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Is the division of labour limited by the extent of the market? Evidence from French cities

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  • Duranton, Gilles
  • Jayet, Hubert

Abstract

This paper provides supportive evidence to the notion that the division of labour is limited by the extent of the (local) market. We first propose a theoretical model. Its main prediction is that scarce specialists occupations are over-represented in large cities. Using census data for French cities, we find strong empirical support for this prediction.

Suggested Citation

  • Duranton, Gilles & Jayet, Hubert, 2011. "Is the division of labour limited by the extent of the market? Evidence from French cities," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(1), pages 56-71, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:juecon:v:69:y:2011:i:1:p:56-71
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    Cited by:

    1. Bleakley, Hoyt & Lin, Jeffrey, 2012. "Thick-market effects and churning in the labor market: Evidence from US cities," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 72(2), pages 87-103.
    2. Combes, Pierre-Philippe & Gobillon, Laurent, 2015. "The Empirics of Agglomeration Economies," Handbook of Regional and Urban Economics, in: Gilles Duranton & J. V. Henderson & William C. Strange (ed.), Handbook of Regional and Urban Economics, edition 1, volume 5, chapter 0, pages 247-348, Elsevier.
    3. Roberto Antonietti & Maria Rosaria Ferrante & Riccardo Leoncini, 2016. "Local market size, social capital and outsourcing: evidence from Emilia Romagna," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 47(1), pages 243-260, June.
    4. Glaeser, Edward L. & Rosenthal, Stuart S. & Strange, William C., 2010. "Urban economics and entrepreneurship," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 67(1), pages 1-14, January.
    5. Guy Michaels & Ferdinand Rauch & Stephen J Redding, 2019. "Task Specialization in U.S. Cities from 1880 to 2000," Journal of the European Economic Association, European Economic Association, vol. 17(3), pages 754-798.
    6. J. Lobo & D. Strumsky & J. Rothwell, 2013. "Scaling of patenting with urban population size: evidence from global metropolitan areas," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 96(3), pages 819-828, September.
    7. Steven Poelhekke, 2006. "Do Amenities and Diversity Encourage City Growth? A Link Through Skilled Labor," Economics Working Papers ECO2006/10, European University Institute.
    8. Michaels, Guy, 2007. "The division of labor, coordination, and the demand for information processing," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 3251, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    9. Huasheng Song & Min Zhang & Ruqu Wang, 2016. "Amenities and spatial talent distribution: evidence from the Chinese IT industry," Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy and Society, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 9(3), pages 517-533.
    10. Kok, Suzanne, 2014. "Town and city jobs: How your job is different in another location," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 58-67.
    11. Bryan Graham & Jonathan Temple, 2006. "Rich Nations, Poor Nations: How Much Can Multiple Equilibria Explain?," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 11(1), pages 5-41, March.
    12. Enghin Atalay & Sebastian Sotelo & Daniel Tannenbaum, 2021. "The Geography of Job Tasks," Working Papers 682, Research Seminar in International Economics, University of Michigan.
    13. Suzanne Kok, 2013. "Town and city jobs: Your job is different in another location," CPB Discussion Paper 246, CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis.
    14. Jakob Munch & Jan Skaksen, 2009. "Specialization, outsourcing and wages," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 145(1), pages 57-73, April.
    15. Suzanne Kok & Bas ter Weel, 2014. "Cities, Tasks, And Skills," Journal of Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 54(5), pages 856-892, November.
    16. Joe Tharakan & Jean‐Philippe Tropeano, 2009. "On The Impact Of Labor Market Matching On Regional Disparities," Journal of Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 49(1), pages 57-80, February.
    17. Suzanne Kok, 2012. "The division of labour across German cities and the extent of the market," ERSA conference papers ersa12p617, European Regional Science Association.
    18. Jan Eeckhout & Roberto Pinheiro & Kurt Schmidheiny, 2010. "Spatial Sorting: Why New York, Los Angeles and Detroit Attract the Greatest Minds as well as the Unskilled," CESifo Working Paper Series 3274, CESifo.
    19. Sukkoo Kim, 2006. "Division of Labor and the Rise of Cities: Evidence from U.S. Industrialization, 1850-1880," NBER Working Papers 12246, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    20. Zhaobin Fan & Ruohan Zhang, 2017. "Financial Inclusion, Entry Barriers, and Entrepreneurship: Evidence from China," Sustainability, MDPI, Open Access Journal, vol. 9(2), pages 1-21, February.
    21. Benjamin Dachis, 2015. "Tackling Traffic: The Economic Cost of Congestion in Metro Vancouver," e-briefs 206, C.D. Howe Institute.
    22. K. Bruce Newbold & W. Mark Brown, 2015. "The Urban–Rural Gap In University Attendance: Determinants Of University Participation Among Canadian Youth," Journal of Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 55(4), pages 585-608, September.
    23. Jan Eeckhout & Roberto Pinheiro & Kurt Schmidheiny, 2010. "Spatial Sorting: Why New York, Los Angeles and Detroit Attract the Greatest Minds as well as the Unskilled," CESifo Working Paper Series 3274, CESifo.
    24. Ben Dachis, 2013. "Cars, Congestion and Costs: A New Approach to Evaluating Government Infrastructure Investment," C.D. Howe Institute Commentary, C.D. Howe Institute, issue 385, July.
    25. Hongjian SU, 2018. "Urban Specialization of Chinese Cities," Chinese Journal of Urban and Environmental Studies (CJUES), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 6(01), pages 1-19, March.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Division of labour Specialisation Extent of the market;

    JEL classification:

    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • J44 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Particular Labor Markets - - - Professional Labor Markets and Occupations
    • R23 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Household Analysis - - - Regional Migration; Regional Labor Markets; Population

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