|
on Urban and Real Estate Economics |
| By: | Di Cataldo, Marco; Romani, Giulia |
| Abstract: | The availability of public education services can influence residential choices. Therefore, policies aimed at ‘rationalising’ service provision by reducing the number of undersized nodes in the public school network can lead to population decline, especially in spatially isolated areas lacking valid alternatives to the removed services. This paper examines the demographic and income effects of primary school closures by exploiting an Italian education reform that resulted in the contraction of the school network. We assess whether school closures impact households’ residential choices, over and above preexisting negative population trends that motivate school closures. Our findings indicate that municipalities affected by school closures experience significant reductions in population and income. The effect is primarily driven by peripheral municipalities located far away from economic centres and distant from the next available primary school. This evidence indicates that school ‘rationalisation policies’, by fostering depopulation of peripheral areas, have an influence on the spatial distribution of households and income, thus affecting territorial disparities. |
| Keywords: | core–periphery patterns; education policy; Italy; residential choices; school closures |
| JEL: | J1 |
| Date: | 2024–11 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ehl:lserod:126034 |
| By: | Gunther Maier; Karin Wagner |
| Abstract: | The question what determines location quality of some real estate property is an essential one at the interface between real estate economics and regional science. Because of its heterogeneity, the question is particularly tricky in the context of commercial real estate. The Austrian Central Bank has begun to develop and implement price, rent and yield indices for commercial real estate in Austria. To make commercial prices and rents comparable in a hedonic sense, we capture locational quality effects.In this paper we will present the approach for measuring locational quality that we developed in the context of the indices. The applied tool relies on spatial information from Open Streetmaps. Indicators are developed therefrom, which are evaluated in the context of traded properties. In this paper we will present a first, preliminary evaluation based on a limited set of observations reported by financial institutions. |
| Keywords: | commercial real estate; Location; Open Streetmaps; Valuation |
| JEL: | R3 |
| Date: | 2024–01–01 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arz:wpaper:eres2024-228 |
| By: | Dobbels, Gregory; Tavakalov, Suren |
| Abstract: | We provide evidence that local preferences for neighborhood characteristics play an important role in shaping the political economy of residential land-use regulations and their distributional consequences. We leverage a land-use regulation reform in Houston, TX that reduced the minimum lot size---permitting denser single-family housing---while allowing incumbent property owners on individual city blocks to opt out of the change and adopt higher alternative minimum lot sizes. Initially wealthier, whiter neighborhoods were more likely to opt out and adopt higher minimum lot sizes after the reform. Supply of denser housing increased in areas that did not opt out. We develop a model where incumbents set minimum lot size. Incumbents trade off potential gains from redevelopment and local spillovers from housing density. The local nature of block-level regulatory decisions allows us to distinguish between preferences for neighborhood density and alternative political economy motives for regulation. Model estimates reveal large, negative local externalities from density that vary across incumbent socio-economic groups. Our results suggest that local control can tailor regulation to heterogeneous incumbent preferences, possibly making reform more politically feasible. However, doing so will likely limit supply in areas where housing demand is the highest. |
| Keywords: | Urban Economics; Housing Economics; Inequality |
| JEL: | R12 R13 R14 R3 R30 R31 R38 |
| Date: | 2024–05–10 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:122679 |
| By: | Yi Wu; Kusum Mundra |
| Abstract: | Immigrant homeownership is an important factor for immigrant’s integration and assimilation for any large immigrant receiving country and there is increasing evidence on the role of social capital on housing outcomes as well as other financial well-being of immigrant groups. This paper uses detail and rich UK data from the Household Longitudinal Study (UKLS) to first, measure social capital in various dimensions using rich micro level data from the UK and then further identify the channels through which networks operate for immigrant groups and the strength of these networks. Second, this paper looks at what is the role of social capital on immigrant homeownership in the UK. We found that immigrants weak ties, proportion of close friends, plays strong role in financial support for the immigrants. |
| Keywords: | Financial help; Homeownership; Social Capital; UK immigrants |
| JEL: | R3 |
| Date: | 2024–01–01 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arz:wpaper:eres2024-238 |
| By: | Elisa Facchetti (Institute for Fiscal Studies) |
| Date: | 2024–04–24 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ifs:ifsewp:24/16 |
| By: | Martin Regnaud; Marie Breuille; Julie Le Gallo |
| Abstract: | This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the evolution of bid-rent functions forhousing prices and rents in 30 major French attraction areas during a period markedby the COVID-19 pandemic. We exploit 3.3M property transfers (DV3F) and 740’000rental listings posted on SeLoger’s portal to quantify the shifts. We observe a flatteningof the bid-rent curve in the wake of the pandemic, especially for large areas of more than200, 000 inhabitants and for sold properties (apartments or houses). Stronger flatteningof the bid-rent curve for sold properties is observed for a higher share of employees, more densely populated areas, and lower purchasing power. By contrast, the pandemichad little effect on bid-rent function slopes for rents. |
| Keywords: | Covid-2019; housing market; Real Estate Platforms Data; Structural Breaks |
| JEL: | R3 |
| Date: | 2024–01–01 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arz:wpaper:eres2024-249 |
| By: | Gavriilidis, Gaby; METAXAS, THEODORE |
| Abstract: | Madrid Nuevo Norte (MNNP) is an urban redevelopment project applied in the city of Madrid in Spain. It will occupy an area of 3.3 million square meters and will modify a large part of the northern area of the city. New public spaces, office buildings, commercial areas, homes, infrastructure, and green areas will be created. In relation to this, the aim of this paper was to examine the expected symbolic value of MNNP for the community of Madrid. For that purpose, questionnaires were handed out to 147 professionals relevant to the urban development of the Spanish capital (urban planners, architects, engineers, academics, project managers, sustainability consultants, real estate managers, etc.). Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) techniques were applied to analyze data. The results firstly indicated that the symbolic value of MNNP is reflected in the overall success and performance of the Mega project as well as in its acceptance from the citizens of Madrid. Critical aspects in this context are affordable housing for potential residents, satisfaction of the community from the establishment of the project, public approval, deliverables in line with expected targets, ability of local authorities to effectively manage MNNP and project completion within budget. MNNP incorporates considerable symbolic value for the citizens of Madrid. Its value is reflected mainly in economic and social terms. However, the overall value of the project will be significantly enhanced if environmental concerns are considered. Then, the sustainable character of the project will be underscored, revealing the necessity of Mega projects to be aligned with the principles of sustainable development. The findings of the study are expected to help local agencies and actors to assess the symbolic value of Mega projects, such as MNNP, in creating sustainable city schemes, contributing to the fair and equitable development of European metropoles. |
| Keywords: | Madrid Nuevo Norte (MNNP), Urban development, Madrid, Symbolic value, Sustainability, Mega Projects. |
| JEL: | R38 R52 R58 |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:122503 |
| By: | Hayashi , Ryotaro (Asian Development Bank); Javier, Xylee (Asian Development Bank); Raitzer, David (Asian Development Bank); Thomas , Milan (Asian Development Bank) |
| Abstract: | This paper uses value-added models and panel data from a comprehensive set of highstakes secondary school exams to assess determinants of student performance during the coronavirus pandemic in Bhutan. Gender gaps, urban–rural gaps, and socioeconomic gaps do not appear to have widened substantially after the pandemic-related closure. Student characteristics (gender, access to a computer at home) and school characteristics (boarding facilities, urban location, class size, computers) predict performance. Quantile regression analysis shows that home learning environment (parental education) is a predictor of Class XII performance for higher-performing Class X students. Computer ownership at home clearly improves English performance but the pattern is less clear for Dzongkha, which has limited software and internet content for instruction. Influence of past performance and gender is stronger for students in the lowperforming group. Boarding facilities played a unique role in Bhutan’s pandemic response, potentially mitigating learning losses and offsetting household differences that condition education outcomes. |
| Keywords: | education; distance learning; school closures |
| JEL: | I24 I28 |
| Date: | 2024–11–22 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ris:adbewp:0753 |
| By: | Mohiuddin, Hossain; Fitch-Polse, Dillon T. PhD |
| Abstract: | To understand the extent to which micromobility services such as bike-share and scooter-share are enabling car-light lifestyles by replacing driving, we explore the trip-chaining patterns of micromobility users. We use travel diary data collected from micromobility users in 48 cities across the US. Our analysis incorporated 15, 985 trip chains from 1, 157 survey participants who provided at least seven days of travel diary data, and an imputed dataset of 35, 623 trip chains from 1, 838 participants from the same survey. Our analysis of both datasets shows that a considerable portion of car owners are leaving their cars at home when using micromobility. This suggests that, for a subset of users, micromobility can form part of a car-free or car-light day of travel, despite having a car available. Trip chains with less frequent car use are composed of a variety of different modes in combination with micromobility. Micromobility services are supportive of complex trip chains that include both work and non-work trips with reduced reliance on cars. The use of micromobility services tends to entirely replace shorter car trips on shorter-length trip chains. Our findings show the importance of considering the chain of trips rather than individual trips to understand the sustainability potential of micromobility services. The policy implications of these findings are improving methods of travel behavior analysis of shared mobility services. |
| Keywords: | Social and Behavioral Sciences, Micromobility, shared mobility, trip chaining, mode choice, travel surveys |
| Date: | 2024–09–01 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:itsdav:qt2r66k788 |
| By: | Yu-Lieh Huang; Dean Katselas; Pin-Te Lin |
| Abstract: | This paper proposes and tests a different approach to investigating regional connectedness in the UK housing market. Drawing upon the notion that returns may be decomposed into components to reward homeowners for assuming common (market wide) risk, and a residual, which is compensation for idiosyncratic risk, we argue that the latter is particularly relevant when trying to understand regional connectedness. Using the dynamic network methodology with the raw return data, we firstly show that the South East has the greatest influence on regional market integrations, consistent with prior empirical research. Next, we filter the series for a common risk factor, resulting in regional return series which are unrelated to the national housing market. Doing so reveals London to be the most influential region in the country, consistent with intuition and prior theory. |
| Keywords: | Common Risk; Housing Market Connectedness; Idiosyncratic risk |
| JEL: | R3 |
| Date: | 2024–01–01 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arz:wpaper:eres2024-250 |
| By: | William M. Doerner (Federal Housing Finance Agency); Scott Susin (Federal Housing Finance Agency) |
| Abstract: | Mortgage appraisal accuracy became a major concern following the global financial crisis in the late 2000s. Legislative standards and industry guidance have adjusted professional practices to improve inefficiencies and inequities. Nonetheless, systematic misvaluation continues to be documented for single-family residential homes, which creates problems when appraisals are used by financial lenders to gauge potential risk and an asset's worth. Real estate prices have been appreciating continuously over the last dozen years, which means comparable sales and benchmark indices merit revisions to reflect fair market conditions, but it only happens for around 10% of properties. We sample from a uniform appraisal database of over 45 million records from "subject" single-family properties and 228 million records from "comparable" homes covering the entire United States from 2015 through 2023. This paper asks whether time adjustments are made, if they improve fair market measurements, and whether they fix neighborhood appraisal disparities. Results show these readily available corrections are underutilized, too small, applied less frequently in minority areas, and cure half of initial underappraisals. The limited usage of time adjustment accounts for as much as 67% of the underappraisal bias in Black neighborhoods and 49% of the disparity in Hispanic neighborhoods. |
| Keywords: | appraisal, mortgage, racial disparities, time adjustment, valuation |
| JEL: | D53 G21 G50 L85 R31 |
| Date: | 2024–11 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hfa:wpaper:24-07 |
| By: | Titik ANAS (Padjajaran University and Presisi Indonesia); Widdi MUGIJAYANI (Presisi Indonesia); Estiana CAHYAWATI (Presisi Indonesia); Muhammad RIDHO (Presisi Indonesia) |
| Abstract: | : The aim of this paper is to evaluate the importance of urban amenities to economic development using Indonesia as a case study. Indonesia has rich micro-level data on urban amenities, which we group in this paper into 12 categories, namely education, health, religious, and shopping facilities; accommodations; banks; historical sites; recreation sites; restaurants; public transportation stations; modern shopping facilities; and gas stations. Using panel data of 2007 and 2014, we test how urban amenities affect regional development, proxied by employment and population growth. We show that education and shopping facilities significantly affect the growth of employment and population. We also found that the effect of the availability of education facilities is stronger in the regions with industrial parks. |
| Keywords: | firm-level data; globalisation; productivity |
| JEL: | F15 F23 |
| Date: | 2024–06–18 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:era:wpaper:dp-2024-09 |
| By: | Neil Bhutta; Lauren Lambie-Hanson |
| Abstract: | Although rising mortgage interest rates between 2022 and 2023 captured headlines, the cost of upfront mortgage fees also increased significantly during that time. Using new Home Mortgage Disclosure Act data on fees, collected since 2018, we estimate that borrowers’ out-of-pocket upfront costs for getting a home purchase mortgage rose nearly 33 percent from 2021 to 2023, to almost $6, 500. We document that the main driver of this increase has been rising payments of “discount points, ” as opposed to other types of lender fees and third-party fees. We show that loans originated by nonbanks, in particular, have seen large increases in discount points and yet also carry the highest interest rates, on average, after accounting for borrower and loan traits that influence risk premia. |
| Keywords: | mortgage; closing costs; nonbanks; FinTech |
| JEL: | G21 G51 |
| Date: | 2024–11–12 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fip:fedpdp:99047 |
| By: | Lisa Barrow; Sarah Komisarow; Lauren Sartain |
| Abstract: | School districts across the US have adopted funding policies designed to distribute resources more equitably across schools. Concurrently, schools are increasing external fundraising efforts to supplement district budget allocations. We document both funding policies and fundraising efforts in Chicago Public Schools. We find that adoption of a weighted-student funding policy reallocated more dollars to schools with high shares of students eligible for free/reduced-price lunch, creating a policy-induced per-pupil expenditure gap. Further, almost all schools raised external funds over the study period, with most dollars raised concentrated in schools serving relatively affluent populations. We estimate that external fundraising offset the policy-induced per-pupil expenditure gap between schools enrolling the lowest and highest shares of FRL-eligible students by 23-35 percent. |
| Keywords: | education finance; public school; school funding; non-profits; fundraising; equity |
| JEL: | I22 I28 H75 |
| Date: | 2024–11–12 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fip:fedcwq:99061 |
| By: | Salman Asim; Stefan Dercon; Ravinder Gera Casley; Donna Harris |
| Abstract: | Evidence from high-income countries suggests that the quality of school leadership has measurable impacts on teacher behaviors and student learning achievement. However, there is a lack of rigorous evidence in low-income contexts, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa. This study tests the impact on student progression and test scores of a two-year, multi-phase intervention to strengthen leadership skills for head teachers, deputy head teachers, and sub-district education officials. The intervention consists of two phases of classroom training along with follow-up visits, implemented over two years. It focuses on skills related to making more efficient use of resources; motivating and incentivizing teachers to improve performance; and curating a culture in which students and teachers are all motivated to strengthen learning. A randomized controlled trial was conducted in 1, 198 schools in all districts of Malawi, providing evidence of the impact of the intervention at scale. The findings show that the intervention improved student test scores by 0.1 standard deviations, equivalent to around eight weeks of additional learning, as well as improving progression rates. The outcomes were achieved primarily as a result of improvements in the provision of remedial classes. |
| Keywords: | Education Quality; Primary School; Education Policy; Field Experiment |
| JEL: | I21 I28 C93 |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:csa:wpaper:2024-05 |
| By: | Beri, Parfait; Cochrane, Logan |
| Abstract: | The literature on the empirical link between public spending and school outcomes has yielded mixed and largely debated results. Given the current education landscape, where enrolment has improved considerably, it is crucial to reexamine how public spending impacts school performance across different quantiles. To this end, this study employed panel data from low- and lower-middle-income countries (LMICs) from 1990 to 2021 to investigate how public education spending impacts the relationship. It finds that public spending significantly affects enrolment at the median and higher quantiles at pre-primary schools but has an insignificant relationship in low-enrolling countries. The study also finds that spending positively and substantially influences primary school enrolment across all quantiles. Still, it negatively impacts dropout rates, with significant coefficients only in the 50th and higher quantiles. The relationship, however, was statistically insignificant in countries with the lowest dropout rates. While the ineffectiveness of public spending in further reducing school dropout rates in countries with the lowest out-of-school children is obvious, investigating why spending is ineffective during early childhood in low-enrolling countries is an important area for future research. |
| Keywords: | Public spending, School performance, School enrolment, out-of-school children, Child mortality, Quantile regression |
| JEL: | I21 I22 I25 I28 |
| Date: | 2024–08–15 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:122559 |
| By: | Kristel Ruutmets (Institute of Education, University of Tartu); Evi Saluveer (Institute of Education, University of Tartu) |
| Abstract: | One of the essential 21st-century skills that teacher educators should focus on is developing their students' critical thinking. Chatfield (2018) claims that thinking critically involves understanding what is happening by using reasoning, evaluating evidence, and carefully considering the thinking process. However, in many classrooms, students' primary focus seems to be on what they are expected to do and how it will be assessed. This may be because textbook activities often emphasize lower-order thinking skills (LOTS) over higher-order thinking skills (HOTS), as indicated by various research studies. Therefore, it is the teacher's responsibility to create tasks that enable students to be flexible, creative and original, solve problems, and ask relevant questions. The presentation provides a brief overview of student teacher research on a primary school English coursebook set used in Estonian schools and offers some ideas for tasks and activities we have used to enhance student teachers' critical thinking skills. |
| Keywords: | Critical thinking skills, Teacher education, Tasks and activities |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:sek:iacpro:14616352 |
| By: | Titik ANAS (Padjajaran University and Presisi Indonesia); Widdi MUGIJAYANI (Presisi Indonesia); Estiana CAHYAWATI (Presisi Indonesia); Muhammad RIDHO (Presisi Indonesia) |
| Abstract: | The aim of this study is to measure the quality of urban amenities in Bekasi and Tangerang regions, Indonesia. The urban amenities range from transportation, public goods and services, private consumption goods, and entertainment. In this study, we use both primary and secondary data in which the primary data are obtained from web scraping process while the secondary data are collected from the stakeholders’ data publication. It can be summarised that Tangerang has many better urban amenities compared to Bekasi region. |
| Keywords: | urban amenities; quality measurement; Bekasi; Tangerang; Indonesia |
| JEL: | F15 F23 |
| Date: | 2024–06–18 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:era:wpaper:dp-2024-10 |
| By: | Ruben Enikolopov; Maria Petrova; Gianluca Russo; David Yanagizawa-Drott |
| Abstract: | We examine the long-run effect of homophily in online social networks on interpersonal interactions in local communities. We measure online homophily across counties in the US using Facebook data. For identification, we exploit a conflict between Facebook and Google over data sharing of user information during the early expansion phase of Facebook. We find evidence that homophilic connections led to increased social media usage but reduced offline socialization. This shift was accompanied by deterioration of local social cohesion, as individuals became less connected across income strata and less likely to share the same political opinions with others in their counties. |
| Keywords: | social media, networks, homophily, social capital |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ces:ceswps:_11375 |
| By: | Sanguinetti, Angela PhD; Alston-Stepnitz, Eli; Nelson, Leslie; Searl, Emily; DePew, Ashley |
| Abstract: | Pilot programs in California and beyond are exploring universal basic mobility (UBM), which calls upon government actors to ensure that everyone can access transportation services for basic needs. UBM addresses the problem of transport poverty, which is defined in various ways but is generally when transportation spending puts one below the poverty line or transportation is exceedingly time-consuming, unsafe, or unavailable. This research evaluated UBM-inspired pilot programs in Oakland and Bakersfield, via pre- and post-pilot surveys and interviews during the programs. Both pilots provided free-fare transportation services (shared micromobility in both cities and public transit services in Oakland) to populations vulnerable to transport poverty (residents of a low-income, minority-majority community in East Oakland and current and former foster youth in Bakersfield). Participants replaced car trips and/or walking with shared mobility and/or public transportation and reported improved access to jobs, food, health care, and social and recreational opportunities. They were able to go more places, more efficiently, and perhaps even enjoy the trip. The services helped participants carry out activities with more comfort and dignity and yielded social and cultural benefits. Lessons learned for program design and administration include the need for: providing some car-based services; clear communications throughout the program; training/support components for new mobility options; troubleshooting operations; and planning for turnover in program staff and fast changes in micromobility services. |
| Keywords: | Social and Behavioral Sciences, Mobility, transportation disadvantaged persons, low income groups, travel behavior, public transit, shared mobility, micromobility, pilot studies |
| Date: | 2024–10–01 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:itsdav:qt6j66v8kc |
| By: | Tzuchin Lin; Hsiu-Yin Ding |
| Abstract: | Land readjustment has been widely employed in Taiwan to facilitate an orderly urban development with little financial burdens to the city. Although landowners participating in land readjustment are required to contribute part of their land holdings to the city, this project area will normally be up-zoned. In consequence, the smaller parcels that remain with landowners are typically valued substantially higher than the original larger parcels. Contributed portions of land are used as sites of public infrastructures and also sold by auction to pay for the constructions of infrastructures. In contrast, in a similar development area where land readjustment is not used, both sites of infrastructure and construction will be paid for by public budget. Land readjustment therefore acts not only as a development instrument but also a fiscal one. In practice, in a booming housing market, the government is often left with a substantial amount of financial surplus when land readjustment projects are completed. The financial surplus will be deposited in a special fund which can be paid to a wide variety of public uses. The operation of this fund is overseen by a special committee and city councilors. The scrutiny of fund operation is however not as tight as regular city budgeting. In consequence, this fund is often criticized to have become a mayor’s private coffer. This research looks into the official budgeting and spending records of Taipei city, the capital of Taiwan, with the attempt to understanding how the fund has been spent over time. It is hoped through this analysis to explore whether the above observation has lured the city to exploit land readjustment as a supplementary financial source and even to deliberately over-develop the city with this scheme. |
| Keywords: | land development; land finance; Land Readjustment |
| JEL: | R3 |
| Date: | 2024–01–01 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arz:wpaper:eres2024-237 |
| By: | Qiulin Ke |
| Abstract: | The benefits of cycling as a sustainable transportation mode are widely recognized. In recent years, the concept of commuting by bike has gained considerable attention. Cycling to work brings a multiple benefits for individuals, employers and the environment from improving physical health, wellbeing, productivity and public health to reducing carbon emissions. Governments in many countries have implemented a variety of policy measures, intervention and initiatives to increase the cycling level. Some cities and town encouraged workplaces to provide bike-friendly amenities such as secure bike parking/storage, showers, and changing rooms (called end of trip facilities) to accommodate cyclists and motivate more employees to embrace sustainable transportation options. At the same time, such amenities are identified to influence cycling behavior and deter the people from cycling to work. Given the desirability for these amenities, the number of the office building with bike storage and share room is small; their economic value is unknown. In this paper, we investigate whether presence of cycling to work supportive facilities could add value to office buildings. This study uses office buildings across the England at the end of 2021, we examine with hedonic technique:1. Whether the office buildings with bike storage and/or shower facility could secure rent premium; 2. Whether the existence of rent premium for bike storage and/or shower varies in location and across regions in England and independently from the premium for BREEM certificate. |
| Keywords: | bike storage; cycle to work; rent of office building; shower room |
| JEL: | R3 |
| Date: | 2024–01–01 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arz:wpaper:eres2024-224 |
| By: | Lina María Sánchez-Céspedes; |
| Abstract: | Areas with violence problems have traditionally been considered the origin of migration flows but not their destination. We propose that the effect of violence on the choice of a destination depends on economic incentives and pre-violence exposition. High levels of violence in a location lowers the utility of migrating to that location. This is the direct effect of violence. However, violence may also eject people, decreasing labour supply, making a municipality attractive to migrants. This is the indirect effect. To estimate both effects, we apply: “The restricted mediation model with instrumental variables”. Violence is the “treatment”, unemployment is the “mediator” and the number of migrants from an origin to each destination is the “final outcome”. We estimate this model for 1091 sender municipalities. We find that municipal unemployment decreases as the homicide rate increases. For some municipalities, the indirect effect of violence via unemployment attenuates, cancels, or even exceeds its negative direct effect. We find migration flows toward municipalities with high levels of violence and unemployment. The municipalities where we observe this behaviour belong to manufacturing clusters or to regions dedicated to produce oil, coal, and coca, among others. |
| Keywords: | destination choice, direct and indirect effects, economic incentives, emigration, migration, unemployment, violence |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hic:wpaper:416 |
| By: | Wozniak, Abigail (Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis); Baker, Michael T. (U.S. Military Academy, West Point); Carter, Susan P. (U.S. Military Academy, West Point) |
| Abstract: | A large literature links marriage to later life outcomes for children and adults. Marriage has declined markedly in the U.S. over the last 50 years, particularly among individuals with less than a baccalaureate degree, yet the causes of the decline are not well understood. In this paper we provide causal evidence on one potential mechanism for the observed marriage rate patterns: peer effects. We use administrative personnel data from the U.S. Army to study how peers influence marriage decisions for junior enlisted soldiers arriving to their first assignment from 2001-2018, a setting which features substantial variation in peer group marriage rates and conditional random assignment to peer groups. We find that exposure to the 75th versus 25th percentile of our identifying variation in peer marriage rates increases the likelihood that an unmarried individual marries within two years of assignment by 1.9 percent. We show that lateral peers and near supervisors alike influence marriage decisions and we argue that our results are most consistent with conformist behavior, where peers influence marriage decisions through role-modeling and group social norms. The effect of peers is larger for men, and for Black and Hispanic men, in particular. While the effect of peers attenuates after 36 months for white and Hispanic men, effects persist and continue to grow over time for Black men, suggesting that our results are not fully explained by re-timing. We benchmark our estimates against previous research and argue that the effect of peers on individual marriage decisions is economically meaningful. |
| Keywords: | marriage formation, marriage, peer effects |
| JEL: | J12 J11 J13 D1 D91 |
| Date: | 2024–11 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp17443 |
| By: | Gunther Maier; Katarzyna Reyman; Micha Guszak |
| Abstract: | Real Estate is one of the key sectors when it comes to the development toward sustainability. National and international policy as well as the market request buildings to be sustainable. The complexity of buildings and their durability make it difficult, however, to determine their degree of sustainability as well as to demonstrate it to potential buyers. Green building certification schemas were developed as instruments to measure sustainability of buildings and as instruments for third party verification of building quality in this realm.In this paper we want to investigate the diffusion process of certified green buildings in Europe. We will look at the diffusion over space and over time for the most important international certification schemas. We will try to identify leaders and laggers in the process at the levels of countries, regions, and cities. Since this is exploratory work, we will try to derive hypotheses about the reasons for certain observable patterns. These should serve as the basis for future more detailed research. |
| Keywords: | diffusion; Europe; Green Buildings |
| JEL: | R3 |
| Date: | 2024–01–01 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arz:wpaper:eres2024-225 |
| By: | Arold, Benjamin W. (University of Cambridge); Woessmann, Ludger (University of Munich, ifo Institute; Hoover Institution, Stanford University; CESifo, IZA); Zierow, Larissa (Reutlingen University, CESifo) |
| Abstract: | We study whether compulsory religious education in schools affects students’ religiosity as adults. We exploit the staggered termination of compulsory religious education across German states in models with state and cohort fixed effects. Using three different datasets, we find that abolishing compulsory religious education significantly reduced religiosity of affected students in adulthood. It also reduced the religious actions of personal prayer, church-going, and church membership. Beyond religious attitudes, the reform led to higher labor-market participation and earnings. The reform did not affect ethical and political values or non-religious school outcomes. |
| Keywords: | religious education, religiosity, school reforms JEL Classification: Z12, I28, H75 |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cge:wacage:732 |
| By: | Rodríguez-Pose, Andrés; Bartalucci, Federico; Lozano-Gracia, Nancy; Dávalos, María |
| Abstract: | Territorial development theory and practice have witnessed significant change in recent times. This change has increasingly put the spatial dimension at the centre of development policies. Where agglomeration-focused policies derived from urbanization and agglomeration economics were once prominent, their empirical limitations have become increasingly apparent. Greater territorial polarization and pervasive left-behindedness has underscored the need for a more inclusive territorial development approach prompting increased interest in understanding and addressing regional disparities to ensure more equitable economic growth. This article synthesizes the growing interest in territorial development, which has driven to the adoption of what are increasingly place-based and place-sensitive approaches to development. The article also emphasises the need for complementary between efficiency-driven and equity-focused interventions, while highlighting emerging topics in regional economics research, including the role of institutions, agency, and external megatrends such as the green transition. We conclude by advocating a place-sensitive approach that tailors policies to regional challenges, promoting economic potential, diversification, and inclusivity across all regions. |
| Keywords: | economic development; growth; efficiency; equity territories; regions |
| JEL: | R11 O18 R58 Q56 |
| Date: | 2024–12–31 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ehl:lserod:125629 |
| By: | Busso, Matías; Alfonso, Mariana; Ñopo, Hugo R.; Rivera Bianchi, Antonella Maria; Yentzen, Triana |
| Abstract: | Education systems seeking to improve outcomes must attract, develop, and retain highly effective teachers. A critical challenge is making the teaching profession appealing to talented youth. This paper presents evidence from an experiment in Peru, where we provided high school seniors with information about recent reforms to the teaching career. Wefi nd positive effects on both the extensive and intensive margins: treated students were more likely to enroll in higher education and to choose an education major. These results suggest that career incentives and information can shape not only the current teaching workforce but also future cohorts. |
| Keywords: | Civil Service Reform;Education policy;Teachers;Information Treatment;Randomized Control Trial |
| JEL: | I28 I23 J40 O10 |
| Date: | 2024–11 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:idb:brikps:13821 |
| By: | Wenxiao WANG (Zhongnan University of Economics and Law); Shandre THANGAVELU (Sunway University, The University of Adelaide) |
| Abstract: | This study examines the relationship between city agglomeration and firm-level performance of global value chains (GVCs) in China. Using a novel dataset of night-time light data and survey data from Chinese manufacturing firms, the dynamic changes of urban agglomeration in China are studied, analysing their impact on firm-level productivity, GVC participation, and GVC upstreamness. The results highlight that the concentration of economic activity in urban areas can lead to productivity gains for firms, especially in the upstream stages of GVCs, which is characterised by higher value-added activities and better access to knowledge and technology. The study also finds that urban agglomeration promotes industrial specialisation and human capital spillovers, further improving the upstreamness of firms in GVCs. Firms in larger cities also tend to be more productive, participate more in GVCs, and are closer to the final demand of GVCs. |
| Keywords: | city agglomeration, global value chains, productivity, upstreamness, GVC participation |
| JEL: | F14 F23 |
| Date: | 2024–06–18 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:era:wpaper:dp-2024-14 |
| By: | Daniel Grodzicki (Federal Housing Finance Agency); Sean Cannon (Federal Housing Finance Agency); Christopher W. Davis (Federal Housing Finance Agency); Ken Lam (Federal Housing Finance Agency) |
| Abstract: | We study the impact of neighborhoods' race composition on appraisers' valuation decisions in home purchase appraisals. Controlling for many appraisal inputs, including the appraiser themselves, we find that low appraisals (below the contract price) are at least 23 percent more likely in majority African American neighborhoods relative to neighborhoods with no African American residents. Instrumental variable estimates, based on historical race shares, indicate an impact of at least 13 percent. However, this effect dissipates when appraisers work in neighborhoods in which they have appraised before or in which many appraisals were recently completed, facts consistent with information based models of discrimination. |
| Keywords: | appraisal, discrimination, mortgage |
| JEL: | R30 J15 G21 |
| Date: | 2024–11 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hfa:wpaper:24-06 |
| By: | Abu Siddique (Institute for Fiscal Studies); Michael Vlassopoulos (Department of Economics, University of Southampton,); Yves Zenou (Department of Economics, Monash University,) |
| Date: | 2024–05–10 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ifs:ifsewp:24/20 |
| By: | Amie Bostic; Allen Hyde |
| Abstract: | Previous research has highlighted the disadvantaged position immigrants often face in the economy, particularly when it comes to labor market outcomes such as employment or earnings. Extending this literature, the present study evaluates the economic exclusion of immigrants, conceptualized not as labor market outcomes but as relative poverty. This study examines the relationship between welfare generosity and immigrant poverty across rich western democracies and compares this relationship with that of native poverty. One publicly held belief is that immigrants disproportionately benefit from welfare generosity, while the literature on welfare chauvinism suggests greater social spending may not necessarily benefit immigrants. Furthermore, the effects may vary by spending and immigrant type. This study uses the Luxembourg Income Study to consider differences in the effects of welfare generosity on the odds an immigrant or native household is poor, how this effect varies by the type of spending, and how the effect changes depending on factors such as region of origin or citizenship status. Using four waves of data circa 2004 to 2014 across 24 upper- and middle-income democracies, the results show some support for welfare chauvinism and advantages to being an intra-EU immigrant and citizen immigrant. |
| Date: | 2023–04 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:lis:liswps:858 |
| By: | Peter Toth (National Bank of Slovakia); Matej Vitalos (Supreme Audit Office of the Slovak Republic) |
| Abstract: | We study the returns to language skills of immigrants using the European Adult Education Survey (2016). We estimate a standard income equation augmented by self-reported proficiency levels in the host country's language and in English. Contrary to earlier literature, we find that the inclusion of English skills of immigrants increases the estimated returns to proficiency in the local language. Next, considering heterogeneous effects across occupations, we find significantly positive returns to language proficiency only for medium-skilled occupations. Among those, blue-collar jobs reward fluency in both the local language and English. Whereas in white-collar jobs, only the knowledge of English yields significantly higher income. These estimates are consistent with occupational sorting of immigrants and suggest that there are complementarities between proficiency in languages and job skills for some occupations. Following earlier literature, we also corrected the potential endogeneity bias in host-country language skills using instrumental variable methods. Our findings could be relevant for immigration policies in Europe. |
| JEL: | J15 J31 J61 |
| Date: | 2024–11 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:svk:wpaper:1114 |
| By: | Yoo, Yiseon (Korea Institute for Industrial Economics and Trade); Hong, Jang Jae (Regional Policy Research Institute) |
| Abstract: | In this article, we propose a definition for “regional balanced development, ” drawing from works in the literature and an analysis of its elemental terms. We briefly review the history of regional balanced development (RBD) in Korea and explore the directions future policy may take. |
| Keywords: | balanced development; regional development; regional inequality; demographic change; demographics; population aging; local extinction; Korea; KIET |
| JEL: | R10 R11 R12 |
| Date: | 2024–09–01 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ris:kieter:2024_023 |
| By: | Abel François; Nicolas Lagios; Pierre-Guillaume Méon |
| Abstract: | We estimate the causal effect of the electoral system on corruption by leveraging a specificity of the French electoral law where the electoral system for municipal councils depends on municipal population. Specifically, municipalities with fewer than 1, 000 inhabitants use an individual majority system, while those above this threshold use a proportional list system. Exploiting that discontinuity in a regression discontinuity design and using survey and actual corruption data, we find that the proportional list system results in higher levels of perceived and actual corruption than the individual majority system. |
| Keywords: | corruption, electoral systems, local government |
| JEL: | D72 D73 |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ces:ceswps:_11328 |
| By: | Bortolotti, Stefania (University of Bologna); Loviglio, Annalisa (University of Bologna) |
| Abstract: | We study the impact of a personalized mentoring program on university enrollment choices and academic outcomes. Conducting a randomized controlled trial among 337 high school students, we find that the program significantly influences students' decisions. The likelihood of choosing a field aligned with their mentor increases by 14 to 22 percentage points, depending on the sample and specification, representing a 25% to 45% increase from the baseline. Notably, the program also shifts preferences towards STEM/Economics fields, potentially enhancing prospective wages by 3.1- 3.7%. Using administrative data, we confirm the validity of survey-based evidence and show that the intervention does not negatively impact university performance, even though treated students enroll in more competitive fields. |
| Keywords: | mentoring, university choices, RCT |
| JEL: | C93 I23 I26 |
| Date: | 2024–10 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp17417 |
| By: | Congressional Budget Office |
| Abstract: | Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) that purchase mortgages from lenders, package them into securities to be sold to investors, and guarantee the timely payment of those securities, charging fees in exchange for that guarantee. By law and regulation, the GSEs must allocate a share of their purchases to mortgages made to low-income families and certain underserved populations. The details of that allocation are described in directives known as housing goals. |
| JEL: | G21 G28 H53 I38 |
| Date: | 2024–11–13 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cbo:report:60190 |
| By: | Boahene Kwajo (Ntonso SDA JHS) |
| Abstract: | The free senior high school policy is one of best social and economic intervention policies that openly affect both parents and their wards in senior high school. This realisation is reached on the backdrop of the policy's role in redeeming parents from their economic and financial burden. This study therefore looks at the effect of introducing the free senior high school policy on the economic and social lives of parents and students respectively. A correlational cross-sectional descriptive design was used. Questionnaires were administered on three hundred and thirty-six (336) parents of wards in three senior high schools in the North East and Upper East Regions of Ghana. The study confirms that the introduction of the free senior high school policy relieved the financial burden of parents, especially guardians from rural settlements. Besides, there was lack of adequate stakeholder consultation, hence saddled with implementation challenges. Delay in disbursement of funds for feeding and learning materials presented yet another problem. It is important that governments find sustainable sources of funding the educational system and also ensure the double-track system is regularised into a single-track system by expanding academic user facilities and increasing the numerical strength of both teaching and non-teaching staff in various senior high schools. |
| Keywords: | Free, Education and Economy |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:sek:iacpro:14616438 |
| By: | John Muellbauer |
| Abstract: | Housing has been heavily implicated in many financial crises, e.g. in the Global Financial Crisis of 2008-9. Since the GFC, new macroprudential frameworks have been introduced across the globe, with housing-related tools prominent. This paper explains how the housing-related financial accelerator operates, and discusses institutional differences affecting the transmission and amplification of house price and credit shocks and therefore risks to the financial system and to the resilience of households. The objectives of housing-related macroprudential policy are discussed and research on diagnosing potential housing risk critically reviewed. Limitations of the literature on the effectiveness of housing-related macroprudential tools in international panel studies are examined, including from the neglect of country-heterogeneity, except in fixed effects. How aggregate cost-benefit analyses of the consequences of macroprudential policies has benefitted from the development of the Growth-at-Risk framework is explained. Research is reviewed on the distributional implications, often negative in the short-run, for example, on access to credit of lower income and first-time buyer households, but beneficial in the longer run. The importance of a general equilibrium approach integrating micro and macro data is emphasised, and developments in the agent-based modelling approach are discussed. The need to coordinate macroprudential policies with other housing-related policies is highlighted. |
| Date: | 2024–11–12 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:oxf:wpaper:1056 |
| By: | Motta Café, Renata |
| Abstract: | Limited access to credit has been identified as a major constraint to sustainable municipal development, but empirical evidence on the effectiveness of credit operations remains inconclusive. This paper evaluates the impact of federal government guaranteed loans on public expenditures. Using data from Brazilian municipalities and a regression discontinuity design that leverages a discontinuity in the eligibility criteria for federal government guarantees, I show that the loans have a positive impact on the quality of local expenditure and social outcome indicators. This impact is characterized by a significant increase in investment while keeping personnel expenditures stable. |
| Keywords: | State capacity;Access to credit;public expenditure;municipal development |
| JEL: | H71 H75 R51 |
| Date: | 2024–11 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:idb:brikps:13819 |
| By: | Jonathan Hartley; Nuno Paixão |
| Abstract: | This note analyzes mortgage stress tests, a macroprudential tool. We find that when mortgage stress tests are applied to all mortgage purchase originations, they improve credit quality and reduce credit and house price growth. They also improve the resilience of borrowers to financial shocks, such as the large increase in interest rates during 2022–23. |
| Keywords: | Credit and credit aggregates; Financial institutions; Financial system regulation and policies; Monetary policy |
| JEL: | E5 E52 G2 G21 G28 G5 G50 G51 |
| Date: | 2024–11 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:bca:bocsan:24-25 |
| By: | Beri, Parfait; Cochrane, Logan; Syed Fazlullah, Sarah |
| Abstract: | This paper delves into the effects of public investment on primary school enrollment in low- and lower-middle-income countries (LMICs) over three decades, from 1990 to 2020. Autoregressive distributed lag models are employed to evaluate the long-term influence of public spending on enrollment for the whole sample and four distinct sub-samples, while also probing the potential non-linear nature of this relationship. Findings reveal that public expenditure has a significant, positive impact on enrollment across LMICs, including low-income countries (LICs), lower-middle-income countries (LMCs), and sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) in the long run. These effects persist under non-linear model specifications. This research provides fresh empirical insights by adopting a long-term viewpoint on the nexus between educational funding and enrollment trends in LMICs. These findings highlight the critical role of sustained and efficient funding for achieving enrollment goals, a cornerstone for the advancement of sustainable development. |
| Keywords: | Public spending, government expenditure, school enrolment, education, SDG4. |
| JEL: | I21 I22 I24 I28 |
| Date: | 2024–04–05 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:122561 |
| By: | Ooi Boon Keat (School of Education and Social Sciences, Management and Science University, Malaysia Author-2-Name: Lu Jing Yi Author-2-Workplace-Name: School of Education and Social Sciences, Management and Science University, Malaysia Author-3-Name: Yue Peng Fei Author-3-Workplace-Name: Institute of Education Sciences, Hubei Normal University, China Author-4-Name: Author-4-Workplace-Name: Author-5-Name: Author-5-Workplace-Name: Author-6-Name: Author-6-Workplace-Name: Author-7-Name: Author-7-Workplace-Name: Author-8-Name: Author-8-Workplace-Name:) |
| Abstract: | " Objective - This study aimed to investigate the variables affecting the mental health of Ping Mei High School students in Chifeng, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China. Methodology/Technique - 147 secondary school students from classes that will take national examinations participated in this survey. The DASS-21 scale and self-reported variables were used to evaluate the students' mental health. Findings - The study's findings indicated that relationships between teachers and students, families, and academics are all significant factors that influence mental health status. The survey also determined how well students coped with mental health issues. Junior high school students at Ping Coal Middle School in Chifeng City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China, were concerned with mental health conditions more related to anxiety and depression, but as students, they did not show substantial symptoms of stress; male students were better than female students in terms of academics and teacher-student relationship factors, and female students were higher than male students in terms of anxiety levels; academics, family, teacher-student relationships, and coping strategies were significantly negatively correlated with depression; academics and teacher-student relationships were, respectively, significantly and mildly negatively correlated with anxiety; on the other hand, academics were significantly and mildly negatively correlated with anxiety. significantly and mildly negatively correlated with anxiety; on the other hand, academics were significantly negatively correlated with stress. Novelty - This may be related to the profile of the participants, who were high school students taking the national examination. In addition, the teacher-student relationship was also associated with depression and anxiety levels. The final finding of this study was that family factors negatively predicted depression levels among secondary school students; teacher-student relationships negatively predicted anxiety and depression levels among secondary school students. Type of Paper - Empirical" |
| Keywords: | Depressionï¼›Anxietyï¼›Stressï¼›Mental health status |
| JEL: | I10 I11 I19 |
| Date: | 2024–09–30 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:gtr:gatrjs:jmmr336 |
| By: | Antonella Bancalari (Institute for Fiscal Studies); Juan Pablo Rud (Institute for Fiscal Studies) |
| Date: | 2024–11–18 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ifs:ifsewp:24/54 |
| By: | Edyta Marcinkiewicz; Filip Chybalski |
| Abstract: | Our study contributes to the discussion on the impact of imputed rent on poverty. In this paper, we address the issue of the relevance of imputed rent specifically in regard to the welfare of older people. Our aim is to assess how imputed rental income relates to monetary income for both homeowners and subsidized tenants, to draw more comprehensive picture of poverty among retirees, who are considered to be an economically vulnerable group. We employ the Luxembourg Income Study database (wave X) to compare the situation of elderly households in seventeen countries in this respect. The results obtained demonstrate that although imputed rental income is quite universal among the older population, there is a lot of a cross-country variation in this respect, which partly can be attributed to the methodological constraints. Nonetheless, we can conclude that imputed rental income contributes to poverty reduction. This also entails some policy implications in the long run, especially in the face of housing market shifts, rising wealth inequalities and the expected reduction in the generosity of public pensions. |
| Date: | 2023–04 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:lis:liswps:857 |
| By: | Zhao, Yu |
| Abstract: | Accurately forecasting whether a real estate transaction will close is crucial for agents, lenders, and investors, impacting resource allocation, risk management, and client satisfaction. This task, however, is complex due to a combination of economic, procedural, and behavioral factors that influence transaction outcomes. Traditional machine learning approaches, particularly gradient boosting models like Gradient Boost Decision Tree, have proven effective for tabular data, outperforming deep learning models on structured datasets. However, recent advances in attention-based deep learning models present new opportunities to capture temporal dependencies and complex interactions within transaction data, potentially enhancing prediction accuracy. This article explores the challenges of forecasting real estate transaction closures, compares the performance of machine learning models, and examines how attention-based models can improve predictive insights in this critical area of real estate analytics. |
| Date: | 2024–11–08 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:osf:osfxxx:sxmq2 |
| By: | Ronak Jain; Vatsal Khandelwal |
| Abstract: | Inaccurate beliefs about social norms can reduce useful social interactions and adversely affect an individual’s ability to deal with negative shocks. We implement a randomized controlled trial with low-income workers in urban India who lack access to formal financial and healthcare support. We find that the majority of individuals underestimate their community’s willingness to engage in dialogue around financial and mental health concerns. Belief correction leads to a large increase in the demand for network-based assistance. We show that the effects are driven by a reduction in the perceived costs of violating social norms arising due to concerns around reputation and insensitivity. We structurally estimate a network diffusion model and predict that our belief correction intervention will not lead to a shift in equilibrium engagement. Consistent with this, 2 years later, we find that the average beliefs of those exposed to the intervention are significantly more optimistic but still lower than the information delivered in the experiment. We compute the strength of counterfactual interventions needed to generate a sustained effect and find that belief correction can be used to generate both the demand and funding for such policies. |
| Keywords: | Social networks, social norms, beliefs, risk sharing, mental health |
| JEL: | C93 D83 D91 I12 I31 Z13 |
| Date: | 2024–09 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zur:econwp:455 |
| By: | Dang, Hai-Anh H.; Deininger, Klaus; Cuong Viet Nguyen |
| Abstract: | We investigate the impact of a large-scale poverty alleviation program targeted at 62 poorest districts in Vietnam, analyzing multiple datasets spanning the past 20 years with a regression discontinuity design with district fixed effects. While we do not find significant program effects on household welfare (as measured by per capita income and poverty) and local economic development (as measured by nighttime light intensity and establishment of new firms), we find that the program facilitates a shift from farm to nonfarm employment and significantly increases the share of nonfarm income for rural households. One possible explanation for the positive effects on nonfarm employment is the improved access to credit that the program provides to participating households. We also find that the program increases household access to electricity, public transfer, educational subsidies for students residing in the program districts, and healthcare utilization, possibly through improving availability of commune healthcare centers. |
| Keywords: | poverty, targeting, household surveys, Vietnam |
| JEL: | C15 D31 I31 O10 O57 |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:glodps:1519 |
| By: | Asbjoern Juul Petersen (Department of Economics, University of Copenhagen) |
| Abstract: | investigate what affects foreign students’ decision to stay and work in the host country after completion of higher education. Specifically I ask whether the network of native peers at university affect the probability that foreign students in Denmark stay in the country and find employment after ended studies. To identify the causal effects, I exploit idiosyncratic variation in the share of Danish students who are admitted into each study program over adjacent cohorts. I find that an increase in the share of native peers of one standard deviation increases the probability that foreign students are employed in Denmark two years after ended studies by 4 pct. points. The effects are significant at least four years after ended studies. Improved professional network and knowledge of the Danish labor market seem to be an important mechanism. |
| Keywords: | Foreign students, labor supply, peer effects, higher education |
| JEL: | J22 I21 F66 |
| Date: | 2024–11–14 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:kud:kucebi:2417 |
| By: | TOYIN COTTIES ADETIBA (UNIVERSITY OF ZULULAND) |
| Abstract: | We are now sitting at homes, our rents are not being paid, we don?t have food, children are no longer going to schools and women, especially pregnant are at high risk of hunger, stress, and trauma. This was the confession of an African migrant in uMhlathuze area of Kwazulu-Natal Province, South Africa. South Africa has become a port of destination for migrants post-1994. As an emerging economy in Africa and its position as an advocate of peace, stability and enhancing democracy within the South African Development Community (SADC) and Africa as a whole. Many African migrants has therefore explored its relatively stable economy to better their lot. This paper is a product of the community engagement prgroamme facilitated by the author in 2023. The author identifies that the migrants who could be refugees and asylum seekers to a large extent are passing through some sort of untold hardship for certain reasons. Hence their frustration over the policies of the South Africa?s Department of Home Affairs. Using qualitative research method and push and pull theory, this paper discovered that most migrants in South Africa, particularly the asylum seekers and the refugees are in South Africa not because they wanted to but the situation at home has forced them to be in the Rainbow Nation notwithstanding the level of their frustrations. The author discusses the implications of frustrating the migrants who themselves are frustrated because of the condition back home. The paper concludes that the beauty of needs/interdependency productive relationships between the migrants and the South Africans in uMhlathuze area of Kwazulu-Natal Province, South Africa will go a long way to foster inclusivity and local economic development. |
| Keywords: | Africa, Inclusivity, Home Affairs, Community, Destination |
| JEL: | K37 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:sek:iacpro:14616283 |
| By: | Lola Blandin (GAEL - Laboratoire d'Economie Appliquée de Grenoble - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement - UGA - Université Grenoble Alpes - Grenoble INP - Institut polytechnique de Grenoble - Grenoble Institute of Technology - UGA - Université Grenoble Alpes); Hélène Bouscasse (CESAER - Centre d'économie et de sociologie rurales appliquées à l'agriculture et aux espaces ruraux - UBFC - Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté [COMUE] - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement - Institut Agro Dijon - Institut Agro - Institut national d'enseignement supérieur pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement); Sandrine Mathy (GAEL - Laboratoire d'Economie Appliquée de Grenoble - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement - UGA - Université Grenoble Alpes - Grenoble INP - Institut polytechnique de Grenoble - Grenoble Institute of Technology - UGA - Université Grenoble Alpes) |
| Abstract: | Numerous Low Emission Zones (LEZs) have been implemented across Europe to improve air quality and reduce car use. However, to date, the impact of LEZs has been widely perceived as regressive, since vehicles that meet the low emission requirements are more expensive than others. The literature assessing the impact of LEZs on vulnerable and poor households prior to their implementation is sparse, particularly if we take into account the diversity of households' capacities to adapt according to their characteristics and mobility habits, beyond the sole solution of purchasing a LEZ-compatible vehicle. However, such assessments would make it possible to define accompanying policies to improve the social justice of the LEZs. In this article, we develop a methodology to evaluate the ex-ante impacts of a LEZ on vulnerable or poor households. First, we identify households affected by the LEZ. Second, the VulMob multidimensional indicator is used to identify, among affected households, households with low transport-affordability and highly vulnerable households according to their vulnerability profiles. Third, we assess the adaptive capacity in terms of modal shift options and considering the possibility to modify the destination. We apply this methodology to the Grenoble area (France), using the Local Household Travel Survey. The results show that not only are highly vulnerable households more affected by the LEZ than other households, but also that more of them are left with no alternative but to buy a LEZ-compliant car. Nevertheless, modal shift seems an adaptation solution with great potential for all households. This could improve the environmental and health performance of LEZs. This work can guide decision-makers in the definition of preventive and compensatory policies, considering the profiles of transport vulnerability and the specificities of the territory. |
| Keywords: | Low-emission zone, Transport vulnerability, Ex-ante evaluation |
| Date: | 2025–03 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-04766903 |
| By: | Thomas F. Crossley (Institute for Fiscal Studies); Peter Levell (Institute for Fiscal Studies); Hamish Low (Institute for Fiscal Studies) |
| Date: | 2024–03–27 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ifs:ifsewp:24/09 |
| By: | Andrew Enomoto (Bunkyo University) |
| Abstract: | The aim of the current study was to investigate the perceptions and roles of AI and translation. software in learning English as a foreign language in a Japanese university classroom. 112 Japanese university students were selected based on random cluster sampling and participated in the study. Their attitudes towards the usage of AI and translation software were examined by a LIKERT-based questionnaire, given to them at the end of the academic semester. Results showed that over half of students engaged in using AI and translation software in their EFL classes. Students expressed that they used them mainly when they felt pressed for time and when the assignments given to them were too difficult. A majority also felt that their use helped them learn materials and did not consider them to be cheating when doing homework or class assignments. The use of AI and translation software can be lessened by having teacher explicitly warn against their usage, and by incorporating old-fashioned paper and pencil writing assignments. A majority of students also stated they would continue to use AI and translation software which would indicate that instead of railing against their uses in classes, teachers and educators may benefit from learning how to utilize them in class to enhance the students? learning experiences. |
| Keywords: | AI, Translation Software, Cheating, EFL, Writing Classes |
| JEL: | I29 I21 I20 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:sek:iacpro:14616407 |
| By: | Erika Soliz (UPB); Ricardo Nogales (UPB) |
| Abstract: | Access to clean energy is critical for economic development, poverty reduction, and enhancing individual well-being, aligning with Sen's capability approach which emphasizes the importance of energy services in achieving essential life functions. Despite its importance, nergy poverty remains underexplored in Latin America, particularly in Bolivia. We address this gap by evaluating energy poverty convergence at the municipal level in Bolivia from 2012 to 2016. We employ a β-convergence analysis to compare observed and expected convergence rates, identifying municipalities that are energy poverty pockets—regions with high initial poverty levels and slow improvement rates. Our study also characterizes these lagging municipalities and projects their energy poverty levels for 2030. Findings from our study aim to inform targeted public policies by highlighting regional disparities and providing a nuanced understanding of energy poverty dynamics in Bolivia, thereby contributing to more effective interventions aligned with national and international development goals. |
| Keywords: | Energy poverty; Bolivia; Convergence; Inequality. |
| JEL: | D63 P28 O13 |
| Date: | 2024–09 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iad:sdsnwp:0624 |
| By: | Isabel Stockton (Institute for Fiscal Studies); Annette Bergemann (University of Groningen); Stephan Brunow (University of Applied Labour Studies) |
| Date: | 2024–04–02 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ifs:ifsewp:24/10 |
| By: | Yoko Konishi (Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry, Tokyo) |
| Abstract: | Tourism was one of the sectors most damaged by COVID-19. The number of inbound tourists plummeted, and domestic travellers were forced to refrain from traveling for long periods due to the number of infections. This paper analyses the impact of policies (e.g. the ‘Go To Travel’ campaign) on tourism demand and the number of infected people on changes to business conditions at small and medium-sized lodging facilities by prefecture. We found that tourism policies increased demand for popular tourist destinations, but infections subsequently expanded, lowering business confidence. In addition, when the number of infected people was high at the time of the policy, as is the case in Okinawa and Hokkaido, business confidence did not recover. It was also found that inbound tourists stayed in all parts of Japan before the pandemic, but they were concentrated in large cities with airports during the pandemic. |
| Keywords: | business sentiment, SMEs, tourism demand, COVID-19 |
| JEL: | L84 R11 Z31 Z38 |
| Date: | 2024–05–07 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:era:wpaper:dp-2024-05 |
| By: | Xu, Tao; Hu, Yabei |
| Abstract: | The government of China, to hone manufacturing’s competitive edge, has adopted a series of regional industrial policies to stimulate advanced manufacturing clusters as facilitators of agglomeration effects, utilisers of factor endowments, and implementers of innovation solutions, by playing the role of facilitating state. Focusing on advanced manufacturing cluster policies in East China’s Jiangsu Province, the research employs a mixed data analysis methodology on a sample of 52 documents collected from the Jiangsu government and affiliated units. The policy orientations and priorities are examined under the triple analytical framework in terms of themes, instruments, and controls, applying textual mining and the PMC index model. The results reveal the alignment of policy themes with high-quality development strategy, the government preferences for the supply dimension in policy instruments, the emphasis on planning directive in policy controls, together with the relatively high internal consistency of the AMC policy toolkit by Jiangsu. Therefore, the research spotlights the importance of leveraging comparative strengths based upon the facilitating state institution, and of deploying internally coherent, scientific, and efficient initiatives that exploit more potential of advanced manufacturing clusters to foster sustainable prosperity from the perspective of new structural economics. |
| Keywords: | Advanced Manufacturing Cluster; Regional Industrial Policy; Mixed Text Analysis; Facilitating State; East China’s Jiangsu Province |
| JEL: | L5 L6 O1 O14 O19 O2 O24 O25 O3 O4 R5 |
| Date: | 2023–02–26 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:120904 |
| By: | Subash SASIDHARAN (Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, India); Shandre THANGAVELU (Sunway University, The University of Adelaide); Ketan REDDY (Indian Institute of Management Raipur, India) |
| Abstract: | In this study, we explore the impact of urban amenities and the global value chain (GVC) participation of Indian firms on their firm performance using firm-level data. The study uses micro-level data matching firms to urban amenities at the district level based on their district location. Using a panel data framework, we observe a positive relationship between urban amenities and the GVC participation of firms on their productivity performance. We also observe a positive impact of GVC participation on the productivity of firms, especially on their total factor productivity. In terms of channels, we observe the GVC impact through educational amenities on the productivity of the firms. This suggests education amenities increase the productive performance of GVC firms. We also observe that financial amenities tend to increase the productive performance of GVC firms. The results of the paper highlight the importance of urban amenities in affecting the productive performance of Indian firms in GVC activities. |
| Keywords: | Amenities Index; Global Value Chains: Manufacturing; TFP |
| JEL: | F14 F15 L6 |
| Date: | 2024–06–18 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:era:wpaper:dp-2024-13 |
| By: | Randi Hjalmarsson; Stephen Machin; Paolo Pinotti; Steve Machin |
| Abstract: | The economics of crime has emerged as a critical field over the past 30 years, with economists increasingly exploring the causes and consequences of criminal behavior. This chapter surveys key contributions and developments from labor economists, who investigate the (often two-way) intersection of crime with labor market factors, such as education, wages, and unemployment. The chapter underscores the importance of understanding criminal decision-making in economic analysis through the lens of opportunity costs and labor market conditions. Methodological advancements, particularly those addressing causation, have propelled the field forward, enabling more accurate conclusions to be drawn for policy recommendations. The chapter also explores the role of social policies and international contexts, emphasizing the need for evidence-based reforms to effectively reduce crime. This comprehensive review underscores the transformative impact of economics on crime research and its potential to influence real-world policies. |
| Keywords: | economics of crime, labor market, criminal record, education, research directions |
| JEL: | K42 J01 |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ces:ceswps:_11425 |