U.S. Commuting Networks and Economic Growth: Measurement and Implications for Spatial Policy

Labor market areas (LMAs) have long been a staple of regional and urban analysis. As commuting patterns have expanded over time, these areas have become larger and more complex, and the dichotomous designation of a county either belonging to an LMA or not may no longer be adequate. We apply recent advances in network science to conduct a more refined analysis of U.S. commuting patterns, and examine their effects on local economic growth. Results show that network degree and entropy measures explain variations in county per capita income growth patterns. Higher in‐ and out‐commuting entropies are associated with lower per capita income growth, but their interaction enhances economic growth in places simultaneously open to both in‐ and out‐commuters. Using these results, common ground may be found for creating new forms of regional governance that better reflect local realities of cross‐county border flows of workers and economic activity.     

Labor and the Geographic Reorganization of Container Shipping in the U.S.

The globalization of production and the geographic dispersion of economic activity have elevated the importance of the transportation and logistics sectors of the economy. One sector in particular that has experienced significant expansion is maritime transport and container shipping. As the cargo has become increasingly “discretionary” such that it can conceivably be transported through any port that allows intermodal access to the hinterland, the industry has become much more foot‐loose vis‐à‐vis a particular port of entry. The enhanced mobility of the cargo results in more intense port competition. One particular place to observe and study this dynamic is in the port and terminal selection of shippers and shipping lines and the role of port authorities in attempting to attract these carriers to their facilities. In this paper, the focus is on the role of labor and labor relations in such decisions. These issues will be studied in the context of the potential container traffic rerouting from the West to the East Coast of the U.S. and, as an illustrative case study, how these developments have played out for the East Coast port of Jacksonville, Florida.     

Poverty,Innovation Capacity,and State Economic Development in the Knowledge Economy: Evidence from the U.S.

We examine poverty's effect in two ways. First, we study the relationship between poverty and capacity for innovation in the U.S. states; second, we study the combined effects of poverty and innovation capacity on U.S. state economic output and employment. Because many of the relationships among poverty, innovation capacity and economic performance are simultaneous, we employ the Arellano Bond Difference GMM estimator to estimate various models using panel data (1980–1999). The findings reveal a negative indirect effect of socio‐economic need (poverty) on human and U.S. state and local financial innovation capacity, though there is no empirical link between poverty and federal financial capacity. We find no statistically significant evidence of the contemporaneous effect of poverty on state economic performance, holding innovation capacity constant. This suggests that poverty primarily affects state economic performance indirectly through reduction of innovation capacity. Overall, our findings suggest that U.S. officials ought to be concerned about the role poverty plays in diminishing their state economies' capacity to innovate.     

The End of the Nuclear Era: Nuclear Decommissioning and Its Economic Impacts on U.S. Counties

Between 1957 and 1990, nearly 100 nuclear reactors were constructed throughout the U.S., and nuclear power currently accounts for 20 percent of electricity production nationwide. Nuclear plants are often constructed in small communities for which they constitute a large source of employment and income. To date, 24 nuclear reactors have undergone decommissioning, and more are expected in the future, particularly as nuclear reactors age and face increasingly strict regulations. This paper examines the effects of nuclear decommissioning over time at the county‐level on measures of employment, income, and population using difference‐in‐differences regression and propensity score matching. Panel data are obtained from the U.S. Census Bureau, and cover the years 1975–2014. The analysis finds that nuclear decommissioning is associated with positive and statistically significant increases in employment and per capita income over time. Results suggest that nuclear decommissioning may actually be a positive force in regional economic development, and concludes with limitations of the approach and implications for future research. As an emerging area of research, this paper is meant to build on previous work, as well as to provide a basis for further discussion and debate on the economic future of nuclear host communities and regional economies.     

Determinants of entry: Evidence from new manufacturing firms in the U.S

The objective of this paper is to estimate the relationship between agglomeration economies and the birth of new firms in U.S. manufacturing sectors during 2004–2012. I examine the variations in Marshallian factors across MSAs and across counties within MSAs. My findings support the existence of Marshallian agglomeration forces: input sharing, labor market pooling, and knowledge spillovers, with input–output linkages particularly important. I then examine the variations in Marshallian factors across regions and find regional differences are not very strong. In addition, large-sized firms appear to be more responsive to a supplier-customer relationship. Moreover, my empirical results provide evidence that firms in highly concentrated industries react more to input linkage and labor pooling.     

Interactions Between Economic Growth and Environmental Quality in U.S. Counties

ABSTRACT Linkages among changes in employment, earnings per worker, and pollution per square mile are estimated for 3,036 U.S. counties for the period 1987 to 1995 using a three‐equation disequilibrium adjustment model. Counties with higher shares of African‐Americans experienced higher earnings growth rates over the period 1987‐1995, as did counties with proportionally more females. Counties in states with higher shares of unionized workers had higher earnings growth rates but generated fewer new jobs. Firm size had a significant and negative effect on earnings growth while higher costs of living were associated with higher earnings growth. Also, metro counties and counties in the Northeastern U.S. experienced higher earnings growth than their non‐metro counterparts and counties in other geographic regions. Statistically, faster job growth was found to accelerate the rate of earnings growth per worker. The authors conclude that counties concerned with job growth should recruit or attempt to spawn the creation of larger firms, recognizing that for some firms such a strategy may come at the cost of more rapid increases in pollution. Counties concerned with increasing the rate of growth in per worker earnings should instead focus on the creation of smaller firms.     

美国种业企业知识产权保护现状与启示

对美国种子产业的结构、企业的集中度、种子企业的知识产权保护及企业间的竞争与合作等情况进行分析,进而得出完善我国种业发展的几点建议。     

The U.S.-Canada Free Trade Agreement and Commodity Transportation Services among U.S. States

The Free Trade Agreement (FTA) implemented beginning in 1989 by the United States aid Canada will have significant impacts on bilateral trading patterns. In addition to its long-term, investment-related repercussions, the FTA will affect the volume, commodity composition, and spatial distribution of trade and, consequently, the transportation services required to move commodities between the two nations. This paper examines the changing spatial structure of U.S.-Canadian trade under the FTA. It employs commodity-specific analyses of tariffs and non-tariff barriers, as well as price and income elasticities of demand, to estimate sectoral and special changes among U.S. states in total, land, water, and airborne commodity flows since 1988 attributable to the FTA. The analysis details the assumptions and methodology used, elaborates upon the likely consequences for me nation's ten largest customs districts, particularly New York, and concludes with some comments on other forces that may alter the expected results.     

Growth of Creative Occupations in U.S. Metropolitan Areas: A Shift‐Share Analysis

ABSTRACT This article uses a shift‐share model to investigate the growth of creative occupations in U.S. metropolitan areas during the 1990s. Empirical findings indicate that the performance of the creative economy varied widely across the U.S., and that the highest competitive growth rates of the creative workforce occurred in the Rocky Mountain, Southeast, and Southwest regions. Further analysis focused on whether high competitive workforce growth between 1990 and 2000 translated into high competitive employment growth from 1999 to 2003. The results show that many of the areas with the highest competitive growth rates of creative economy employment from 1999 to 2003 were some of the weakest regions in terms of creative workforce growth during the 1990s. This raises questions about the extent to which jobs follow people in the creative economy, and suggests that an initial strong presence in the creative economy is not a prerequisite for future growth.     

基于政策工具的罗非鱼主产区产业政策分析与评价

基于政策工具的视角,采用内容分析法,对中国罗非鱼主产区地方政府出台的罗非鱼产业政策进行计量分析和评价。从基本政策工具和产业链两个维度出发,构建罗非鱼产业政策分析框架,并对政策文本进行单元编码和统计分析,在量化分析的基础上剖析中国罗非鱼产业政策在政策工具设计和构建中存在的问题,为未来罗非鱼产业政策的完善和优化提出建议,以期为中国罗非鱼产业政策的制定提供有益的参考。     

Moonlighting in a High Growth Economy: Evidence from U.S. State‐Level Data

Despite the prevalence of multiple jobholding, there is relatively little research into its causes. Existing research has tested the predictions of standard labor models with micro data. Yet, there has been virtually no research into the relationship between moonlighting and structural differences in regional labor markets such as wages and employment growth. In this manner, this study examines the large differences in multiple jobholding rates across U.S. states. The findings indicate that multiple jobholding acts as a short‐term shock absorber to cyclical changes. However, in the long‐term, these effects dissipate, indicating that moonlighting plays a similar role as do changes in unemployment and labor‐force participation to regional labor market shocks. Conversely, multiple jobholding rates are inversely related to average weekly earnings. Thus, job growth accompanied by real wage (and productivity) growth may result in a decline in multiple jobholding, further exacerbating potential labor shortages. Other key factors found to influence multiple jobholding include occupational structure and education.     

The Spatial Structure of Large U. S. Law Firms

Large law firms exert a disproportionate influence over the structure and practice of the legal profession. The spatial structure of these corporations, including the distribution of headquarters and branch offices and their interlinkages, is poorly understood. This paper explores the geography of domestic employment among the largest U. S. 500 law firms using linkage analysis. It highlights the concentration of such firms in large cities and the particular importance of New York and Washington, D. C. In the international arena, U. S. law firms are highly influential. The paper examines the spatial distribution of overseas employment by large U. S. law firms and utilizes input-output analysis to explore the domestic employment impacts of foreign legal services exports.     

The Changing Regional Structure of the U.S. Economy

This paper utilizes newly available industry-specific historical measures of Gross Regional Product to highlight the changing regional structure of the U.S. economy between 1963 and 1986. During this period, the percentage of U.S. output produced in the eight different regions changed significantly. The largest changes occurred in the Great Lakes (?3.65 percent), Mideast (?3.32 percent), and Southeast (+3.64 percent). Four major industry sectors (Agriculture, Mining, Construction, and Government) declined in relative importance in all eight regions. Five major industry sectors (TCPU, Retail Trade, Wholesale Trade, FIRE, and Services) expanded in relative importance. Somewhat surprisingly, Manufacturing output expanded for the U.S. as a whole and for six of the eight regions. The perception of decline in the relative importance of manufacturing in the U.S. is clearly based on the dramatic declines in the once dominant manufacturing base of the Mideast and Great Lakes regions.     

美国当代玉米种质资源的历史演变Ⅰ.种族与品种

历史实践提供了许多事实帮助我们更好地规划未来。育种家利用玉米种质资源构建新自交系选育的基础材料，并为新杂交种组配选择对应的亲本。本文综述了有关当代美国玉米杂交种的基础种质的来源、时间、地点及如何演变等问题。作者提供了有关玉米起源，从墨西哥南部Tehuacan城附近到现在美国西南部和维吉尼亚州Tidewater城的玉米早期种族（Races），及美国向西部扩展过程中开放授粉品种等信息。所涉及的品种包括Longfel－low硬粒、Leaming玉米、Lancaster　Sure　Crop、瑞德黄马牙（Reid　Yellow　Dent）、Boone　County　White、Ches－ter　Leaming、Richey　Lancaster、西北马齿（Northwest-ern Dent）、Johnson County White、Troyer Reid、Minne-sota13、Funk Reid、Osterland Reid和Strain 176A。20世纪30年代玉米杂交种开始商业利用时，美国玉米总产量仅为0．659亿吨。过去四年尽管玉米面积下降，但每年玉米平均总产量仍高达2．77亿吨。     

粮食主产区利益补偿必要性分析——基于主产区与非主产区粮食生产及经济发展水平差距的视角

为了论证粮食主产区利益补偿的必要性,以河南省和广东省为例,从粮食主产区和非主产区在粮食生产及经济发展水平差距的视角进行了分析。结果表明：粮食主产区对中国粮食安全做出重要贡献,却在农民人均纯收入及地区经济发展水平上与非主产区存在巨大的差距,长此以往,势必影响主产区地方政府推动粮食生产及农民的种粮积极性,威胁国家粮食安全。因此,对粮食主产区进行利益补偿,在合理的成本下,使农民获得与从事其他生产大致相当的平均收益,使主产区能够获得与其对粮食安全贡献相一致的补偿,对保障国家长期粮食安全有着重要意义。     

美国蜂业支持政策及其对中国的启示

养蜂业由于蜜蜂为作物授粉而对农业生产起着关键作用,然而当前中国的蜂产业政策还十分欠缺,政府没有为养蜂业发展提供优良的政策环境。因此为了提出完善中国蜂业支持政策体系的政策建议,促进中国蜂业较快发展,本研究使用归纳分析的方法,分析和借鉴了美国相对健全的蜂业支持政策体系。分析结果表明：美国的蜂业支持政策可分为以下几类——以稳定养蜂者收入为目标的蜂蜜价格支持政策;以保护国内蜂蜜生产者利益为目标的蜂蜜贸易保护政策;以减轻养蜂灾害损失为目标的蜂业保险和紧急援助政策;以解决蜂业病虫害和蜂群消失问题为目标的科研支持政策以及以监管养蜂生产环节为目标的养蜂注册与检疫政策。结合中国蜂业政策现状,中国蜂业支持政策体系要从开发政策性蜂业保险并辅以养蜂风险救助,加大财政对蜂业补贴力度,加强对蜂业科研的支持,加强养蜂生产环节控制几个方面来完善。     

The response of U.S. regional demographics to import shocks

We analyze regional demographic responses to increased competition from Chinese imports. Treating the opening up of the Chinese economy in recent decades as an exogenous shock to the degree of trade exposure faced by U.S. regions, we find that demographic characteristics such as education level, population growth, immigrant share, and age structure, are not significantly impacted by increased Chinese trade exposure. We also discuss possible mechanisms that may explain this finding and explain why our results may differ in direction from previous studies. Specifically, our finding is consistent with a story where moving costs hamper labor mobility and significant demographic shifts do not occur even after employment falls due to trade exposure.     

美国当代玉米种质资源的历史演变Ⅱ.自交系

育种家根据玉米自交系的遗传背景来选择血缘关系相近的自交系作为新系选育的基础种质,选择血缘关系较远的自交系来配制新的杂交种.本文介绍一些杂交玉米起源的历史.Holden第1个培育出了自交系并做了杂交.East和Shull研究了自交系和杂交种.East、Jones、Duddleston、Richey、Hayes和Wallace培育出第1批可利用的自交系和杂交种.本文涉及到许多老的自交系,它们是后来若干代自交系的亲本.还特别提到在中国曾发挥了作用的38-11、B37、B73、C103、Oh43、VA35、W20、W24、W59E、W153R和WF9等自交系.在美国的杂交玉米时代,尽管玉米种植面积减少了20%,产量却提高了3倍.自2001年以来,由于玉米具有较高的产量,已成为世界第1大粮食作物.综合这些信息并加以评述,旨在能以史为鉴,使这个粮食短缺的世界能够养活自己.     

The Impact of the Maquiladora Industry on U.S. Border Cities

For decades, the maquiladora industry has been a major economic engine along the U.S.–Mexico border. Since the 1970s, researchers have analyzed how the maquiladora industry affects cities along both sides of the border. Hanson produced the first comprehensive study on the impact of the maquiladoras on U.S. border cities, considering the effects of in‐bond plants on both employment and wages. His estimates became useful rules of thumb for the entire U.S.–Mexico border; however, they have become dated. Using Hanson's framework, we estimate the maquiladora industry impact on U.S. border cities from 1990 to 2006. We find that a 10 percent increase in maquiladora production leads to a 0.5 to 0.9 percent increase in employment. We also find large differences among individual border cities. Furthermore, we estimate the cross‐border maquiladora impacts before and after 2001 when border security begins to rise, and the global low‐wage competition intensified after China joined the World Trade Organization. Empirical results indicate that U.S. border cities are less responsive to growth in maquiladora production from 2001 to 2006 than in the earlier period; however, when looking into specific sectors, we find that U.S. border city employment in service sectors is more responsive post‐2001.