Reassessing Cross-Regional Convergence in Italy through Distribution Dynamics
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Abstract
I employ distribution dynamics techniques to assess labor productivity convergence across Italian regions in the period 1980-2003. In particular, I investigate four different convergence hypotheses, namely: absolute, conditional, neoclassical and technological. Consistently with the majority of the literature, I find supportive evidence of only technological conditional convergence. Thus, I conclude that the North-South labor productivity gap may be closed in the long run if structural differences are evened out and if technological diffusion towards laggard regions actually takes place.
Keywords
- italian regions
- neoclassical and technological convergence
- distribution dynamics
- C14
- O33
- O47