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Estimating Wal-Mart's Impacts in Maryland: A Test of Identification Strategies and Endogeneity Tests

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  • Michael J Hicks

    (Ball State University.)

Abstract

In this paper, I estimate the impact of Wal-Mart on labor markets in Maryland. My goal is to compare estimation techniques that incorporate corrections for endogeneity of Wal-Mart's entrance and those that test for and fail to reject exogeneity in Wal-Mart's entrance decision. The instrumental variable approaches I test include those offered by Basker and Neumark et al., and a new test introduced in this paper. I also explain why differences in choice of sample time and location may lead to different findings as to the impact of Wal-Mart. I find that there is weak evidence of endogeneity in Wal-Mart's entrance decision, but that the bias is opposite of that anticipated by most researchers. Most interestingly, there are no significant differences across instrumental variable techniques employed in the literature. As for Wal-Mart in Maryland, that exposure to Wal-Mart leads to lower retail employment (from zero to 414 retail jobs), but significantly higher retail wages (as much as $1.95 per hour) at the county level. I also find that exposure to Wal-Mart has no effect on aggregate labor markets, though aggregate wages are positively affected, although the impact is very small (roughly $160 per year). I recommend that Maryland adopt a policy neutral approach to Wal-Mart. Eastern Economic Journal (2008) 34, 56–73. doi:10.1057/palgrave.eej.9050002

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  • Michael J Hicks, 2008. "Estimating Wal-Mart's Impacts in Maryland: A Test of Identification Strategies and Endogeneity Tests," Eastern Economic Journal, Palgrave Macmillan;Eastern Economic Association, vol. 34(1), pages 56-73, Winter.
    • Handle: RePEc:pal:easeco:v:34:y:2008:i:1:p:56-73
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Han, Mengjie & Mihaescu, Oana & Li, Yujiao & Rudholm, Niklas, 2018. "Comparison and one-stop shopping after big-box retail entry: A spatial difference-in-difference analysis," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 175-187.
    2. Martens, Bobby J. & Dooley, Frank J. & Florax, Raymond J.G.M., 2010. "A Spatial Analysis of the Effect of Entry by Supercenter and Warehouse Club Retailers on Grocery Sales," Journal of Food Distribution Research, Food Distribution Research Society, vol. 41(2), pages 1-12, July.
    3. Vandegrift, Donald & Loyer, John & Kababik, David, 2011. "The effect of Walmart on the tax base: evidence from New Jersey," MPRA Paper 30937, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Rudholm, Niklas & Li, Yuijao & Kenneth, Carling, 2018. "How Does Big-Box Entry Affect Labor Productivity in Durable Goods Retailing? A Synthetic Control Approach," HUI Working Papers 130, HUI Research.
    5. Freedman, Emily A. & McConnon Jr., James C. & Hunt, Gary L. & Gabe, Todd M., 2016. "An Analysis of the Economic Impacts of Big-Box Stores on a Community’s Retail Sector: Evidence from Maine," Journal of Regional Analysis and Policy, Mid-Continent Regional Science Association, vol. 46(2), December.
    6. Michael Hicks, 2015. "Does Wal-Mart Cause an Increase in Anti-Poverty Expenditures?," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 96(4), pages 1136-1152, December.
    7. Nilsson, Helena, 2020. "IKEA entry - Effects on firms in retail and hospitality," HFI Working Papers 11, Institute of Retail Economics (Handelns Forskningsinstitut).
    8. Volpe, Richard J., III, 2011. "Evaluating the Performance of U.S. Supermarkets: Pricing Strategies, Competition from Hypermarkets, and Private Labels," Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Western Agricultural Economics Association, vol. 36(3), pages 1-16, December.
    9. Sven-Olov Daunfeldt & Oana Mihaescu & Helena Nilsson & Niklas Rudholm, 2017. "What happens when IKEA comes to town?," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 51(2), pages 313-323, February.
    10. Michael J. Hicks & Michael LaFaive, 2011. "The Influence of Targeted Economic Development Tax Incentives on County Economic Growth: Evidence From Michigan’s MEGA Credits," Economic Development Quarterly, , vol. 25(2), pages 193-205, May.
    11. Michael J. Hicks, 2007. "Job Turnover and Wages in the Retail Sector: The Influence of Wal-Mart," Journal of Private Enterprise, The Association of Private Enterprise Education, vol. 22(Spring 20), pages 137-160.
    12. Donald Vandegrift, 2016. "The effect of Walmart and Target on property tax rates," Letters in Spatial and Resource Sciences, Springer, vol. 9(3), pages 309-327, October.
    13. Peralta, Denis & Kim, Man-Keun, 2016. "Big-Box Retailers and Personal Income Growth in the U.S," 2016 Annual Meeting, July 31-August 2, Boston, Massachusetts 235216, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    14. Michael Hicks & Stanley Keil & Lee Spector, 2013. "Mom & Pop’s or Big Box Stores: Some evidence of Walmart’s impact on retail trade," Working Papers 201302, Ball State University, Department of Economics, revised Mar 2013.
    15. Donald Vandegrift & John Loyer, 2015. "The Effect Of Walmart And Target On The Tax Base: Evidence From New Jersey," Journal of Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 55(2), pages 159-187, March.
    16. Richard Volpe, 2014. "Supercenters, Unionized Labor, and Performance in Food Retail," Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 53(2), pages 325-355, April.
    17. Håkansson, Johan & Li, Yujiao & Mihaescu, Oana & Rudholm, Niklas, 2016. "Big-box retail entry in urban and rural areas: Are there productivity spillovers to incumbent retailers?," HUI Working Papers 118, HUI Research.
    18. Alessandro Bonanno & Stephan J. Goetz, 2012. "WalMart and Local Economic Development," Economic Development Quarterly, , vol. 26(4), pages 285-297, November.
    19. Bonanno, Alessandro & Lopez, Rigoberto A., 2012. "Wal-Mart's monopsony power in metro and non-metro labor markets," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 42(4), pages 569-579.
    20. Michael J. Hicks & Stanley R. Keil & Lee C. Spector, 2012. "Mom-and-Pops or Big Box Stores," Economic Development Quarterly, , vol. 26(4), pages 311-320, November.

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