6533b81ffe1ef96bd1277d78

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Exploring the sources of labour productivity growth and convergence in the Italian regions: some evidence from a production frontier approach

Davide PiacentinoErasmo Vassallo

subject

economic convergenceTechnological changeGeneral Social SciencesPublic capitalProduction–possibility frontierHuman capitalefficiency frontierCapital deepeningSettore SECS-S/03 - Statistica EconomicaData envelopment analysisEconomicsCapital intensityEconomic geographyEconomic systemTotal factor productivityProductivityGeneral Environmental Science

description

This paper investigates labour productivity growth and regional convergence patterns in Italy over the time span 1982–2000. Starting from some evidence of spatial polarisation within Italian economy, the analysis aims at exploring the sources of this tendency. To this end, an approach based on data envelopment analysis (DEA) production frontiers is employed which allows to decompose labour productivity growth into efficiency change, technological progress and capital deepening, looking then at the relative contribution of each component to regional convergence. Moreover, some measures of human capital and public capital are used as augmentation factors of the conventional inputs. The study leads to the conclusion that polarisation is mainly due to regional differences in efficiency change.

yearjournalcountryeditionlanguage
2009-11-17The Annals of Regional Science
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00168-009-0345-0