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Wages, Productivity and Industry Composition – agglomeration economies in Swedish regions

Author

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  • Klaesson, Johan

    () (CESIS - Centre of Excellence for Science and Innovation Studies, Royal Institute of Technology)

  • Larsson, Hanna

    () (CESIS - Centre of Excellence for Science and Innovation Studies, Royal Institute of Technology)

Abstract

It is a well known fact that wages have a tendency to be higher in larger regions. The source of the regional difference in wages between larger and smaller areas can be broadly divided into two parts. The first part can be attributed to the fact that regions have different industrial compositions. The second part is due to the fact that average regional productivity differs between regions. Using a decomposition method, akin to shift-share, we are able to separate regional wage disparities into an industrial composition component and productivity component. According to theory it is expected that productivity is higher in larger regions due to different kinds of economies of agglomeration. Also, larger regions are able to host a wider array of sectors compared to smaller regions. Output from sectors demanding a large local or regional market can only locate in larger regions. Examples of such sectors are e.g. various types of advanced services with high average wages. The purpose of the paper is to explain regional differences in wages and the productivity and composition components, respectively. The paper tests the dependence of wages, productivity and industrial composition effects on regional size (using a market potential measure). In the estimation we control for regional differences in education, employment shares, average firm size and self-employment. Swedish regional data from 2004 are used. The results verify that larger regions on average have higher wages, originating from higher productivity and more favorable industry composition.

Suggested Citation

  • Klaesson, Johan & Larsson, Hanna, 2009. "Wages, Productivity and Industry Composition – agglomeration economies in Swedish regions," Working Paper Series in Economics and Institutions of Innovation 203, Royal Institute of Technology, CESIS - Centre of Excellence for Science and Innovation Studies.
    • Handle: RePEc:hhs:cesisp:0203
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Martin Andersson & Hans Lööf, 2011. "Agglomeration and productivity: evidence from firm-level data," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 46(3), pages 601-620, June.
    2. Sidorov, Alexander, 2011. "The Impact of Exogenous Asymmetry on Trade and Agglomeration in Core-Periphery Model," MPRA Paper 29627, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Urban Gråsjö & Charlie Karlsson, 2014. "Accessibility: an underused analytical and empirical tool in spatial economics," Chapters,in: Accessibility and Spatial Interaction, chapter 11, pages 211-236 Edward Elgar Publishing.
    4. Ana Condeço-Melhorado & Aura Reggiani & Javier Gutiérrez (ed.), 2014. "Accessibility and Spatial Interaction," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 15267.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Agglomeration Economies; Regions; Wages; Productivity; Industrial Composition; Sweden;

    JEL classification:

    • C21 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Cross-Sectional Models; Spatial Models; Treatment Effect Models
    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials
    • O18 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Urban, Rural, Regional, and Transportation Analysis; Housing; Infrastructure
    • R10 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - General
    • R12 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Size and Spatial Distributions of Regional Economic Activity; Interregional Trade (economic geography)

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