ABSTRACT

We analyse business performance by using a unique data set of the universe of Italian local business units. We investigate the pattern of both productivity and profitability by adopting a decomposition technique to document spatial variation across urban and non-urban areas. Aggregate evidence indicates that an urban–non-urban productivity divide exists, but this premium vanishes with respect to profitability. Plant-level estimations using a hierarchical linear model show that area attractiveness positively affects productivity, whereas diseconomies of agglomeration negatively affect profitability. Coping with agglomeration costs is a priority for regional policies to transfer the productivity gains in urban areas into new investment and growth opportunities.

摘要

我们通过使用意大利本地业务单位领域的独特数据集来分析业务绩效。我们通过采用分解技术来记录城市和非城市地区的空间变化来研究生产力和盈利能力的模式。综合证据表明，存在城市与非城市生产力差距，但这种溢价在盈利能力方面消失了。使用分层线性模型的工厂级估计表明，区域吸引力对生产力有积极影响，而集聚的不经济对盈利能力有负面影响。应对集聚成本是区域政策的优先事项，将城市地区的生产力收益转化为新的投资和增长机会。