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Do Special Economic Zones Boost Employment? Evidence from a Meta-Analysis

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  • Limosani, Michele
  • Millemaci, Emanuele
  • Monteforte, Fabio
  • Mustica, Paolo Fabrizio

Abstract

This paper investigates whether Special Economic Zones (SEZs) effectively foster em- ployment through a comprehensive meta-analysis. While numerous country-level studies have examined SEZ policies, their results remain fragmented and potentially biased by methodological and publication-related factors. To address this gap, we compile a meta- regression dataset of 851 estimates from 33 empirical studies that quantify the impact of SEZs on employment. Once corrected for publication bias, the average effect of SEZ programs on employment approaches zero. However, heterogeneous results emerge across different development contexts, with developing countries recording significant employ- ment gains compared to their developed counterparts.

Suggested Citation

  • Limosani, Michele & Millemaci, Emanuele & Monteforte, Fabio & Mustica, Paolo Fabrizio, 2025. "Do Special Economic Zones Boost Employment? Evidence from a Meta-Analysis," SocArXiv mf2n6_v2, Center for Open Science.
    • Handle: RePEc:osf:socarx:mf2n6_v2
    DOI: 10.31219/osf.io/mf2n6_v2
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