Trade and Industrial Location with Heterogeneous Labor

Publication Date:

June 1, 2004

Electronic Access:

Free Download. Use the free Adobe Acrobat Reader to view this PDF file

Disclaimer: This Working Paper should not be reported as representing the views of the IMF.The views expressed in this Working Paper are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent those of the IMF or IMF policy. Working Papers describe research in progress by the author(s) and are published to elicit comments and to further debate

Summary:

We show in the context of a new economic geography model that when labor is heterogenous trade liberalization may lead to industrial agglomeration and interregional trade. Labor heterogeneity gives local monopoly power to firms but also introduces variations in the quality of the job match. Matches are likely to be better when there are more firms and workers in the local market, giving rise to an agglomeration force that can offset the forces against trade costs and the erosion of monopoly power. We derive analytically a robust agglomeration equilibrium and illustrate its properties with numerical simulations.

Series:

Working Paper No. 2004/103

Subject:

English

Publication Date:

June 1, 2004

ISBN/ISSN:

9781451852721/1018-5941

Stock No:

WPIEA1032004

Pages:

26

Please address any questions about this title to publications@imf.org