Should policymakers seek to increase jobs in particular local labor markets? Yes, but only if these policies are well targeted and designed. Encouraging job growth in distressed places can cause persistent gains in employment-to-population ratios. But our current place-based jobs policies, under...

The aim of this chapter is to provide empirically supported evidence regarding regional development and inequalities in the European Union by focusing specifically on the Central and Eastern European countries. The process of European integration has impacted on the growth potential of all...

The disparities in the development of a country’s regions could threat the social and political equilibrium of a nation. In general, the reduction of such disparities is a complex task for the governments, involving substantial resources and long periods of time. This paper approaches the...

I thank Claire Black and Wei-Jang Huang for assistance in preparing this paper. I appreciate the comments of George Erickcek on a preliminary version of this paper. This paper was previously presented on November 20, 2009 at the 57th Annual Economic Outlook Conference of the Research Seminar in...

The paper illustrates the effect of a permanent demand-side shock in the perturbed regions and the associated spillover effects in the non-perturbed regions using the RHOMOLO spatial-numerical general equilibrium model of the EU economy. We test to what extent gradual upward pressure on wages...

This chapter seeks to provide useful advice for local government policy towards economic development programs. The chapter: Reviews the size and scope of local economic development programs in the United States; critically analyzes the various rationales offered for these programs; makes...