IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/wpa/wuwpur/0403008.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Creating a Cost-of-Doing-Business Index

Author

Listed:
  • Alexandru Voicu

    (Rutgers University, Economics Department)

  • Michael L. Lahr

    (Rutgers University, Center for Urban Policy Research)

Abstract

In this paper we develop an index for comparing the cost of doing business across several metropolitan areas in the U.S. Such indices can be used as leading indicators of metropolitan economic growth. To create the index, we first identify factors that influence the change in business activity in metropolitan areas. We then create an instrument that allows us to compare the metropolitan areas on the basis of the climate that they provide for business development. We use both industry-based and pooled techniques to derive such an index. The index's variance decreases as the time horizon for which it is used increases. This is due in part to the declining influence of taxes. Although the industry-based estimates were hypothesized to be more accurate, the pooled technique facilitated statistical comparisons of the index across metropolitan areas. Based on the findings of the pooled regression, we find that automatic interpretation of higher values as denoting metropolitan areas with higher costs may often be invalid.

Suggested Citation

  • Alexandru Voicu & Michael L. Lahr, 2004. "Creating a Cost-of-Doing-Business Index," Urban/Regional 0403008, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:wpa:wuwpur:0403008
    Note: Type of Document - pdf; pages: 37
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://econwpa.ub.uni-muenchen.de/econ-wp/urb/papers/0403/0403008.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Kevin T. Duffy-Deno & Randall W. Eberts, 1996. "Public Infrastructure and Regional Economic Development: A Simultaneous Equations Approach," Book chapters authored by Upjohn Institute researchers, in: Niles Hansen & Kenneth J. Button & Peter Nijkamp (ed.),Regional Policy and Regional Integration, pages 295-309, W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research.
    2. Aschauer, David Alan, 1989. "Is public expenditure productive?," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 23(2), pages 177-200, March.
    3. Timothy J. Bartik, 2003. "Local Economic Development Policies," Upjohn Working Papers 03-91, W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research.
    4. Virginia D. McConnell & Robert M. Schwab, 1990. "The Impact of Environmental Regulation on Industry Location Decisions: The Motor Vehicle Industry," Land Economics, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 66(1), pages 67-81.
    5. Papke, Leslie E., 1991. "Interstate business tax differentials and new firm location : Evidence from panel data," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 45(1), pages 47-68, June.
    6. Evans, Paul & Karras, Georgios, 1994. "Are Government Activities Productive? Evidence from a Panel of U.S. States," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 76(1), pages 1-11, February.
    7. Timothy J. Bartik, 1991. "Who Benefits from State and Local Economic Development Policies?," Books from Upjohn Press, W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research, number wbsle, August.
    8. Randall W. Eberts & Joe A. Stone, 1992. "Wage and Employment Adjustment in Local Labor Markets," Books from Upjohn Press, W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research, number wea, August.
    9. Alicia H. Munnell, 1990. "How does public infrastructure affect regional economic performance?," Conference Series ; [Proceedings], Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, vol. 34, pages 69-112.
    10. Carroll, Robert & Wasylenko, Michael J., 1994. "Do State Business Climates Still Matter? -- Evidence of a Structural Change," National Tax Journal, National Tax Association;National Tax Journal, vol. 47(1), pages 19-37, March.
    11. Nakosteen, Robert A & Zimmer, Michael A, 1987. "Determinants of Regional Migration by Manufacturing Firms," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 25(2), pages 351-362, April.
    12. Mofidi, Alaeddin & Stone, Joe A, 1990. "Do State and Local Taxes Affect Economic Growth?," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 72(4), pages 686-691, November.
    13. Coughlin, Cletus C & Terza, Joseph V & Arromdee, Vachira, 1991. "State Characteristics and the Location of Foreign Direct Investment within the United States," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 73(4), pages 675-683, November.
    14. Randall W. Eberts, 1990. "Public infrastructure and regional economic development," Economic Review, Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, vol. 26(Q I), pages 15-27.
    15. Benson, Bruce L & Johnson, Ronald N, 1986. "The Lagged Impact of State and Local Taxes on Economic Activity and Political Behavior," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 24(3), pages 389-401, July.
    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. Michael Wasylenko, 1997. "Taxation and economic development: the state of the economic literature," New England Economic Review, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, issue Mar, pages 37-52.
    2. Ronald C. Fisher, 1997. "Effects of state and local public services on economic development," New England Economic Review, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, issue Mar, pages 53-82.
    3. Timothy J. Bartik, "undated". "Discussion [of the Effects of State and Local Public Services on Economic Development by Ronald C. Fisher]," Upjohn Working Papers tjb1997, W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research.
    4. William H. Hoyt & J. William Harden, 2005. "MSA Location and the Impact of State Taxes on Employment and Population: A Comparison of Border and Interior MSA's," Working Papers 2005-01, University of Kentucky, Institute for Federalism and Intergovernmental Relations.
    5. Theodore M. Crone, 1997. "Where have all the factory jobs gone - and why?," Business Review, Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, issue May, pages 3-18.
    6. W. Robert Reed, 2009. "The Determinants Of U.S. State Economic Growth: A Less Extreme Bounds Analysis," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 47(4), pages 685-700, October.
    7. Sylvie Charlot & Virginie Piguet & Bertrand Schmitt, 2003. "Capital public et productivite quels effets sur les disparites regionales ?," Revue d'économie politique, Dalloz, vol. 113(6), pages 851-880.
    8. Charlot, Sylvie & Schmitt, Bertrand, 1999. "Public Infrastructure and Economic Growth in France's Regions," ERSA conference papers ersa99pa142, European Regional Science Association.
    9. Krol, Robert & Svorny, Shirley, 1996. "The effect of the bank regulatory environment on state economic activity," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 26(5), pages 531-541, August.
    10. Michael J. Hicks, 2006. "Transportation and infrastructure, retail clustering, and local public finance: evidence from Wal-Mart's expansion," Regional Economic Development, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, issue Oct, pages 100-114.
    11. William F. Fox & Sanela Porca, 2001. "Investing in Rural Infrastructure," International Regional Science Review, , vol. 24(1), pages 103-133, January.
    12. Elburz, Zeynep & Nijkamp, Peter & Pels, Eric, 2017. "Public infrastructure and regional growth: Lessons from meta-analysis," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 1-8.
    13. McPhail, Joseph E. & Orazem, Peter & Singh, Rajesh, 2010. "The Poverty of States: Do State Tax Policies Affect State Labor Productivity?," Staff General Research Papers Archive 31552, Iowa State University, Department of Economics.
    14. Joseph Berechman & Dilruba Ozmen & Kaan Ozbay, 2006. "Empirical analysis of transportation investment and economic development at state, county and municipality levels," Transportation, Springer, vol. 33(6), pages 537-551, November.
    15. José García-Montalvo, 1993. "Thresholds Effects, Public Capital And The Growth Of The United States," Working Papers. Serie EC 1993-11, Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Económicas, S.A. (Ivie).
    16. Cadot, Olivier & Roller, Lars-Hendrik & Stephan, Andreas, 2006. "Contribution to productivity or pork barrel? The two faces of infrastructure investment," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 90(6-7), pages 1133-1153, August.
    17. Mehmet Aldonat Beyzatlar & Müge Karacal & Ý. Hakan Yetkiner, 2012. "The Granger-Causality between Transportation and GDP: A Panel Data Approach," Working Papers 1203, Izmir University of Economics.
    18. Marinos, Theocharis & Belegri-Roboli, Athena & Michaelides, Panayotis G. & Konstantakis, Konstantinos Ν., 2022. "The spatial spillover effect of transport infrastructures in the Greek economy (2000–2013): A panel data analysis," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).
    19. Alfredo Pereira & Jorge Andraz, 2012. "On the regional incidence of highway investments in the USA," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 48(3), pages 819-838, June.
    20. Piyapong Jiwattanakulpaisarn & Robert Noland & Daniel Graham & John Polak, 2006. "Highway Infrastructure Investment and Regional Employment Growth: Dynamic Panel Regression Analysis," ERSA conference papers ersa06p207, European Regional Science Association.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Business Costs; Index; Metropolitan;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • R - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    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:wpa:wuwpur:0403008. 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: EconWPA (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://econwpa.ub.uni-muenchen.de .

    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.