The division of labor need not imply regional specialization

Leppälä, Samuli ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1702-0417 and Desrochers, P. 2010. The division of labor need not imply regional specialization. Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization 74 (1-2) , pp. 137-147.

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Abstract

The regional specialization of economic activities is generally deemed desirable for three reasons: (1) the law of comparative advantage; (2) localized economies of scale; and (3) knowledge spillovers. Taking a methodological individualist perspective, we claim that: (1) the law of comparative advantage, while valid for individuals and firms, does not necessarily imply regional specialization when regions are viewed as consisting of heterogeneous individuals; (2) localized economies of scale are seldom specific to one industry and external in all but the regional level; and (3) the study of knowledge spillovers is inconclusive and would benefit from a more disaggregated perspective.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Schools > Business (Including Economics)
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HB Economic Theory H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Regional specialization; Comparative advantage; Economies of scale and scope; Knowledge spillovers
Publisher:	Elsevier
ISSN:	0167-2681
Last Modified:	21 Oct 2022 10:29
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/40379

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