Disparities in regional productivity in Europe have increased since 2000, and the rapid progress of the richest regions is considered to be one of the main forces behind this change. In this paper, we estimate a production function, taking into account spatial dependence where labour productivity depends on regional capital intensity, knowledge-related variables (human capital and patent intensity) and the presence of agglomeration economies. The data cover a set of 121 NUTS-2 regions belonging to nine European countries over the period 2000–2014. Our econometric analysis throws up new and robust evidence pointing to the positive total impact of agglomeration on regional levels of labour productivity. We find that the positive externalities deriving from agglomeration are significant only in the region itself (direct impact), while the physical and human capital exhibit direct positive effects that are partially counterbalanced by the presence of negative spatial spillovers. But, while physical capital per worker preserves a significant positive total effect, the human capital does not. Finally, we find that knowledge generation impacts directly in local labour productivity and spread out significantly to other regions. These results are used to propose a more balanced use of regional policies to propel territorial resources in order to compensate the dominance of agglomeration economies.

This paper explores the relationship between market access and human capital in the context of an industrializing economy, in this case Spain between the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Specifica...

This paper presents yearly estimates of income inequality in Italy from 1900 to 1950. By constructing dynamic social tables (DSTs), we comprehensively…

Economic history is increasingly able to provide us with evidence and inform pressing questions at the intersection of research and real-world decision-making. This column uses natural language processing and network analysis of articles from five leading journals over the past 25 years to identify a shift towards a more global, data-driven, and methodologically advanced field. It maps changing thematic priorities, institutional collaborations, and author networks, highlighting both a generational turnover and growing geographical diversity. It also reveals a strong move towards causal identification-based econometrics alongside a sharp decline in qualitative research, signalling both convergence and trade-offs in the discipline’s integration with mainstream economics.

Por Gregori Galofré-Vila (Universitat de València) y Víctor M. Gómez-Blanco (CUNEF Universidad) ¿Es el pasado útil para la economía? En 1976, Deirdre McCloskey planteó esta pregunta y respondió con u...

Over recent decades a handful of very rich European regions have increased the gap separating them from the European average in terms of labour productivity. In this paper we extend a spatial version ...

Scientific Data - HIPGDAC-ES: historical population grid data compilation for Spain (1900–2021)

Abstract. We identify phrases associated with novel technologies using textual analysis of patents, job postings, and earnings calls, enabling us to identi

In the second half of the 20th century, the regulation of banking and financial markets was reinforced in most European countries. Their governments implemented

In this chapter, we aim to address a major gap in the economic history of interwar Italy, by discussing the evolution of women’s incomes and employment during this crucial period of Italian and ...