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Convergence Across Italian Regions and the Role of Technological Catch-Up

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Marco Maffezzoli

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Abstract

This paper suggests that the main (and possibly unique) source of ?? and ?? convergence in GDP per worker (i.e. labor productivity) across Italian regions over the 1980-2000 period is the change in technical and allocative efficiency, i.e. convergence in relative TFP levels. To reach this conclusion, I construct an approximation of the production frontier at different points in time using Data Envelope Analysis (DEA), and measure efficiency as the output-based distance from the frontier. This method is entirely data-driven, and does not require the specification of any particular functional form for technology. Changes in GDP per worker can be decomposed in changes in relative efficiency, changes due to overall technological progress, and changes due to capital deepening. My results suggest that: (i) differences in relative TFP are quantitatively important; (ii) while technological progress and capital deepening are the main, and equally important, forces behind the rightward shift in the distribution of GDP per worker, convergence in relative TFP is the main determinant of the change in the distribution’s shape.

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Paper provided by IGIER (Innocenzo Gasparini Institute for Economic Research), Bocconi University in its series Working Papers with number 274.

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Date of creation: 2004
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Handle: RePEc:igi:igierp:274

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  1. Caselli, Francesco, 2004. "Accounting for Cross-Country Income Differences," CEPR Discussion Papers 4703, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  2. Guido Ascari & Valeria Di Cosmo, 2005. "Determinants of Total Factor Productivity in the Italian Regions," Macroeconomics 0511009, EconWPA. [Downloadable!]
  3. Fare, Rolf & Shawna Grosskopf & Mary Norris & Zhongyang Zhang, 1994. "Productivity Growth, Technical Progress, and Efficiency Change in Industrialized Countries," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 84(1), pages 66-83, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  4. Douglas Gollin, 2002. "Getting Income Shares Right," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 110(2), pages 458-474, April. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  5. Robert J. Barro & Paul Romer, 1993. "Economic Growth," NBER Books, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc, number barr93-1.
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    • Robert J. Barro & Paul M. Romer, 1991. "Economic Growth," NBER Books, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc, number barr91-1.
  6. Charnes, A. & Cooper, W. W. & Rhodes, E., 1978. "Measuring the efficiency of decision making units," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 2(6), pages 429-444, November. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  7. Adriana Di Liberto & Francesco Pigliaru & Roberto Mura, 2004. "How to measure the unobservable: a panel technique for the analysis of TFP convergence," Working Paper CRENoS 200405, Centre for North South Economic Research, University of Cagliari and Sassari, Sardinia. [Downloadable!]
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  8. Afriat, Sidney N, 1972. "Efficiency Estimation of Production Function," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 13(3), pages 568-98, October. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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