Inner Areas; Spatial Inequality; Income Tax Data; National Accounts |
| Date: | 2024–06–20 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ssa:lemwps:2024/16&r= |
| By: | Collante Zárate, Sofía (Universidad de los Andes); Rodríguez Orgales, Catherine (Universidad de los Andes); Sanchez Torres, Fabio (Universidad de los Andes) |
| Abstract: | Does a meal make a difference in the educational process? This article presents the results of the evaluation of Colombia’s School Feeding Program (PAE) on educational outcomes. The estimates exploit that the program’s rollout varies over time across municipalities, schools, and grades between the same school. The analysis uses information from seven years of the universe of students attending public schools and the census information of the students enrolled in higher education. Compared to grades without PAE, we find that the dropout rate of grades with PAE is between 10% and 25% lower, and grade repetition is between 7% and 13% lower. We also find that the PAE increases high school completion rates by 39%, improves educational achievement measured with the Saber 11 test by 0.1 standard deviations, and elevates access to higher education by 20%. The program is perceived as an incentive for students to attend school and a mechanism for improving the learning process, resulting in higher human capital. |
| Keywords: | School feeding; education; school permanence; educational achievement; impact evaluation; Colombia |
| JEL: | I20 I21 I28 O15 |
| Date: | 2024–07–02 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:col:000089:021155&r= |
| By: | Hwanhee Bae (Department of Economics, SOAS University of London) |
| Abstract: | The South Korean economy has been rapidly financialising since the early 2000s. The housing market is the primary channel through which this shift in the structure of the economy has taken place. This paper sheds light on the widespread speculation on housing by households across income strata as financialisation became entrenched. Households join the race for short-term capital gains from an ever-growing asset bubble in the housing market, using easy access to loans. This process has been actively encouraged by the state. Two peculiar aspects of the Korean housing market characterise the financialisation of households, namely the pre-sale of apartments and the availability of deposit-only rental agreements. The two schemes enable extremely high-leverage investment and thus facilitate speculation by households. The state underpins the functioning of both schemes both directly and indirectly. |
| Keywords: | financialisation; housing; Korea; real estate; household; asset-based; welfare; mortgage |
| JEL: | R31 D14 P16 O18 |
| Date: | 2024–06 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:soa:wpaper:263&r= |
| By: | Johnstone Kotut (International Rescue Committee); Anneleen Vos (International Rescue Committee); Helen Dempster (Center for Global Development); Harrison Tang (Center for Global Development) |
| Abstract: | The majority of refugees worldwide live in urban areas. It is often assumed that these urban-based refugees are self-reliant, and therefore no longer require external support. This paper challenges this assumption by reviewing secondary literature on the experience of 136, 887 refugees who live in Kampala, Uganda and the 96, 348 refugees who live in Nairobi, Kenya. It identifies three distinct challenges that these urban-based refugees face compared to their camp- and settlement-based peers: access to essential services without recognised documentation, access to decent housing, and access to social and professional networks. It then reviews whether and how the largest bilateral and multilateral donors in Uganda and Kenya support urban-based refugees, and concludes by offering recommendations for those donors interested in expanding their support. While this paper and its recommendations have specific relevance for those urban-based refugees in Kampala and Nairobi, they have broader relevance to urban refugee populations in all low- and middle-income countries. |
| Date: | 2024–03–06 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cgd:ppaper:323&r= |
| By: | Fournier, Nicholas PhD; Patire, Anthony PhD; Skabardonis, Alexander |
| Abstract: | Transportation agencies are increasingly relying on tolls to raise revenue and to mitigate congestion, but conventional fixed tolls do not necessarily encourage offpeak use of infrastructure, and high tolls can dampen economic productivity. Dynamically adjusting pricing based on demand can incentivize travelers to avoid peak traffic periods and shift it to other modes, but given the unpredictable nature of traffic, travelers lack the information necessary to accurately predict congestion, so dynamic pricing has minimal effect on demand. Dynamic toll pricing also poses equity concerns for those who lack other travel options, such as access to transit. A simple “futures market” pricing mechanism has the potential to address these concerns—travelers can lock in a price for expected trips by prepaying for future tolls, with the future price increasing as more travelers book an overlapping time slot. To evaluate the effectiveness of a futures market to impact travel demand, trip density, traffic flow, and revenue, this research conducted a sensitivity analysis of elasticity and pricing constraints. |
| Keywords: | Engineering |
| Date: | 2024–04–01 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:itsrrp:qt9095n098&r= |
| By: | Mathieu Lambotte (Univ Rennes, CNRS, CREM – UMR6211, F-35000 Rennes France) |
| Abstract: | I introduce asymmetry in the analysis of peer effects, microfounded on a network game for a binary outcome. Indeed, overdoing and underdoing relatively to the social norm might lead to asymmetric social penalties. The extent and direction of this asymmetry depends on the behavior under scrutiny. I develop conditions under which this network game results in an unique Bayes-Nash equilibrium depending on rational expectations about peers’ behavior and propose an estimation strategy based on an nested fixed point maximum likelihood estimator. The model is brought to the data with an application to smoking and alcohol drinking behaviors of high-school students in the United States. |
| Keywords: | peer effects, asymmetry, social norm, binary outcome, rational expectations |
| JEL: | C31 C35 C57 C72 D84 R41 |
| Date: | 2024–06 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:tut:cremwp:2024-05&r= |
| By: | Zhang, Min; Rodríguez-Pose, Andrés |
| Abstract: | Innovation is key for economic growth and well-being. The capacity for innovation, however, is profoundly influenced by the quality of local institutions. Although the impact of national institutions on innovation is well-documented, the effects of subnational institutional variations on innovation remain underexplored. This paper studies the impact of government agency reforms, designed to enhance local government effectiveness, on the innovation performance of city-regions in China. We examine the adoption of these reforms between 2009 and 2016 as an exogenous shock to regional institutions. Our analysis identifies a positive and significant relationship between improvements in institutional quality and the innovation performance of Chinese city-regions, particularly pronounced in regions with medium to high levels of innovation. The results are robust to a series of checks including placebo and endogeneity tests and potential confounding policies. This research highlights the critical role of government institutions in driving innovation across China, bringing the fore important regional variations in the adoption of government agency reforms that are defining the country’s innovation landscape. |
| Keywords: | institutions; government quality; institutional reform; regional innovation; China; REF fund |
| JEL: | R11 O11 |
| Date: | 2024–06–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ehl:lserod:122728&r= |
| By: | Federica De Pace |
| Abstract: | Housing affordability has deteriorated in the past decade. There is scope for eliminating barriers to expand housing supply by reforming land use policy and streamlining the administration of building permits. Measures can be taken to promote the expansion of the rental market and reform housing taxation to reduce the bias in favour of owner-occupied housing. Ensuring adequate supply and funding for construction and operation of social housing is crucial to improve living conditions for the most vulnerable. Accelerating the formalisation of property rights in Roma settlements would help to provide basic infrastructures for adequate access to water and sanitation. Implementing stricter regulation and targeted financial assistance to households most in need would help incentivise housing renovations, reduce energy poverty and advance environmental objectives. |
| Keywords: | building permits, environmentally sustainable housing, housing affordability, housing conditions for Roma, housing taxation, rental market, Slovak Republic, social housing |
| JEL: | H20 H23 R21 R31 R38 Q58 |
| Date: | 2024–06–14 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:oec:ecoaaa:1806-en&r= |
| By: | Kathleen Navin |
| Abstract: | The CRE market is navigating several challenges, from a looming maturity wall that means repricing at higher interest rates to a softening of market fundamentals. |
| Keywords: | commercial real estate |
| Date: | 2024–05–30 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fip:l00001:98378&r= |
| By: | James Graham; Avish Sharma |
| Abstract: | How does monetary policy affect the homeownership rate? A monetary contraction may have contrasting effects on ownership due to rising interest rates, falling in-comes, and lower house prices. To investigate, we build a heterogeneous household life-cycle model with housing tenure decisions, mortgage ï¬ nance, and an exogenous stochastic process to capture the macroeconomic effects of monetary policy. Following a contractionary shock, homeownership initially falls due to rising mortgage rates, but rises over the medium term given falling house prices. We also show that differences in mortgage credit conditions, mortgage flexibility, and household expectations formation can amplify homeownership dynamics following a shock. |
| Keywords: | homeownership, monetary policy, interest rates, house prices, heterogeneous households |
| JEL: | E52 E20 R21 |
| Date: | 2024–06 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:een:camaaa:2024-43&r= |
| By: | García-Echalar, Andrés (Universidad de los Andes); Poblete, Sebastián (Northwestern University); Rau, Tomas (Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile) |
| Abstract: | This paper assesses the effect of teachers on the gender gap in student test scores. It combines different empirical strategies from the value-added and labor economics literature to estimate teacher value-added and its contribution to the math and reading gender gaps. We use rich administrative data from Chile, that allows us to follow teachers through different classes in different years. Our main findings indicate that teachers explain up to 18% of student test score variance and help reduce the gender gap in math by 16.9%. The reduction in the math gender gap is greater in voucher schools (16.1%), among students with more educated mothers (24%) and among those with female math teachers (32.2%). We provide evidence supporting a within-class effect instead of sorting (between-class effect). We conduct several tests and robustness checks to assess the reliability of our findings. |
| Keywords: | teacher value-added, test scores gender gap, between and within class variation |
| JEL: | I21 I24 J16 |
| Date: | 2024–06 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp17054&r= |
| By: | Neil Bhutta; Andreas Fuster; Aurel Hizmo |
| Abstract: | Comparing mortgage rates that borrowers obtain to rates that lenders could offer for the same loan, we find that many homeowners significantly overpay for their mortgage, with overpayment varying across borrower types and with market interest rates. Survey data reveal that borrowers’ mortgage knowledge and shopping behavior strongly correlate with the rates they secure. We also document substantial variation in how expensive and profitable lenders are, without any evidence that expensive loans are associated with a better borrower experience. Despite many lenders operating in the US mortgage market, limited borrower sophistication may provide lenders with market power. |
| Keywords: | Mortgage; price dispersion; consumer search; financial literacy; interest rates |
| JEL: | G21 G53 D14 D18 D83 E43 |
| Date: | 2024–06–18 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fip:fedpwp:98395&r= |
| By: | Lee, Jonathan; Nguyen, Duc Duy; Nguyen, Huyen |
| Abstract: | Using the adoption of Zombie Property Law (ZL) across several US states, we show that increased lender accountability in the foreclosure process affects mortgage lending decisions and standards. Difference-in-differences estimations using a state border design show that ZL incentivizes lenders to screen mortgage applications more carefully: they deny more applications and impose higher interest rates on originated loans, especially risky loans. In turn, these loans exhibit higher ex-post performance. ZL also affects lender behavior after borrowers become distressed, causing them to strategically keep delinquent mortgages alive. Our findings inform the debate on policy responses to foreclosure crises. |
| Keywords: | Zombie lending, mortgage screening, mortgage renegotiation |
| JEL: | G21 G28 K25 |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:iwhdps:298000&r= |
| By: | Avila-Uribe, Antonio (London School of Economics); Roth, Sefi (London School of Economics); Shields, Brian (London School of Economics) |
| Abstract: | This paper evaluates the impact of London's Low-Emission Zone (LEZ) on test scores among elementary school students in England. Utilising administrative data for the years 2005-2015, we employ a difference-in-differences approach to assess the LEZ's effect on standardised Key Stage 2 results (age 11). Our analysis reveals a statistically and economically significant improvement of 0.09 standard deviations in test scores for students within the LEZ compared to those in other urban control areas. Importantly, we also find that the LEZ policy has larger positive effects in low-performing schools, demonstrating its potential to significantly reduce educational disparities. |
| Keywords: | air pollution, education, low emission zone |
| JEL: | Q53 I20 I24 |
| Date: | 2024–05 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp17020&r= |
| By: | Donner, Herman (Department of Real Estate and Construction Management, Royal Institute of Technology) |
| Abstract: | Over 71, 000 rental contracts mediated through a public housing queue in Stockholm, Sweden, between 2003 and 2023 are analyzed. As rents are set substantially below market-clearing levels, the average required time in the queue reached 19.6 years in the city center in 2023. Two consequences of the longer required time in the queue are identified in this paper: First, the fraction of apartments leased to young tenants, defined as those between 18 and 30 years of age, has declined sharply during the period, while the fraction of old tenants, defined as those being 60 years of age or older, has increased. In the most attractive geography, the city center, 4.4% of new leases went to young tenants in 2023, compared to 12.7% in 2003. Meanwhile, the fraction of old tenants increased from 4.9% to 22.2%. Similar trends are observed in the inner and outer suburbs. In the former, the fraction of young tenants declined from 30.9% to 3.5%, while the fraction of older tenants increased from 2.6% to 12.2%. In the outer suburbs, the fraction of young tenants declined from 41.6% to 15.6%, and the fraction of old tenants increased from 2.6% to 12.2%. Second, as older individuals accrue more time in the queue, they are able to obtain apartments that are more subsidized compared to younger tenants. For leases signed in 2022 and 2023, older tenants pay 28.4% less in rent per square meter for a two-room apartment in the city center. This effect is present outside the city center as well, as older tenants pay 16.6% and 17.6% less compared to young tenants in the inner and outer suburbs, respectively. The analysis shows that, over time, queue-based allocation of apartments with below-market rents will benefit older households at the expense of younger households. |
| Keywords: | rent control; housing supply; housing demand; housing misallocation |
| JEL: | D40 R21 R28 R31 |
| Date: | 2024–06–24 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hhs:kthrec:2024_006&r= |
| By: | Rampazzo, Pietro |
| Abstract: | There is a gap in the study of mobility. The work done so far is not taking into account the changes the shared-mobility is bringing into our society. This research project aims to leverage shared-mobility data for a better understanding of new patterns in the human-mobility. These new services allow people to use a shared vehicle based on their needs, without the necessity to own one. Shared mobility is going towards users' needs and letting them reach their destination as close as possible. Sharing mobility is improving the data collected and at the same time reshaping the commuting patterns. Understanding travel behaviour is key to creating more resilient, sustainable urban transport networks and reducing carbon emissions. In this research, I start analysing data from Movi which focus on Padova. Movi (ex Mobike) is a free-floating bike sharing system active in Italy and Spain. The data collected by the this service is very detailed and rich. The data sets contain high-level detailed information that is related to service usage. For every trip made it is known: (1) anonymized user id and rental plan, (2) vehicle id, (3) origin (latitude, longitude), (4) destination (latitude, longitude), (5) start date and time (timestamp), (6) end date and time (timestamp), and (7) rounded meters/kilometres travelled. All the information is anonymized. The two research questions this paper is going to address are: (a) What is the profile of the active users? This information can be studied based on the usage data and socio-demographic information the service is collecting. (b) What are the effects of the weather and temperature on the usage of this service? Weather data were retrieved from the local authorities regarding temperature and precipitations. |
| Date: | 2024–06–14 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:osf:socarx:bd8p4&r= |
| By: | Pagani, Anna; Macmillan, Alex; Savini, Federico; Davies, Michael; Zimmermann, Nici |
| Abstract: | The shortage of social housing is a crucial element of the UK housing crisis. In England, social housing provision significantly relies on market homes construction, with detrimental impacts on residents and the environment. Moratoria are often cited in the degrowth literature as policy tools to break free from growth-driven mechanisms and achieve high levels of well-being while reducing environmental pressures. However, the systemic effects of such a policy on housing and its potential drawbacks are at present understudied. This study explores the extent to which a moratorium on new housebuilding would be effective, desirable, and feasible; for this purpose, it focuses on its impact on the provision of social homes. We used causal loop diagrams (CLDs) to formulate dynamic hypotheses on the effects of a moratorium on the structures underpinning the construction and demolition of social housing estates. In a workshop with four London-based housing associations, we discussed perceived obstacles or opportunities to its uptake. Our CLDs suggest that a moratorium could help to address the growth-dependent mechanisms of social housing provision, with systemic benefits for both tenants and housing associations. However, the workshop revealed that its adoption would depend on whether the maintenance, repair, and retrofit of the existing stock could offset the perceived advantages of new construction (e.g., quality, quantity, adequacy). Through the use of systems thinking tools, our findings support dialogue around alternatives to the growth-dependent paradigm undermining housing provision within planetary boundaries. |
| Date: | 2024–06–14 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:osf:socarx:f6suj&r= |
| By: | Lin, Zhuoer; Ye, Justin; Allore, Heather; Gill, Thomas M.; Chen, Xi |
| Abstract: | Given the critical role of neurocognitive development in early life, this study assesses how racial differences in early-life circumstances are collectively and individually associated with racial disparities in late-life cognition. Leveraging uniquely rich information on life history from the U.S. Health and Retirement Study for non-Hispanic White (White) and non-Hispanic Black (Black) Americans 50 years or older, we employ the Blinder-Oaxaca method to decompose racial gaps in cognitive outcomes into early-life educational experiences, cohort, regional, financial, health, trauma, family relationship, demographic and genetic factors. Overall, differences in early-life circumstances are associated with 61.5% and 82.3% of the racial disparities in cognitive score and impairment, respectively. Early-life educational experience is associated with 35.2% of the disparities in cognitive score and 48.6% in cognitive impairment. Notably, school racial segregation (all segregated schooling before college) is associated with 28.8%-39.7% of the racial disparities in cognition. Policies that improve educational equity have the potential to reduce racial disparities in cognition into older ages. Clinicians may leverage early-life circumstances to promote the screening, prevention, and interventions of cognitive impairment more efficiently, thereby promoting health equity. |
| Keywords: | Early Life Circumstances, Life Course, School Segregation, Quality of Education, Racial Disparity, Cognition |
| JEL: | J15 I14 J13 J14 I20 H75 |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:glodps:1442&r= |
| By: | Bäckman, Claes; Moran, Patrick; van Santen, Peter |
| Abstract: | How does the design of debt repayment schedules affect household borrowing? To answer this question, we exploit a Swedish policy reform that eliminated interest-only mortgages for loan-to-value ratios above 50%. We document substantial bunching at the threshold, leading to 5% lower borrowing. Wealthy borrowers drive the results, challenging credit constraints as the primary explanation. We develop a model to evaluate the mechanisms driving household behavior and find that much of the effect comes from households experiencing ongoing flow disutility to amortization payments. Our results indicate that mortgage contracts with low initial payments substantially increase household borrowing and lifetime interest costs. |
| Keywords: | Mortgage design, Amortization payments, Macroprudential policy, Bunching |
| JEL: | G51 G21 E21 E6 |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:safewp:297998&r= |
| By: | Lehnert, Patrick (University of Zurich); Dell, Madison (Stanford University); Backes-Gellner, Uschi (University of Zurich); Bettinger, Eric (Stanford University) |
| Abstract: | Despite worldwide expansion of higher education, the impact of higher education institutions on local economic activity is still poorly understood. We analyze the local economic effects of branch campus openings in Tennessee and Texas, two states representative of the underlying U.S. enrollment patterns. To overcome the lack of adequate data, we use a novel proxy for regional economic activity based on daytime satellite imagery. Applying different panel methods—traditional difference-in-differences (DD), heterogeneity-robust DD, and instrumental variables—we find positive effects. Independent data show an increase in college graduates and employment in the sectors aligned with programs offered at branch campuses. |
| Keywords: | postsecondary education, regional economic development, higher education, social returns to education |
| JEL: | I23 I25 I26 R12 |
| Date: | 2024–06 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp17059&r= |
| By: | Mehic, Adrian (Research Institute of Industrial Economics (IFN)) |
| Abstract: | This paper examines the electoral impact of increased foreign tourism, using data from Croatia. Exploiting exogenous variation in travel times to coastal municipalities from improved road infrastructure, I show that foreign tourism reduces nationalist voting and increases the center-left vote share. This effect is partly due to manufacturing spillovers and demographic shifts within municipalities. Further complementing these findings, individual-level survey data indicates that workers within the hospitality sector are more likely to hold left-wing views. I further show that this is likely driven by economic concerns, rather than the diffusion of socially liberal views. |
| Keywords: | Infrastructure; Tourism; Voting; Nationalism |
| JEL: | D72 F63 L83 O18 Z32 |
| Date: | 2024–06–17 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hhs:iuiwop:1490&r= |
| By: | Cohen D'Agostino, Mollie; Michael, Cooper E.; Venkataram, Prashanth S. PhD |
| Abstract: | This project convened a series of meetings and workshops to prioritize listening to multi-sector stakeholders from local government, advocacy, and industry in US cities where autonomous vehicles are operating. The objective was to listen and learn from all stakeholders, raise issues surrounding accessibility and equity, and to solicit responses. Key findings from the workshops include a consensus across the three sectors on the need for good channels of multi-stakeholder communication, and voices across all sectors agreed on the importance of disability access and serving diverse populations. Many parties, representing voices from all sectors, recognized that federal regulatory activities appear to be moving too slowly. Preventing any roadway incidents is a priority for many stakeholders, and some suggest a playbook for handling day-to-day roadway issues and common standards for first-responder interactions. Disability access is a high priority across all sectors, and there many see nearer term to accommodations for blind, hearing-impaired riders, but the timeline for providing service to people with non-folding wheelchairs is less clear. There is also ongoing debate surrounding the limits of regulatory purview, the role for cities, and how to actualize equitable expansion into rural areas. There is more work to do to advance a multi-sector dialogue around the role for local governments and community-based organizations in shepherding a safe, equitable and sustainable expansion of autonomous vehicles. |
| Keywords: | Social and Behavioral Sciences, Autonomous vehicles, stakeholders, community engagement, regulation, persons with disabilities, transportation equity, data collection, data sharing |
| Date: | 2024–05–01 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:itsdav:qt5rk148nr&r= |
| By: | Tom Schmitz; Italo Colantone; Gianmarco Ottaviano |
| Keywords: | Environmental Policy, Employment, Trade, Clean Air Act |
| JEL: | E24 Q50 Q53 |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:baf:cbafwp:cbafwp24225&r= |
| By: | Henning Hermes; Philipp Lergetporer; Fabian Mierisch; Frauke Peter; Simon Wiederhold |
| Abstract: | We provide the first causal evidence of discrimination against migrants seeking child care. We send emails from fictitious parents to > 18, 000 early child care centers across Germany, asking if there is a slot available and how to apply. Randomly varying names to signal migration background, we find that migrants receive 4.4 percentage points fewer responses. Responses to migrants also contain substantially fewer slot offers, are shorter, and less encouraging. Exploring channels, discrimination against migrants does not differ by the perceived educational background of the email sender. However, it does differ by regional characteristics, being stronger in areas with lower shares of migrants in child care, higher right-wing vote shares, and lower financial resources. Discrimination on the child care market likely perpetuates existing inequalities of opportunities for disadvantaged children. |
| Keywords: | child care, discrimination, information provision, inequality, field experiment |
| Date: | 2023–04 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:bav:wpaper:225_discriminationchildcaremarketfieldexperiment&r= |
| By: | Kaz Miyagiwa (Department of Economics, Florida International University); Yunyun Wan (Department of Humanities and Regional Studies, Akita University, Akita, Japan) |
| Abstract: | A search-theoretic model of illegal immigration is presented to examine the effect of deportation and other policy measures on unemployment, crimes and immigration flows. It is found that deporting immigrants who commit crimes lowers the unemployment rate and causes an increase in native labor force. However, if hiring immigrants is more profitable than hiring natives, deportation increases the immigrant population and the number of crimes they commit. Anti-crime policy and higher minimum wages generate similar effects. |
| Keywords: | illegal immigration, deportation, unemployment, crimes, minimum wages |
| Date: | 2024–06 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fiu:wpaper:2408&r= |
| By: | Matías Ciaschi (CEDLAS-IIE-FCE-UNLP & CONICET); Johanna Fajardo-Gonzalez (The World Bank); Mariana Viollaz (CEDLAS-IIE-FCE-UNLP & IZA) |
| Abstract: | This study analyzes the adjustment in time allocation to school support activities by mothers and fathers during the pandemic across 22 Latin American and Caribbean countries, exploring the repercussions on labor market outcomes and children’s learning losses. Our analysis reveals that mothers experienced a disproportionate increase in time dedicated to children’s educational support compared to fathers, particularly when mothers could work from home. The results suggest that these effects were more pronounced in countries with stringent school closure measures and limited access to in-person instruction. Even as mobility restrictions eased and schools reopened, the additional responsibilities taken on by mothers remained above pre-pandemic levels. Mothers also significantly increased the time spent on non-educational childcare, though to a lesser extent than educational support. We also show evidence indicating a decline in maternal labor force participation and a rise in flexible labor arrangements as mothers allocated more hours to child-related duties. Our study also provides descriptive evidence that children’s learning losses were less severe in countries where the gender disparity in pandemicrelated school support was greater. |
| JEL: | I1 J13 J21 |
| Date: | 2024–07 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:dls:wpaper:0332&r= |
| By: | Arnone, Massimo; Angelillis, Barbara; Costantiello, Alberto; Leogrande, Angelo |
| Abstract: | In this article, we analyze the relationships that connect graduates from high school, the training system and employment rates and conditions in the Italian regions between 2004 and 2022. The data used refer to the Istat Bes database. The results show that the growth in the number of high school graduates is positively associated with higher university education and employment with the exception of job satisfaction. Subsequently we also present a clusterization with k-Means algorithm confronting the Silhouette Coefficient with the Elbow Method. Finally, we confront seven different machine-learning algorithms for the prediction of the level of graduated from high school. We also present economic policy suggestions to increase schooling in the Italian regions. The results are critically discussed |
| Date: | 2024–06–03 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:osf:socarx:8whf2&r= |
| By: | Pineda-Hernández, Kevin (Université Libre de Bruxelles); Rycx, François (Free University of Brussels); Volral, Mélanie (University of Mons) |
| Abstract: | A large body of literature shows that first-generation immigrants born in developing countries experience a higher likelihood of being overeducated than natives (i.e. immigrant overeducation). However, evidence is remarkably scarce when it comes to the overeducation of second-generation immigrants. Using a matched employer-employee database for Belgium over the period 1999-2016 and generalized ordered logit regressions, we contribute to the literature with one of the first studies on the intergenerational nexus between overeducation and origin among tertiary-educated workers. We show that immigrant overeducation disappears across two generations when workers work full-time. However, immigrant overeducation is a persistent intergenerational phenomenon when workers work part-time. Our gender-interacted estimates endorse these findings for female and male immigrants. |
| Keywords: | immigrants, intergenerational studies, labour market integration, overeducation, generalized ordered logit, moderating factors |
| JEL: | I22 J15 J24 J61 J62 J71 |
| Date: | 2024–05 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp17027&r= |
| By: | Bacchiocchi, Emanuele; Bastianin, Andrea; Moramarco, Graziano |
| Abstract: | We estimate the short-run effects of severe weather shocks on local economic activity and assess cross-border spillovers operating through economic linkages between U.S. States. We measure weather shocks using a detailed county-level database on emergency declarations triggered by natural disasters and estimate their impacts with a monthly Global Vector Autoregressive (GVAR) model for the U.S. States. Impulse responses highlight significant country-wide macroeconomic effects of weather shocks hitting individual regions. We also show that (i) taking into account economic interconnections between states allows capturing much stronger spillover effects than those associated with mere spatial adjacency, (ii) geographical heterogeneity is critical for assessing country-wide effects of weather shocks, and (iii) network effects amplify the local impacts of these shocks. |
| Keywords: | Climate Change, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy, Sustainability |
| Date: | 2024–06–14 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:feemwp:343506&r= |
| By: | Jiarui Xie |
| Abstract: | We study a multi-stage admission system, known as the Tiered Deferred Acceptance mechanism, designed to benefit some schools over others. The current US public school and Chinese college admission systems are two examples. In this system, schools are partitioned into tiers, and the Deferred Acceptance algorithm is applied within each tier. Once assigned, students cannot apply to schools in subsequent tiers. This mechanism is not strategyproof. Therefore, we study the Nash equilibria of the induced preference revelation game. We show that Nash equilibrium outcomes are nested in the sense that merging tiers preserves all equilibrium outcomes. We also identify within-tier acyclicity as a necessary and sufficient condition for the mechanism to implement stable matchings in equilibrium. Our findings suggest that transitioning from the Deferred Acceptance mechanism to the Tiered Deferred Acceptance mechanism may not improve student quality at top-tier schools as intended. |
| Date: | 2024–06 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arx:papers:2406.00455&r= |
| By: | Beekers, Lieke (Tilburg University, Center For Economic Research) |
| Keywords: | movers-exposure design; higher education; place effects; early trackiing |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:tiu:tiucen:7f438856-5457-4886-a87c-dedd5c6356fb&r= |
| By: | Arnone, Massimo; Angelillis, Barbara; Costantiello, Alberto; Leogrande, Angelo |
| Abstract: | In this article, we analyze the relationships that connect graduates from high school, the training system and employment rates and conditions in the Italian regions between 2004 and 2022. The data used refer to the Istat Bes database. The results show that the growth in the number of high school graduates is positively associated with higher university education and employment with the exception of job satisfaction. Subsequently we also present a clusterization with k-Means algorithm confronting the Silhouette Coefficient with the Elbow Method. Finally, we confront seven different machine-learning algorithms for the prediction of the level of graduated from high school. We also present economic policy suggestions to increase schooling in the Italian regions. The results are critically discussed. |
| Keywords: | Labor Force and Employment, Human Capital, Occupational Choice, Job Satisfaction, Wage Differentials, Public Policy. |
| JEL: | J21 J24 J28 J31 J38 |
| Date: | 2024–06–01 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:121117&r= |
| By: | Tom Schmitz (Queen Mary University of London and CEPR); Italo Colantone (Bocconi University, Baffi-Carefin Research Centre, CESifo and FEEM); Gianmarco Ottaviano (Bocconi University, Baffi-Carefin Research Centre, CEP, CEPR and IGIER) |
| Abstract: | This paper evaluates the aggregate impact of air pollution regulations introduced by the US Environmental Protection Agency in the early 2000s. We first provide regression evidence on the regulations’ effects across industries and local labor markets. We then use these results to calibrate a quantitative model allowing for general equilibrium spillovers through trade, migration, industry switching, input-output linkages and emission externalities. Our model implies that regulations lowered emissions by 11.1%, but also destroyed between 228’000 and 267’000 jobs. Ignoring general equilibrium spillovers and naively extrapolating from our regressions overestimates job losses in polluting industries, but underestimates job losses in clean industries. |
| Keywords: | Environmental Policy, Fine Particles, Clean Air Act, Employment, Trade |
| JEL: | E24 Q50 Q53 |
| Date: | 2024–06–12 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:qmw:qmwecw:980&r= |
| By: | Guido Kuersteiner; Ingmar Prucha; Ying Zeng |
| Abstract: | We use variation of test scores measuring closely related skills to isolate peer effects. The intuition for our identification strategy is that the difference in closely related scores eliminates factors common to the performance in either test while retaining idiosyncratic test specific variation. Common factors include unobserved teacher and group effects as well as test invariant ability and factors relevant for peer group formation. Peer effects work through idiosyncratic shocks which have the interpretation of individual and test specific ability or effort. We use education production functions as well as restrictions on the information content of unobserved test taking ability to formalize our approach. An important implication of our identifying assumptions is that we do not need to rely on randomized group assignment. We show that our model restrictions are sufficient for the formulation of linear and quadratic moment conditions that identify the peer effects parameter of interest. We use Project STAR data to empirically measure peer effects in kindergarten through third grade classes. We find evidence of highly significant peer effects with magnitudes that are at the lower end of the range of estimates found in the literature. |
| Date: | 2024–06 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arx:papers:2406.05283&r= |
| By: | Pagani, Anna; Zimmermann, Nici; Macmillan, Alex; Zhou, Koko; Davies, Michael |
| Abstract: | The provision of good quality social housing is crucial to address disparities in cities. However, the supply of social homes in London is threatened by numerous political, economic, environmental, and social pressures. Interacting, these pressures generate a complexity hard to navigate, leading to interventions that reinforce rather than alleviate existing issues. This paper seeks to provide a holistic picture of the interconnected challenges faced by the English social housing sector, with the aim of supporting reflection on systemic strategies to address them. We used system dynamics to develop causal loop diagrams (CLDs) displaying the interrelations between critical issues in the sector extracted from the literature. The resulting six CLDs were explored and enriched over a series of participatory activities involving four London-based housing associations and the authors of the selected publications. The CLDs display the dynamics triggered by decades of political instability and the strategies devised in response. In doing so, they make explicit the logics behind controversial approaches such as social mixing or demolition, and how these emerge from partial understandings of the system and the prioritisation of different goals (e.g., viability, housing targets, speculation). These representations support reflections around leverage points in the system of housing provision. |
| Date: | 2024–06–11 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:osf:socarx:hbfwu&r= |
| By: | Alexander Bick; Adam Blandin; Karel Mertens; Hannah Rubinton |
| Abstract: | An analysis of work patterns suggests that the rise in interstate migration since 2020 has largely been the result of an increased share of people working from home. |
| Keywords: | interstate migration; work from home; remote work |
| Date: | 2024–06–17 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fip:l00001:98403&r= |
| By: | Soga, Kenichi PhD; Comfort, Louise PhD; Zhao, Bingyu PhD; Tang, Yili Kelly PhD; Han, Tianyu |
| Abstract: | Located on the tectonic boundary with multiple active faults, the San Francisco Bay Area is highly vulnerable to earthquakes. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) has estimated a 72% probability of an earthquakewith a magnitude of 6.7 or greater striking the region within the next 30 years. Historical seismic events have demonstrated the profound impact earthquakes can have on transportation systems. During the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake, the closure of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, a critical transit route for San Francisco commuters, left nearly 400, 000 commuters and approximately 245, 000 vehicles daily with limitedalternative routes. |
| Keywords: | Engineering |
| Date: | 2024–05–01 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:itsrrp:qt8949c3zd&r= |
| By: | Naruki Notsu (Osaka School of International Public Policy, Osaka University); Haruaki Hirota (Faculty of Economics, Musashi University); Nobuo Akai (Osaka School of International Public Policy, Osaka University) |
| Abstract: | This study examines the effects of enhancing the tax enforcement of administration on the tax gap, focusing on inter-municipal cooperation (IMC). IMC refers to collaborative tax collection efforts among multiple municipalities and promotes the aggregation of tax collection resources and expertise, improving tax enforcement. Using the time variation in IMC creation across municipalities, we show that IMC substantially improves the tax gap measurement by reinforcing tax enforcement in local governments. The effects also appear to be driven at both the inter-municipal organization and municipal official levels. Our findings suggest that enhanced administrative capability in tax enforcement can be an effective tool against noncompliance in ways other than facilitating voluntary compliance. |
| Keywords: | Inter-municipal cooperation, Tax enforcement, Tax compliance |
| JEL: | H71 H77 H83 |
| Date: | 2024–06 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:osp:wpaper:24e004&r= |
| By: | Hugo Sant'Anna |
| Abstract: | This paper examines the labor market impacts of the 2015 Mariana Dam disaster in Brazil. It contrasts two theoretical models: an urban spatial equilibrium model and a factor of production model, with diverging perspectives on environmental influences on labor outcomes. Utilizing rich national administrative and spatial data, the study reveals that the unusual environmental alteration, with minimal human capital loss, primarily affected outcomes via the factor of production channel. Nevertheless, spatial equilibrium dynamics are discernible within certain market segments. This research contributes to the growing literature on environmental changes and its economic consequences. |
| Date: | 2024–05 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arx:papers:2405.15862&r= |
| By: | Horn, Julian |
| Abstract: | The worsening climate crisis calls for restructuring mobility systems and urban infrastructure. One goal of the socio-ecological transformation in the mobility sector is to promote walking. Measurements of pedestrian friendliness are summarised under the term walkability or walkability index, but they mostly lack the perspectives of people with disabilities. To address this gap, five mobile interviews with disabled people in Berlin were conducted to identify specific barriers, perceived safety risks, and well-being, which have remained unconsidered in recent measurements. Curb ramps, ground conditions, tacticle walking surface indicators, parking cars, other road users, and noise were the most important factors that should be integrated into further concepts of walkability indices. The study also shows how disabled people are discriminated against by urban infrastructure and how this affects their mobility and well-being. |
| Keywords: | Walkability, Walkability Indices, Inclusion, Mobility of disabled people, Barriers, Urban Infrastructure |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:wzbdms:299230&r= |
| By: | Bernhard Ganglmair; Christian Helmers; Brian J. Love |
| Abstract: | Because judges exercise discretion in how they handle and decide cases, heterogeneity across judges can affect case outcomes and, thus, preferences among litigants for particular judges. However, selection obscures the causal mechanisms that drive these preferences. We overcome this challenge by studying the introduction of random case assignment in a venue (the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas) that previously experienced a high degree of case concentration before one judge (Alan Albright), whom litigants could select with virtual certainty. To assess Albright’s importance to patent enforcers, we examine how case filing patterns changed following the adoption of random case allocation and show that case filings in the Western District of Texas decreased significantly at both the intensive and extensive margins. Moreover, to shed light on why litigants prefer Judge Albright, we compare motions practice and case management metrics across randomly assigned cases and show that cases assigned to Albright were both scheduled to proceed to trial relatively quickly and less likely to raise the issue of patentable subject matter. |
| Keywords: | Judicial assignments, judge shopping, forum shopping, litigation, patents, U.S. |
| JEL: | K4 O3 |
| Date: | 2024–06 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:bon:boncrc:crctr224_2024_561&r= |
| By: | Hanna Adam; Mario Larch; Jordi Paniagua |
| Abstract: | We quantify the economic impact of a potential secession of Catalonia from Spain. Using a novel dataset of trade flows between 17 Spanish sub-national regions and 142 countries, we estimate the effects of different levels of borders on trade flows and un- cover heterogeneity in country-to-country, region-to-country, region-to-region, and EU border effects. We use a general equilibrium analysis to understand the con- sequences of a potential Catalan secession, considering the associated political un- certainty. In counterfactual experiments, we impose new borders on Catalan trade, potentially within or outside the EU, resulting in a welfare decline for Catalonia and the remaining Spanish regions. |
| Keywords: | international trade; regional trade; border effects; regional independence |
| Date: | 2024–01 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:bav:wpaper:231_adamlarchpaniagua&r= |
| By: | Danilo Souza; Mateus Maciel |
| Abstract: | In the context of increasing violence, public security reforms are commonly advocated as a solution to the problem despite the lack of empirical evidence. We address this question by evaluating the effect of the Pacto pela Vida program, a comprehensive reform on the public security of the state of Pernambuco, Brazil. We document a reduction of 16 homicides per 100, 000 inhabitants following the program implementation. We show that a reduction in crimes occurring on the streets and associated with young males and firearm availability are likely to have contributed to the program’s effect. |
| Keywords: | crime; reform; policy evaluation; Brazil |
| JEL: | H76 K42 R58 |
| Date: | 2024–06–21 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:spa:wpaper:2024wpecon19&r= |
| By: | Aristide Houndetoungan |
| Abstract: | This paper develops a micro-founded peer effect model for count responses using a game of incomplete information. The model incorporates heterogeneity in peer effects through agents' groups based on observed characteristics. Parameter identification is established using the identification condition of linear models, which relies on the presence of friends' friends who are not direct friends in the network. I show that this condition extends to a large class of nonlinear models. The model parameters are estimated using the nested pseudo-likelihood approach, controlling for network endogeneity. I present an empirical application on students' participation in extracurricular activities. I find that females are more responsive to their peers than males, whereas male peers do not influence male students. An easy-to-use R packag--named CDatanet--is available for implementing the model. |
| Date: | 2024–05 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arx:papers:2405.17290&r= |
| By: | Lucie Coufalová (Masaryk University, Faculty of Economics and Administration, Department of Economics, Brno, Czech Republic); Michaela Kecskésová (Masaryk University, Faculty of Economics and Administration, Department of Economics, Brno, Czech Republic); Štěpán Mikula (Masaryk University, Faculty of Economics and Administration, Department of Economics, Brno, Czech Republic); Michal Ševčík (Masaryk University, Faculty of Economics and Administration, Department of Economics, Brno, Czech Republic) |
| Abstract: | This paper examines the impact of regional development on democracy building in the Czech Republic following the fall of the Iron Curtain and the autocratic communist regime in 1989. By exploiting the variation in regional development arising from the economic transition process, we identify that regional development, approximated by nighttime light intensity growth, leads to a rise in voter turnout in parliamentary elections. The heightened voter turnout is associated with increased electoral support for pro-system, pro-democratic parties, indicating that regional development facilitates democracy building. Conversely, we find no effect of regional development on the electoral support for the direct successor of the pre-1989 Communist Party. This suggests that while regional development may mitigate anti-system sentiment, it does not eliminate nostalgia for the fallen autocratic regime. |
| Keywords: | economic voting; Czech parliamentary elections; democracy building; voter turnout; economic transition; nighttime lights; regional development; communotropic voting |
| JEL: | D72 P25 O18 |
| Date: | 2024–06 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:mub:wpaper:2024-04&r= |
| By: | Shaikh, Sameer (Central Bank of Ireland) |
| Abstract: | In order to aid a better understanding of Ireland s commercial property market for financial stability purposes, there is a need to understand the overall size and relative importance of certain sectors as an appropriate benchmark. This Note integrates a variety of new data sources in order to get a broader understanding of the value of Ireland s commercial and industrial property stock, with a focus on the concentration of certain sub-segments of commercial property across Ireland. Using administrative data on rental value estimates at the property level, I impute a market valuation for all commercial properties in Ireland based on the evolution of market rental yields. The analysis reaches a headline estimate for market value of Ireland s total commercial property stock, including Residential properties held by professionally-managed investors for income-producing purposes, of around 144 billion. Within this, the Industrial segment is the largest, at 51bn. Offices and Retail, the two markets most at risk from recent fundamental shocks from work-from-home, ecommerce, and higher interest rates, are valued at 33bn and 25bn, respectively. |
| Date: | 2024–06 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cbi:fsnote:3/fs/24&r= |
| By: | Raquel Ortega-Argilés (The University of Manchester, The Productivity Institute); Pei-Yu Yuan (The Productivity Institute) |
| Keywords: | Research collaborations, Public support for R&D and innovation, UK, levelling-up, regional development |
| JEL: | O30 O40 R50 |
| Date: | 2024–04 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:anj:wpaper:046&r= |
| By: | Ha Trong Nguyen; Mitrou, Francis |
| Abstract: | The catastrophic effects of natural disasters on social and economic systems are well-documented; however, their impacts on individual life satisfaction remain insufficiently understood. This study pioneers a causal analysis of cyclones' impacts on Australians' life satisfaction, using local cyclones as natural experiments. Analysing over two decades of data, individual fixed-effects models reveal that cyclones, particularly category 5 (highest severity) cyclones in close proximity to residences, significantly reduce overall life satisfaction and specific domains like community, personal safety, and health satisfaction. Notably, these cyclones have a lasting impact on community and personal safety satisfaction. Our findings withstand rigorous sensitivity assessments, including a falsification test demonstrating no impact of future cyclones on current life satisfaction. Moreover, extensive heterogeneous analysis uncovers significant variations in cyclone impact based on life satisfaction domains and individual, household, and regional characteristics. Additionally, this study shows that cyclone-induced home damage, especially from the most severe cyclones, significantly diminishes the aforementioned life satisfaction outcomes, but to a much greater magnitude. |
| Keywords: | Natural Disasters, Life Satisfaction, Happiness, Wellbeing, Australia |
| JEL: | I12 I31 R23 Q54 |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:glodps:1446&r= |
| By: | Giorgio Fabbri; Silvia Faggian; Giuseppe Freni |
| Abstract: | This study examines the dynamics of the exploitation of a natural resource distributed among and flowing between several nodes connected via a weighted, directed network. The network represents the locations and interactions of the resource nodes. A regulator decides to designate some of the nodes as natural reserves where no exploitation is allowed. The remaining nodes are assigned (one-to-one) to players, who exploit the resource at the node. It is demonstrated how the equilibrium exploitation and resource stocks depend on the productivity of the resource sites, the structure of the connections between the sites, and the number and preferences of the agents. The best locations to host nature reserves are identified per the model’s parameters and correspond to the most central (in the sense of eigenvector centrality) nodes of a suitably redefined network that considers the nodes’ productivity. |
| Keywords: | Harvesting, Spatial Models, Differential Games, Nature Reserves |
| JEL: | Q20 Q28 R11 C73 |
| Date: | 2023–05 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:gbl:wpaper:2024-03&r= |
| By: | Shahbazian, Roujman; Dadgar, Iman |
| Abstract: | This study examines the influence of pupils’ ordinal positions in the distribution of grades in their 9th grade school cohort on subsequent tertiary-level STEM degrees, at age 30. Population-wide data from Sweden between the years 1990-1997 is used. The identification strategy uses differences between pupils’ ranks in their school and their ranks in the country-wide ability distribution after conditioning on school-cohort fixed effects and school-level grade distributions. The findings reveal a relative gratification of being at the top of the school ability distribution. Both boys and girls who occupy a higher rank in 9th grade are more likely to acquire a STEM degree, although the results are more pronounced for boys than girls. While a slight relative deprivation of being at the bottom of the ability distribution is seen for boy, girls are not impacted at all. This result is also robust when measuring the ranks within each gender in-group, meaning comparing boys with boys, and girls with girls. Implying that, in connection to STEM degrees, women are less receptive to ordinal rank in school compared to men. |
| Date: | 2024–06–08 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:osf:socarx:byct5&r= |
| By: | Andrea Albanese; Bart Cockx; Muriel Dejemeppe |
| Abstract: | We use regression discontinuity design and difference-in-differences methods to estimate the impact of a one-time hiring subsidy for low-educated unemployed youths in Belgium during the recovery from the Great Recession. Within a year of unemployment, the subsidy increases job-finding in the private sector by 10 percentage points. Over six years, high school graduates secure 2.8 more quarters of private employment. However, they transition from public jobs and self-employment, resulting in no net increase in overall employment, albeit with better wages. High school dropouts experience no lasting benefits. Additionally, in tight labor markets near Luxembourg's employment hub, the subsidy results in a complete deadweight loss. |
| Date: | 2024–06 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arx:papers:2406.08357&r= |
| By: | Serge Garcia; Katrin Erdlenbruch; Boniface Derrick Mbarga |
| Abstract: | This article investigates residential choice in flood-prone areas with attractive natural amenities. In a discrete choice experiment involving 472 French homeowners, we analyse the effects of flood risk information disclosure. Respondents make trade-offs between house characteristics, amenities and location in flood-prone areas, with two information treatments about the consequences of flooding and protection measures. We also examine the influence of existing information tools. The econometric models reveal a general aversion to flood-prone areas and a negative effect of information about the consequences of flooding. Buyer-tenant information influences the decision to leave flood-prone areas, while zoning influences the decision to stay. |
| Keywords: | choice experiment; flood risk-amenity trade-off; information treatment; mixed logit; attribute willingness to pay; residential choice. |
| JEL: | Q54 Q51 C25 |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ulp:sbbeta:2024-22&r= |
| By: | Perrine Alberola (CERGAM - Centre d'Études et de Recherche en Gestion d'Aix-Marseille - AMU - Aix Marseille Université - UTLN - Université de Toulon, LIEU - Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire En Urbanisme - AMU - Aix Marseille Université) |
| Abstract: | This chapter proposes a systematic literature review of recent international studies on residential attractiveness, and suggests avenues for future research. It will address the following questions: is there one type/category of place that emerges in particular as being appropriate to study residential attractiveness? Are the latest studies on residential attractiveness based on an official nomenclature? Globally, recent studies on residential attractiveness do not refer to statistical nomenclatures. They focus on the municipal level, where residential attractiveness seems to be a response to numerous issues. We therefore suggest that future research on residential attractiveness should continue to focus on the local level. However, it should pay greater attention to the broader institutional structure in which municipalities are embedded. In this regard, the European NUTS (Nomenclature of territorial units for statistics) could be used for this purpose. Finally, we warn against the limitations of certain methods used to study residential attractiveness, and suggest the creation and use of a mixed research protocol in further studies on this subject. |
| Keywords: | Place Attractiveness, Residential Attractiveness |
| Date: | 2024–05–27 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-04594612&r= |
| By: | Conlé, Marcus |
| Abstract: | In pursuit of technological development, China has created new organizations to promote innovation. In this brief, Marcus Conlé, an associate at the German Institute for Global and Area Studies (GIGA), examines New Research and Development Institutes (NRDIs), which are designed to foster knowledge transfer to industry. NRDIs were pioneered in Guangdong province in the 1990s, and have gained prominence in China’s national science, technology, and innovation policies since the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-2020). NRDIs are defined by their market orientation and extremely flexible organizational form. They work by establishing “innovation platforms” with local governments and private knowledge actors to carry out research and development (R&D), commercialize scientific and technological achievements, incubate local technology industries, and cultivate high-end talent. NRDIs have been instrumental to regional development in Guangdong, and especially Shenzhen, where they have succeeded in attracting talent from outside the region. NRDIs have important policy implications for international competition for talent. Understanding NRDIs is crucial for other countries that want to improve their own inter-regional innovation resources and respond to the challenge of China’s drive to attract global talent and knowledge resources. |
| Keywords: | Social and Behavioral Sciences, Guangdong, research and development, technology, innovation |
| Date: | 2024–03–21 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:globco:qt6rr023j0&r= |
| By: | Lucie Coufalová (Masaryk University, Faculty of Economics and Administration, Department of Economics, Brno, Czech Republic); Fanny H. Dellinger (WIFO, Vienna, Austria); Peter Huber (WIFO, Vienna, Austria); Štěpán Mikula (Masaryk University, Faculty of Economics and Administration, Department of Economics, Brno, Czech Republic) |
| Abstract: | We analyze the impacts of three major unexpected border regime changes that occurred during the course of 20th century on population growth along the Austrian-Czech border. Using historical municipal-level census data reaching back to 1880, we find no effects of the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire (1919) but strong and oppositely signed effects of the drawing (1948) and the fall (1989) of the Iron Curtain in both countries. Our findings indicate that border regimes affect population growth via economic as well as non-economic mechanisms. |
| Keywords: | Population growth, border regions, economic geography |
| JEL: | N94 R12 R23 J11 |
| Date: | 2024–06 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:mub:wpaper:2024-03&r= |
| By: | Lambert, Thomas |
| Abstract: | In 2017 the US Congress passes and President Donald J. Trump signs the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Part of the legislation allows states to create economic opportunity zones (EOZs), census tracts which will be targeted for business investment and economic development through federal tax incentives. In Louisville, Kentucky, as in other jurisdictions throughout the US over the last several decades, special district “zones” have been used by local, state, and/or the federal government(s) to try to revive low-income, deteriorated, and blighted areas. These have been typically urban areas but sometimes have included semi-rural and rural areas. Whether named enterprise zones, empowerment zones, or currently, economic opportunity zones, such programs have received mixed reviews over the years. This paper looks at the current EOZs in Louisville, and similar to other studies looking at EOZs, finds only slight improvement at best so far in results. The exception is an area of the city that has been undergoing a great deal of gentrification already. With this in mind, and with the shortcomings chronicled on the old Louisville enterprise zone (EZ) that exists from 1983 to 2003, this paper speculates on and offers some reasons for why such economic development efforts, despite their mixed reviews, persist. |
| Keywords: | economic opportunity zones, empowerment zones, enterprise zones |
| JEL: | B50 R11 R28 |
| Date: | 2024–06–17 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:121223&r= |
| By: | Arnone, Massimo; Leogrande, Angelo |
| Abstract: | In the following article, we analyzed a variable present in the ISTAT-BES dataset, namely "People You Can Count On"-PYCC for the Italian regions. Following an analysis of the time series aimed at highlighting the trends of the regions, we created a clustering with a k-Means algorithm optimized with the Silhouette coefficient. The data shows the presence of two clusters. We then present an econometric model aimed at estimating the value of PYCC based on a set of socio-economic variables. The results are also discussed in light of the economic policy implications. |
| Keywords: | Welfare Economics, Altruism, Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making, Labor Force and Employment, Size, and Structure, Inequality. |
| JEL: | D6 D63 D64 D9 J21 |
| Date: | 2024–06–20 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:121277&r= |
| By: | Jan Muckenhaupt (Technische Universität München (TUM)); Martin Hoesli (University of Geneva - Geneva School of Economics and Management (GSEM); Swiss Finance Institute; University of Aberdeen - Business School); Bing Zhu (Technische Universität München (TUM)) |
| Abstract: | Assets’ capability to hedge against inflation has again come to the forefront given the recent surge in inflation. This paper investigates the inflation-hedging capability of an important asset class, i.e., listed real estate (LRE), using data from 1990 to the end of 2023, for the main European countries in terms of LRE market capitalization, but also the U.S. By using a Panel Markov switching vector error correction model (MS-VECM), we identify the hedging ability of LRE in crisis and non-crisis periods, both in the short and long term. We additionally compare the hedging ability of LRE with that of other asset classes. Listed real estate provides an effective hedge against inflation in the long run, both in crisis and non-crisis periods. In the short term, listed real estate only hedges against inflation in stable periods. LRE effectively serves as a hedge against inflation shocks, particularly protecting against unexpected inflation from the first month and against energy inflation during stable periods. While stocks surpass LRE in long-term inflation protection and LRE has short-term benefits, gold distinguishes itself from LRE by offering reliable long-run protection, but only in economic downturns. The results should provide important insights to investors seeking to allocate resources more efficiently in those turbulent times, both for the short and long terms. |
| Keywords: | Inflation Hedging, Listed Real Estate Companies, Markov-Switching, Unexpected Inflation, Impulse Response Functions |
| JEL: | G11 G15 |
| Date: | 2024–05 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:chf:rpseri:rp2434&r= |
| By: | Deer, Lachlan; Hsieh, Chih-Sheng; König, Michael D.; Vega-Redondo, Fernando |
| Abstract: | We study a dynamic model of collective action in which agents are connected by a social network. Our approach highlights the importance of communication in this problem and conceives that network &- which is continuously evolving &- as providing the channel through which agents not only interact but also communicate. We consider two alternative scenarios that differ only on how agents form their expectations: while in the "benchmark" context agents are completely informed, in the alternative one their expectations are formed through a combination of local observation and sociallearning à la DeGroot. We completely characterize the long-run behavior of the system in both cases and show that only in the latter scenario (arguably the most realistic) there is a significant long-run probability that agents eventually achieve collective action within a meaningful time scale. We suggest that this sheds light on the puzzle of how large populations can coordinate on globallydesired outcomes. Finally, we illustrate the empirical potential of the model by showing that it can be efficiently estimated for the Egyptian Arab Spring using large-scale cross-sectional data from Twitter. This estimation exercise also suggests that, in this instance, network-based social learning played a leading role in the process underlying collective action. |
| Keywords: | Collective Action; Networks; Coordination; Social Protests; Degroot; Social Learning |
| Date: | 2024–06–06 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cte:werepe:43961&r= |
| By: | Christopher D. Cotton |
| Abstract: | The gap between market rent and the price of shelter was 6.6 percent larger in December 2023 relative to December 2019. Because shelter prices comprise 36 percent of the Consumer Price Index and therefore influence monetary policy decisions, it is vital to understand the pass‐through of this difference, or “market‐shelter gap.” I use MSA‐level variation to answer this question. When there is a positive market–shelter gap, the price of shelter grows faster and market rent grows slower until the gap closes, which takes about five years. Faster shelter‐price growth and slower market‐rent growth each explain about half of the convergence. |
| Keywords: | CPI; housing |
| JEL: | E37 E31 E17 |
| Date: | 2024–06–01 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fip:fedbwp:98436&r= |
| By: | Chaudhary, Latika (Naval Postgraduate School); Iyer, Lakshmi (University of Notre Dame) |
| Abstract: | We examine the human development consequences of transferring responsibility for public service provision to local governments in India, using state-level variation in the timing of administrative decentralization reforms. We find that devolution of the responsibility for health functions from state to local governments, without concomitant authority over personnel or taxation, results in a worsening of neonatal, infant and under-5 child mortality. Such partial devolution results in worse indicators of public health provision, as well as lower rates of primary school completion. Our results cannot be attributed to differential pre-trends, omitted variables bias, or heterogeneous treatment effects. |
| Keywords: | decentralization, infant mortality, primary schooling, local governments, India |
| JEL: | H77 H75 D73 H41 |
| Date: | 2024–06 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp17053&r= |
| By: | Ben Jann (University of Bern) |
| Abstract: | geoplot is a new command for drawing maps from shape files and other datasets. Multiple layers of elements such as regions, borders, lakes, roads, labels, and symbols can be freely combined and the look of elements (for example, color) can be varied depending on the values of variables. Compared with previous solutions in Stata, geoplot provides more user convenience, more functionality, and more flexibility. In this talk, I will introduce the basic components of the command and illustrate its use with examples. |
| Date: | 2024–06–12 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:boc:dsug24:06&r= |
| By: | OECD |
| Abstract: | The results of the PISA 2022 financial literacy assessment show that many 15-year-olds should be better prepared for their financial future, as they are not able to apply their financial knowledge to real-life situations. In every participating country and economy, students from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds performed significantly worse than their advantaged peers. PISA data also show that students who discuss money matters with their parents, and those who make autonomous decisions about how to spend their money, achieve higher levels of financial literacy. This PISA in Focus examines the proportion of students who do not achieve baseline financial literacy and explores the links between socio-economic backgrounds, parental interactions and financial literacy performance. |
| Keywords: | Education, Learning, PISA |
| Date: | 2024–06–27 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:oec:eduddd:126-en&r= |
| By: | Helen Dempster (Center for Global Development); Martha Guerrero Ble (Refugees International); Stéphanie López Villamil (Independent consultant) |
| Abstract: | Economic migrants and refugees can bring both benefits and costs to their hosting countries. If well-integrated, they can support themselves, their families, and their hosting countries as producers and consumers. Both economic migration and forced displacement are therefore integrally linked with development outcomes. Recognizing this, multilateral development banks (MDBs) are supporting their beneficiary member countries to improve outcomes for economic migrants and refugees, in the form of billions of dollars in grants and loans, as well as technical assistance, policy dialogues, and knowledge exchanges. This paper provides an introductory snapshot of some of the financing instruments, projects, and strategies used; particularly innovative approaches; and challenges MDBs face in expanding their engagement. It is hoped this paper will be useful to anyone who engages with MDBs and wants to understand how they engage on economic migration and forced displacement, particularly as these issues continue to grow in importance. |
| Date: | 2024–05–09 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cgd:ppaper:328&r= |
| By: | Francesco Del Prato; Paolo Zacchia |
| Abstract: | We document how a reduction in labor costs led to heterogeneous effects on the total factor productivity (TFP) of manufacturing firms. Leveraging an Italian labor legislation reform and unique institutional features of the local collective bargaining system, we show that such effects vary along the TFP distribution. Relative to the counterfactual, TFP markedly declines on the left tail, which we explain via selection mechanisms; on the right, TFP mildly increases as firms are able to expand and reallocate their workforce. To guide the evaluation of welfare implications, we develop a general equilibrium model featuring firm selection and frictions in input markets. |
| Keywords: | labor costs, productivity, collective bargaining, quantile effects |
| JEL: | D22 D24 J08 O14 |
| Date: | 2024–06 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cer:papers:wp783&r= |
| By: | Michelle Escobar Carías (The University of Melbourne, Department of Economics); Nicole Black (Monash University, Monash Business School, Centre for Health Economics); David Johnston (Monash University, Monash Business School, Centre for Health Economics); Rohan Sweeney (Monash University, Monash Business School, Centre for Health Economics); Fiona S. Barker (Monash University, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences); Rosnaena (RISE Program Indonesia); Syaidah Syamsul (RISE Program Indonesia); Taniela Waka (RISE Program Fiji) |
| Abstract: | We document gender differences in children’s time investments in education, labour, and leisure in an understudied population of children living in urban informal settlements. Using within-settlement and within-sibling comparisons, we find that boys spend significantly less time than girls on schooling and homework and more time on leisure activities. We also find that caregivers invest less time in helping their sons with reading and homework than their daughters. One possible explanation is that girls spend more time on domestic work. As a result, as the share of girls in the household increases, primary caregivers spend less time on domestic work and more time on other activities such as teaching children. We find that the gender gaps in time use are more pronounced among children whose parents have lower schooling and more financial constraints. |
| Keywords: | Gender gap, Time Use, Education, Informal Settlements |
| JEL: | I24 I25 I30 J22 |
| Date: | 2024–06 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:mhe:chemon:2024-10&r= |
| By: | Eynde, Oliver Vanden; Wren-Lewis, Liam |
| Abstract: | Complementarities between infrastructure projects have been understudied. This paper examines interactions in the impacts of large-scale road construction, electrification, and mobile phone coverage programs in rural India. We exploit variation over time in when villages received the programs to study the individual and joint impacts on a range of outcomes. Notably, we find strong evidence that villages increase dry-season cropping when they receive both electricity and roads, but not when they receive one without the other. This increase in dry-season cropping is associated with a move towards market crops and improved economic conditions (i.e., higher assets and consumption). These findings have implications for the optimal implementation of infrastructure programs. |
| Date: | 2024–06–08 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:osf:socarx:ejb8x&r= |
| By: | Leigh, Andrew (Parliament of Australia) |
| Abstract: | What are the economic returns to education in Australia? Using data from the 2018-2022 waves of the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia survey, and taking account of existing estimates of ability bias and social returns to schooling, I estimate the economic return to various levels of education. As in Leigh (2008), which used data from the 2001-2005 waves of the same survey, I report large returns. Across high school, vocational education and university qualifications, an additional year of schooling raises hourly wages by 7 percent, boosts annual earnings by 13 percent, and increases the probability of reporting positive earnings by 4 percentage points. In terms of hourly wages, the largest per-year returns are from completing a Bachelor degree. In terms of annual earnings, the largest per-year returns are from completing year 12. Testing for changes in returns to schooling over time provides little evidence of systematic trends over the period 2001-2022. Over the lifecycle, returns to education tend to decline from age 60 for high school and vocational qualifications, and tend to decline from age 55 for university qualifications, suggesting that the value of education diminishes as workers approach retirement age. |
| Keywords: | returns to education, ability bias, high school, vocational training, university |
| JEL: | I28 J31 |
| Date: | 2024–05 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp17025&r= |
| By: | van Elk, Roel (CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis); Jongen, Egbert L. W. (Leiden University); Koot, Patrick (Dutch Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment); Zulkarnain, Alice (CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis) |
| Abstract: | A key measure of equality of opportunity is intergenerational mobility. Of particular interest is the extent to which children of immigrants catch up with natives. Using administrative data for the Netherlands, we find large gaps in the absolute income mobility of immigrants relative to natives (-23%), suggestive of large, persistent income gaps for future generations as well. Important drivers are differences in household composition and in personal incomes. However, we also uncover substantial heterogeneity by country of origin. Children of immigrants from China actually have higher incomes than natives, which is closely related to their educational outcomes. |
| Keywords: | intergenerational mobility, immigrants, Netherlands |
| JEL: | D31 J15 J61 J62 |
| Date: | 2024–05 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp17035&r= |
| By: | Maryna Tverdostup (The Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies, wiiw) |
| Abstract: | Over the past few decades, immigration has become the primary factor contributing to population growth in the European Union (EU) due to rapid population ageing and declining fertility rates. However, the traditional migration source countries – namely, the EU countries in Central and East Europe (EU-CEE) and the EU neighbourhood countries – have limited potential to supply much-needed labour to Western Europe due to own their grim population prospects. Immigration from non-EU, non-European Free Trade Association (EFTA) or non-EU candidate countries as of 2015 (i.e. Georgia, Moldova, Turkey and Ukraine) appears to be the only factor that can prevent population decline in the long run, as third-country nationals are, on average, younger than natives or immigrants from the EU neighbourhood. However, current evidence suggests that higher immigration has only a limited capacity to stabilise population decline and offset labour shortages in the EU countries most affected by negative demographic trends, as they receive fewer immigrants relative to other EU countries. Moreover, the labour market integration of immigrants from non-traditional source countries, including Middle Eastern and African countries, has proved challenging for both legal and infrastructural reasons. This has resulted in an immense pool of untapped talent and skills, which will require the appropriate policy steps to be fully identified and effectively employed in the labour market. These policies, like the ones proposed in this report, will become increasingly important as the EU moves steadily towards new immigration source regions. |
| Keywords: | demographic trends, labour shortages, migration, refugees, integration policies |
| JEL: | J11 J15 O15 |
| Date: | 2024–06 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wii:pnotes:pn:78&r= |
| By: | Jinsong LI; Kenji TAKEUCHI |
| Abstract: | This study investigates whether municipal mergers promote waste recycling and generate lower waste. Using difference-in-differences with matching, we estimate the effect of the large-scale consolidation in Japan on waste management, waste generation, and collection of recyclable plastics. We find merged municipalities are less likely to adopt unit pricing of household waste which might explain higher waste generation in the merged municipalities. Our results also show that the amount of recycled PET bottles is lower in the merged municipalities. These results suggest that municipal mergers indeed have an impact on municipal solid waste management but may not lead to more strict waste management and lower waste generation. |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:kue:epaper:e-24-002&r= |
| By: | Ewald & Wasserman Research |
| Abstract: | The 2024 California Traffic Safety Public Opinion Study was conducted on behalf of the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) and the Safe Transportation Research and Education Center of UC Berkeley (SafeTREC), using an online self-administered survey. Similar to previous years of the study, the survey panelists were provided through Marketing Services Group, a commercial sample and panel vendor. To ensure a comparable sample disposition to previous years of data collection, six quota groups were set for age and gender groups based on the California census and previous waves of the Traffic Safety Study. The eligibility criteria for participating in the study included a valid California driver’s license, living in California and being 18 years or older. Screened and eligible respondents were forwarded to a brief 10-minute online survey programmed and managed by E&W. A total of 2, 507 responses were collected in May and June, 2024. The survey findings of the 2024 Traffic Safety Public Opinion Study, together with a comparison to previous years of data collection are outlined in this report. |
| Keywords: | Engineering |
| Date: | 2024–06–01 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:itsrrp:qt4st304h2&r= |
| By: | Elena Ashtari Tafti; Mimosa Distefano; Tetyana Surovtseva |
| Abstract: | We use Italian Social Security data to study how the gender composition of a worker's professional network influences their career development. By exploiting variation within firms, occupations, and labor market entry cohorts, we find that young women starting their careers alongside a higher share of female peers experience lower wage growth, fewer promotions and increased transitions into non-employment. In contrast, male workers appear unaffected. The analysis reveals that these gender-specific effects are largely driven by structural differences in the networks of men and women. Networks predominantly composed of women appear to be less effective in the labor market. Women, who experience higher attrition and lower promotion rates, have fewer connections to employment opportunities, and their connections tend to be less valuable. When accounting for these differences, we find that connections among female peers offer a crucial safety net during adverse employment shocks. Our findings highlight the critical role of early-career peers and provide a new perspective on the barriers to career advancement for women |
| Keywords: | gender peer effects, networks, labor market entrants, career progression |
| Date: | 2024–06–14 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cep:cepdps:dp2008&r= |
| By: | Hanol Lee (Research Institute of Economics and Management, Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, Sichuan, China); Dainn Wie (National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies, Tokyo, Japan); Eunbi Song (Department of Economics, School of Business, Monash University, Selangor, Malaysia) |
| Abstract: | Bangladesh has long been exposed to climate-induced disasters, and the literature has paid little attention to their impact on child marriage. This study empirically explores the gendered impact of extreme rainfall on child marriage in Bangladesh and provides a comprehensive yet detailed analysis using high-resolution weather data and nationally representative rural household survey. The duration analysis in this paper shows that women exposed to one standard deviation more extreme rainfall are at an increased risk of child marriage by 5.5%. However, we find no evidence that child marriages driven by extreme rainfall lead to early childbirth in women. We also report that extreme rainfall has no statistically significant impact on men’s child marriages. The main finding is consistent across several decades of cohort and robust to migration, which might threaten internal validity. We also highlight that our main findings are driven by households living in non-coastal regions, with significant heterogeneity across divisions. |
| Keywords: | Bangladesh, child marriage, extreme rainfall, survival analysis, weather shock |
| Date: | 2022–11 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ngi:dpaper:22-10&r= |
| By: | Maija Halonen-Akatwijuka (University of Bristol); Carol Propper (Imperial College London, Monash University, IFS and CEPR) |
| Abstract: | This paper examines the implications of consumer heterogeneity for the choice of competition and monopoly in public services delivery. In a setting with motivated providers who favour one type of service user over another, we show that competition can raise average quality. However, this may be at the expense of the minority type of user if the providers favour the majority type. Then an inequity averse regulator may protect the minority by not introducing competition. Alternatively, if the providers favour the minority type, the regulator may introduce competition to incentivize the providers to pay attention to the less rewarding majority type. |
| Keywords: | Public services, Competition, Quality, Inequity aversion |
| JEL: | H11 I11 I14 I24 L31 |
| Date: | 2024–03 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:mhe:chemon:2024-03&r= |
| By: | A. Balaraman; S. Maokosy; L. Slaton; R. Cardona; P. Maokosy; N. Gaitan |
| Abstract: | Successful careers are built on Skills (what you know), Occupational Identity (what you believe you can be) and Social Capital (who you know). Higher-ed spends significant resources in addressing the first, sometimes to the exclusion of the other two - which are difficult and expensive to teach and administer. This research specifically explores how near-peer mentoring programs, rather than a stand-alone opt-in guidance, can be integrated into the instruction/pedagogy by faculty at California community colleges. The research was conducted at 5 California community colleges (Reedley, Porterville, Coalinga, Solano and Glendale). A mixed-methods approach was used to gather social cognitive measures of student self-efficacy, occupational identity and social capital access. Measures were collected using survey instruments at the beginning of the mentoring program, and at its culmination. One of the most consistent measures observed across all the pilots was the increase in student self-efficacy of skills and competencies (3% - 7%) across colleges, geographies, and course formats after the mentoring program. Additionally, the research offers insights in implementing peer and near-peer mentoring programs that improve course completion, with significant instructional (and non-instructional) cost advantages. |
| Date: | 2024–06 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arx:papers:2406.09554&r= |
| By: | Dantas, Carina; Ferenczi, Andrea; Klimczuk, Andrzej; Freitas, Angela; Abreu Cordeiro, Barbara; Guley Goren Soares, Berfu; Pineda Revilla, Beatriz; Hilario, Carmen; Vassiliou, Charis; Dervishi, Eglantina; Machado, Flavia; Coldebella, Giorgia; op den Akker, Harm; Elnimr, Heidi; Pedrosa, Ignacio; Saavedra, Ines; Eckert, Jana; Ganzarain, Javier; Nijkamp, Jeannette; Portugal, Joana; Teixeira Pinho, Joana; Bernitt, Jonas; Louceiro, Juliana; Muezzinoglu, Kubra; Shore, Linda; Thielman, Lucia; Perillo, Mariangela; Rimmele, Martina; Cabrita, Miriam; Patrascu, Monica; Sousa, Monica; Edwards, Nancy V.; Ovayolu, Nimet; Zanutto, Oscar; Lucha Farina, Patricia; Castano De la Rosa, Raul; Wajchman-Świtalska, Sandra; Teixeira, Sara; Tomsone, Signe; Danschutter, Stefan |
| Abstract: | The concept of Smart Healthy Age-Friendly Environments (SHAFE) emphasises the comprehensive person-centred experience as essential to promoting living environments. SHAFE takes an interdisciplinary approach, conceptualising complete and multidisciplinary solutions for an inclusive society. From this approach, we promote participation, health, and well-being experiences by finding the best possible combinations of social, physical, and digital solutions in the community. This initiative emerged bottom-up in Europe from the dream and conviction that innovation can improve health equity, foster caring communities, and sustainable development. Smart, adaptable, and inclusive solutions can promote and support independence and autonomy throughout the lifespan, regardless of age, gender, disabilities, cultural differences, and personal choices, as well as promote happier and fairer living places. The New European Bauhaus initiative gathers “beautiful, sustainable, and inclusive projects and ideas” to inspire a positive transformation around us. The New European Bauhaus 2024 Festival took place between 9-13 April. “Designing the perfect New European Bauhaus neighbourhood: New European Bauhaus meets SHAFE” was a Satellite Event of the Festival, held as an online workshop, organised by the SHAFE Foundation on April 9th, 2024. At the event, a group of 50 participants with a multidisciplinary background discussed how to meet the challenges of the European Garcia family to enable them to live in a perfect neighbourhood. The White Paper presents the findings of the participants with the New European Bauhaus inspiring projects and ideas to house the European Garcia family in their neighbourhood. The White Paper recommends developers, designers, planners, and policymakers to include person-centred design of social and physical environments and technologies. Although awareness of person-centred design is growing, many initiatives still hamper the inclusion of citizens or end-users throughout the development of products and services. |
| Keywords: | social inclusion, building, built environment, person-centred design, technology, SHAFE, New European Bauhaus |
| JEL: | J14 O18 |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:esprep:298119&r= |