Title

Who Benefits from State and Local Economic Development Policies?

Year

1991

Abstract

Bartik reviews evidence on whether state and local policies affect job growth. He then presents empirical data supporting the intentions of such programs, showing that job growth may lead to a number of positive long-term effects including: lower unemployment, higher labor force participation, higher real estate values, and better occupational opportunities. He also shows that the earnings gains to disadvantaged groups outweigh the resulting increased real estate values for property owners, and concludes by saying that regional competition for jobs may actually be a benefit for the nation as a whole.

Contents

  1. Boon or Boondoggle? The Debate Over State and Local Economic Development Policies
  2. Can State and Local Policies Affect Economic Development?
  3. Theoretical Analysis of the Distributional Effects of Local Job Growth
  4. Effects of Local Job Growth on Unemployment, Labor Force Participation, and Weekly Hours
  5. Effects of Local Job Growth on Housing Prices and Other Prices
  6. Effects of Local Job Growth on Real Wages
  7. Effects of Economic Development Policy on Individual Earnings, Income Distribution, and Economic Efficiency
  8. Is State and Local Economic Development Policy a Zero-Sum Game?
  9. Conclusion: People and Places

ISBN

9780880991148 (cloth) ; 9780880991131 (pbk.)

Subject Areas

REGIONAL ISSUES; Business incentives; Tax incentives; Regional and urban studies; Urban issues