IS STABILITY FOR REGIONAL DISPARITIES OF UNEMPLOYMENT RATES TRULY MYSTERIOUS? AN ANALYSIS FROM STATISTICAL APPROACH

Tsunetada HIROBE

Professor, Department of Economics, Meikai University, 1 Akemi, Urayasu, Chiba 279-8550, Japan

tsune@meikai.ac.jp

Abstract

The paper analyzes the peculiar phenomenon of regional disparities brought by the changes in the geographical distribution of US unemployment rates. Specifically, we investigate the characteristics concerning the gap of that regional distribution especially focusing upon the statistical analysis by mainly an exploratory way.　Reduction in disparities or Expansion in disparities usually involves reducing or increasing the overall level of distribution, and the so-called relative disparity between all states of the U.S. shows an extremely stable transition of distribution within a certain range. This is a mysterious phenomenon that is also shown in any other country in the world. One of the reasons that the regional distribution of unemployment rates becomes stable is derived from the robustness of that geographical distribution; this is one of the reasons that the unemployment rate does not fluctuate significantly. Even if that robustness deteriorates for some reason, then the unemployment rate updates the values of minimum and maximum, or only just the range of variation expands; the relative disparities between regions tend to be offset by increases or decreases in the same direction as a result. Since that range is usually very limited, the gap frequently fluctuates up and down within a confined extent and it does not necessarily converge or diverge to a specific point; it would constantly change within the allowable fluctuation range depending on the socio-economic situation.

Keywords: unemployment rate, regional disparity, convergence, equilibrium, stability

JEL classification: C13, C15, J69, R12, R19

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REGIONAL CONVERGENCE: THEORY AND EMPIRICS

Stilianos ALEXIADIS *

Ministry of Rural Development & Foods, Department of Agricultural Policy & Documentation, Division of Agricultural Statistics, Room 519, 2 Acharnon Street, 104 32, Athens, Greece, Tel: ++30 210 2125925

salexiadis7@aim.com

Abstract

One of the most controversial issues in regional science is regional convergence. Do regions converge? Why the existing inequalities across regions persist overtime, despite some movements towards convergence. Such questions had bred an extensive literature. In this paper, a model of regional convergence focusing on technological factors is developed. This model is tested using data for the EU-27 regions. A possible explanation for these results is offered and suggests that might afford an interesting policy conclusion.

Keywords: Regional convergence, Technological gaps, Technology adoption

JEL classification: R10

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* The findings, interpretations and conclusions are entirely those of the author and, do not necessarily represent the official position, policies or views of the Ministry of Rural Development & Foods and/or the Greek Government.

SPATIAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE RUSSIAN EUROPEAN NORTH IN THE POST-SOVIET PERIOD

Sergey KOZHEVNIKOV

Candidate of Sciences in Economics, Leading Researcher, Deputy Head of Department, Vologda Research Center of the RAS, Russia

kozhevnikov_sa@bk.ru

Abstract

The article explores the features of the spatial development of the European North of Russia in the post-Soviet period. It is shown that there are processes of polarization and disintegration of the region’s space, which is manifested primarily in the concentration of both the population and economic activity in the “nodal” points, which, as a rule, are large cities, administrative and industrial centers, as well as an increase in the area of the economic periphery. The prospects for the development of resettlement systems are substantiated, and an assessment of the connectivity of the northern territories based on an analysis of the level of development of their transport and logistics infrastructure is given. The necessity of forming several reference points in the economic space of the European North of Russia is substantiated, which, in our opinion, should become a kind of “counterbalance” to the large cities of the central regions of the country and will allow to overcome the negative trends associated with the compression of the region’s economic space.

Keywords: spatial development, economic space, space connectivity, urban agglomerations, small and medium-sized cities, transport and logistics infrastructure, European North of Russia.

JEL classification: R12

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