[go: up one dir, main page]
IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/ozl/journl/v7y2004i1p13-37.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Regional Unemployment Disparities: Can Fiscal Policy Help?

Author

Listed:
  • Nicolaas Groenewold

    (University of Western Australia)

  • A.J. Hagger

    (University of Tasmania)

Abstract
Regional unemployment disparities are widely observed, appear to persist through time and are often a reason for concern on the part of both regional and national governments. This paper constructs a small two-region general-equilibrium model and uses it to assess the effectiveness of traditional fiscal policy in combating regional unemployment disparities. The model is based on optimising behaviour of households and firms and incorporates inter-regional migration. It is calibrated using data for the Australian states and then simulated to evaluate the effects of expenditure changes by both regional and federal governments. In particular, we consider (i) a rise in federal government spending in one region, (ii) a rise in regional government spending, (iii) a policy of ‘unlocking the forests’ in which a regional government increases the availability of regional natural resources, and (iv) a general increase in federal government spending. The results are often surprising – only the fourth policy reduces unemployment in the high-unemployment region and all policies exacerbate the disparity.

Suggested Citation

  • Nicolaas Groenewold & A.J. Hagger, 2004. "Regional Unemployment Disparities: Can Fiscal Policy Help?," Australian Journal of Labour Economics (AJLE), Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre (BCEC), Curtin Business School, vol. 7(1), pages 13-37, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:ozl:journl:v:7:y:2004:i:1:p:13-37
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://ftprepec.drivehq.com/ozl/journl/downloads/AJLE071groenewold.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Nicolaas Groenewold, 1997. "Does Migration Equalise Regional Unemployment Rates? Evidence From Australia," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 76(1), pages 1-20, January.
    2. Bell, David N F, 1981. "Regional Output: Employment and Unemployment Fluctuations," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 33(1), pages 42-60, March.
    3. Robin W. Boadway & Frank R. Flatters, 1982. "Efficiency and Equalization Payments in a Federal System of Government: A Synthesis and Extension of Recent Results," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 15(4), pages 613-633, November.
    4. Mansoorian, Arman & Myers, Gordon M., 1993. "Attachment to home and efficient purchases of population in a fiscal externality economy," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 52(1), pages 117-132, August.
    5. repec:bla:ecorec:v:78:y:2002:i:241:p:175-85 is not listed on IDEAS
    6. Brunello, Giorgio & Lupi, Claudio & Ordine, Patrizia, 2001. "Widening differences in Italian regional unemployment," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 8(1), pages 103-129, January.
    7. Jimeno, Juan F. & Bentolila, Samuel, 1998. "Regional unemployment persistence (Spain, 1976-1994)," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 5(1), pages 25-51, March.
    8. Elias, D Peter B, 1979. "Regional Unemployment Elasticities: Migration or Registration?," Scottish Journal of Political Economy, Scottish Economic Society, vol. 26(1), pages 103-106, February.
    9. Gordon, Ian, 1979. "Regional Unemployment Elasticities: The Neglected Role of Migration," Scottish Journal of Political Economy, Scottish Economic Society, vol. 26(1), pages 97-101, February.
    10. Jaakko Pehkonen & Hannu Tervo, 1998. "Persistence and Turnover in Regional Unemployment Disparities," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 32(5), pages 445-458.
    11. P G Chapman, "undated". "The Dynamics Of Regional Unemployment In The Uk," Dundee Discussion Papers in Economics 007, Economic Studies, University of Dundee.
    12. McGuire, P, 2001. "Regional unemployment in Queensland: Dimensions and policy issues," Australian Bulletin of Labour, National Institute of Labour Studies, vol. 27(4), pages 296-313.
    13. repec:bla:ecorec:v:77:y:2001:i:238:p:252-69 is not listed on IDEAS
    14. Stephan Weiler, 2001. "Unemployment in Regional Labor Markets: Using Structural Theories to Understand Local Jobless Rates in West Virginia," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 54(3), pages 573-592, April.
    15. Robert Dixon & David Shepherd, 2001. "Trends and Cycles in Australian State and Territory Unemployment Rates," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 77(238), pages 252-269, September.
    16. Michelle Baddeley & Ron Martin & Peter Tyler, 1998. "Transitory shock or structural shift? The impact of the early 1980s recession on British regional unemployment," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 30(1), pages 19-30.
    17. Hannu Tervo, 2000. "Migration and Labour Market Adjustment: Empirical evidence from Finland 1985-90," International Review of Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 14(3), pages 343-360.
    18. Jeffrey D. Petchey & Perry Shapiro, 2002. "State Tax and Policy Competition For Mobile Capital," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 78(241), pages 175-185, June.
    19. Gavin Cameron & John Muellbauer, 2001. "Earnings, unemployment, and housing in Britain," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 16(3), pages 203-220.
    20. Myers, Gordon M., 1990. "Optimality, free mobility, and the regional authority in a federation," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 43(1), pages 107-121, October.
    21. Petchey, Jeffrey D, 1993. "Equalisation in a Federal Economy with Inter-state Migration," Australian Economic Papers, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(61), pages 336-354, December.
    22. Frank Brechling, 1967. "Trends And Cycles In British Regional Unemployment," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 19(1), pages 1-21.
    23. A. P. Thirlwall, 1966. "Regional Unemployment As A Cyclical Phenomenon1," Scottish Journal of Political Economy, Scottish Economic Society, vol. 13(2), pages 205-219, June.
    24. Gordon, Ian, 1980. "Regional Unemployment Differentials: Migration not Registration," Scottish Journal of Political Economy, Scottish Economic Society, vol. 27(1), pages 97-102, February.
    25. Jeffrey Petchey, 1995. "Resource Rents, Cost Differences and Fiscal Equalization," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 71(4), pages 343-353, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. N. Groenewold & A.J. Hagger, 2008. "Regional Unemployment Disparities: An Evaluation Of Policy Measures," Australian Economic Papers, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 47(4), pages 355-375, December.
    2. Nicolaas Groenewold & Alfred Hagger, 2007. "Regional Unemployment Disparities: An Evaluation of Policy Measures," Economics Discussion / Working Papers 07-05, The University of Western Australia, Department of Economics.
    3. Maria Francesca Cracolici & Miranda Cuffaro & Peter Nijkamp, 2007. "Geographical Distribution of Unemployment: An Analysis of Provincial Differences in Italy," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 38(4), pages 649-670, December.
    4. Elhorst, J. Paul, 2000. "The Mystery Of Regional Unemployment Differentialsa Survey Of Theoretical And Empirical Explanations," ERSA conference papers ersa00p60, European Regional Science Association.
    5. repec:dgr:rugsom:00c06 is not listed on IDEAS
    6. Anping Chen & Nicolaas Groenewold, 2011. "Regional Equality and National Development in China: Is There a Trade‐Off?," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 42(4), pages 628-669, December.
    7. Matteo Lanzafame, 2010. "The nature of regional unemployment in Italy," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 39(3), pages 877-895, December.
    8. Nicolaas Groenewold & A. J. Hagger, 2003. "Regional Unemployment Disparities: Can Fiscal Policy Help?," Economics Discussion / Working Papers 03-20, The University of Western Australia, Department of Economics.
    9. Anping Chen & Nicolaas Groenewold, 2013. "The national and regional effects of fiscal decentralisation in China," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 51(3), pages 731-760, December.
    10. Hikaru Ogawa, 2004. "Fiscal Externality, Rent Sharing and Equalisation Transfers in Japan," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 41(1), pages 195-205, January.
    11. Werner, Daniel, 2013. "New insights into the development of regional unemployment disparities," IAB-Discussion Paper 201311, Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), Nürnberg [Institute for Employment Research, Nuremberg, Germany].
    12. Sarantis LOLOS & Evangelia PAPAPETROU, 2012. "Unemployment disparities and persistence Assessing the evidence from Greek regions, 1981-2008," Regional and Sectoral Economic Studies, Euro-American Association of Economic Development, vol. 12(1), pages 69-90.
    13. J. Paul Elhorst, 2003. "The Mystery of Regional Unemployment Differentials: Theoretical and Empirical Explanations," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 17(5), pages 709-748, December.
    14. Tsunetada Hirobe, 2015. "Economic shift-share effects and spatial agglomeration regarding inter-regional disparities of labour market in the USA," Regional Science Policy & Practice, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 7(3), pages 103-117, August.
    15. Boadway, Robin & Song, Zhen & Tremblay, Jean-François, 2013. "Non-cooperative pollution control in an inter-jurisdictional setting," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 43(5), pages 783-796.
    16. Mitsui, Kiyoshi & Sato, Motohiro, 2001. "Ex ante free mobility, ex post immobility, and time consistency in a federal system," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 82(3), pages 445-460, December.
    17. Mark D. Partridge & Dan S. Rickman & M. Rose Olfert & Ying Tan, 2015. "When Spatial Equilibrium Fails: Is Place-Based Policy Second Best?," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 49(8), pages 1303-1325, August.
    18. Casella, Alessandra, 2005. "Redistribution policy: A European model," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 89(7), pages 1305-1331, July.
    19. Jean Hindriks & Gareth D. Myles, 2003. "Strategic Inter–Regional Transfers," Journal of Public Economic Theory, Association for Public Economic Theory, vol. 5(2), pages 229-248, April.
    20. Jeffrey Petchey & Perry Shapiro, 2000. "The Efficiency of State Taxes on Mobile Labour Income," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 76(234), pages 285-296, September.
    21. Bev Dahlby & Kevin Milligan, 2017. "From theory to practice: Canadian economists’ contributions to public finance," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 50(5), pages 1324-1347, December.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Mobility; Unemployment; and Vacancies: General Mobility; Unemployment; and Vacancies: Public Policy (Employment Services) General Equilibrium and Welfare Economic Analysis of Regional Economies;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J60 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - General
    • J68 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Public Policy
    • R13 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - General Equilibrium and Welfare Economic Analysis of Regional Economies

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:ozl:journl:v:7:y:2004:i:1:p:13-37. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sandie Rawnsley (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/becurau.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.