ABSTRACT AI‐related hiring demand is unevenly distributed across urban labor markets. Using online job‐posting data from Chinese listed firms between 2016 and 2024, this study constructs a city–occupation–year panel and examines whether expanding AI‐related hiring demand is associated with differences in the structure of occupational hiring demand within cities. The results show that: (1) higher city‐level AI‐related hiring demand is significantly associated with greater relative hiring demand for occupations that are more closely related to AI. This finding indicates that AI‐related opportunities are not evenly distributed across occupations; instead, hiring demand is selectively concentrated in occupations with stronger links to AI. The result remains robust across a series of robustness checks; (2) AI‐related hiring expansion is associated with stronger hiring demand for digitally complementary occupations and a larger share of AI‐related vacancies within occupations; and (3) these associations are more pronounced in cities with greater higher‐education capacity and more developed innovation ecosystems. This study extends the literature on AI and the structure of urban labor demand and provides recruitment‐based evidence relevant to cities seeking to improve talent‐development systems, strengthen their innovation environments, and address the growing divergence in occupational demand associated with AI.
ABSTRACT Spatial competition is the strongest determinant of Big Mac prices across the United States. Using 10,585 store‐level observations collected in 2023, we examine how local labor market, geographic characteristics, and market structure shape price variation. We find that prices are positively correlated among nearby McDonald's outlets, suggesting limited intra‐brand competition, while the presence of rival chains significantly lowers prices, indicating stronger cross‐brand competitive pressure. Higher wages and unionization rates are associated with higher prices, while higher unemployment reduces them. Urban restaurants charge 2.5%–4% more than rural establishments. Overall, local competitive structure plays a central role in shaping fast‐food prices.
Amid growing land constraints, vertical development has become a global trend in industrial spatial planning. However, empirical evidence on the environmental consequences of vertical industrial expansion remains scarce. This study uses the intensity of industrial minimum floor area ratio (MinFAR) regulation to capture the extent of vertical land use, evaluating its effect on industrial carbon emissions intensity by drawing on data from 285 cities in China. Results indicate that MinFAR-driven vertical industrial land use reduces carbon emissions, with each one-unit increase in MinFAR intensity lowering emission intensity by 5.1%. This decline operates through enhanced production coordination, industrial technological upgrading, and improved green governance and resource sharing. Notably, the technological-upgrading channel is driven more by high-tech scale expansion than by innovation-output upgrading. Further evidence shows that stronger governance capacity, more diversified industries, better financial support, and stronger technological foundations strengthen the carbon-reduction effectiveness of vertical land use. Expanding knowledge of vertical land use and its environmental implications, this study offers valuable insights for policymakers worldwide to adjust land use strategies for industrial development and carbon governance.
Chinese cities are distinguished by their administrative ranks, which play an essential role in capital accumulation/formation, infrastructure investment, and resource allocation. The unique features of governmental structure are of great importance to institutional studies. Drawing on the distinctive features of Chinese cities' political structures, this paper examines the impact of city administrative rank on firm productivity. Using firm-level panel data from China's manufacturing sector, we estimate city-level Total Factor Productivity (TFP) and examine its association with administrative ranking variables. Our results show that cities with higher administrative ranks have higher TFP. We conduct robustness checks by applying different estimators for TFP, controlling labor quality and firm innovation, and running our analyses on subsamples such as by industrial sector, ownership, and firm size. Finally, we conclude with policy implications.
Breakthrough innovation (BI) is vital for overcoming technological barriers and enhancing economic resilience. Firm clustering (FC) may shape innovation by improving firms' access to and use of external knowledge. Although many studies have examined clustering effects at the city and industry levels, evidence at the firm level remains limited. Using data from the Chinese Industrial Enterprise Database combined with geocoded information, this study investigates the impact of FC on BI. The results show that FC significantly promotes BI, though the effect attenuates with geographic distance and clustering in adjacent regions can inhibit local BI. Mechanism analysis indicates that FC functions by improving the information environment and facilitating knowledge spillovers. Heterogeneity analysis further shows stronger effects in smaller firms, industries with rapid technological change, regions with better connectivity, and more diversified clustering environments. These findings deepen our understanding of clustering economies and provide policy insights for advancing regional innovation.
This paper investigates how local government support for knowledge-intensive sector (KIS) firms varies across rural, urban-rural, and urban municipalities in Poland. Drawing on original survey data, we apply non-parametric tests and OLS regression to assess territorial differences in n firms' evaluations of innovation-oriented policies. Results indicate a clear urban-rural gradient: urban municipalities receive more positive assessments, while urban-rural municipalities align more closely with rural areas. Digital infrastructure is assessed most positively, while human capital support receives the weakest evaluations. Findings highlight the need for territorially differentiated policies better aligned with the needs of KIS firms. The study contributes to the literature on territorial inequalities and local governance by showing how municipality type is associated with differences in firms' perceptions of local support.
Persistent food insecurity continues to undermine development of low-income countries despite significant investments in social protection programs. While social safety net (SSN) programs aim to stabilize household welfare, their broader community-level effects remain underexplored. Using a balanced panel dataset from the Malawi Integrated Household Panel Survey (IHPS) from 2010-2019, we employ a Spatial Durbin Difference-in-Differences framework (SDM-DID) combined with propensity score matching. Baseline estimates from two-way fixed effects (TWFE) and Extended TWFE (ETWFE), which accounts for staggered treatment timing, both indicate positive and statistically significant effects of SSN participation on dietary diversity. The SDM-DID results show that SSN participation improves dietary diversity among beneficiary households and generates positive spillovers to neighboring non-beneficiary households. A focused analysis on the Social Cash Transfer program (SCTP) yields positive direct and spillover effects, confirming that results are not driven by program aggregation. Spillover effects are amplified through social networks, household income, and market access. Heterogeneity analysis suggests similar effects across gender with limited statistically differences. Regionally, effects are more pronounced in the Central and Southern regions. The findings highlight the importance of spatial spillovers in shaping program impacts, suggesting that SSNs can generate community-wide improvements in food and nutrition security.
Digital rural development has emerged as a crucial strategy for narrowing spatial inequalities and fostering rural transformation. However, existing literature has predominantly focused on infrastructure accessibility, often overlooking how disparities in digital capabilities shape entrepreneurial outcomes. Drawing on digital empowerment theory, this study investigates how digital rural development influences farmers' non-agricultural entrepreneurship in China. Specifically, we integrate the County Digital Rural Development Index with microdata from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS), utilizing empirical models to identify both the impact and the underlying mechanisms. The findings show that digital rural development significantly increases the likelihood of farmers engaging in non-agricultural entrepreneurship. This effect operates through two complementary capabilities: the development of digital literacy, and the cultivation of sophisticated skills for processing and applying information, which together enable farmers to effectively leverage digital resources. In addition, the non-agricultural entrepreneurial effect is more pronounced among middle-aged and older men in eastern China, highlighting the uneven distribution of digital dividends across regions and demographic groups. By focusing on individual capability formation, this study enriches rural entrepreneurship research, and provides insights for inclusive digital strategies and rural revitalization.
Neo-endogenous development has emerged as a critical pathway for rural transformation worldwide. However, its progress is often limited by insufficient human capital. Using village-level data from the Survey for Agriculture and Village Economy (SAVE) (2021-2023), this article examines the impact of the College Graduate Village Officials (CGVOs) program, a unique human capital reallocation initiative in China, on neo-endogenous rural development. Results show that CGVOs significantly increase rural collective operating income and promote neo-endogenous rural development. This suggests that CGVOs are blessings for village development. Mechanism analysis reveals that enhanced village entrepreneurial vitality and increased access to government project-based funding support constitute the key channels through which CGVOs stimulate neo-endogenous rural development. Heterogeneity analysis shows that CGVOs have stronger economic spillover effects in villages with better resource endowments, smaller populations, and more educated village leaders. This article provides a comprehensive theoretical and empirical examination of the pros and cons of the CGVO program, and offers policy insights for rural governance and development optimization.
This study critically revisits the Pollution Haven Hypothesis (PHH), which suggests that stringent environmental regulations drive polluting industries to relocate to areas with laxer standards. Focusing on the context of China's national strategy for Yangtze River Delta (YRD) regional integration, we employ a difference-in-differences-in-differences (DDD) estimation approach alongside multi-level panel data from 2003 to 2013 that exploits spatial and temporal variations in YRD expansion. We investigate whether regional integration facilitates the relocation of pollution-intensive industries (PII) to less-developed areas within the YRD. The analysis reveals that the integration boundary of YRD actually inhibits the transfer of polluting industries to peripheral cities in the region, though the trend of polluting industries shifting toward regional boundaries has strengthened. Thus the integration contributes to reducing the risk of becoming pollution havens for peripheral cities. These findings challenge the conventional PHH framework, indicating that regional integration can mitigate the PHH effects and limit the internal dispersion of pollution. Our results offer new insights into the influence of regional integration on the geographic distribution of polluting industries, highlighting the potential of coordinated regional governance to achieve both economic and environmental objectives.
Bangladesh is among the countries most vulnerable to the adverse impacts of climate change. Rising temperatures, erratic rainfall patterns, and intensified floods and cyclones have disrupted agricultural production, degraded land, and undermined rural livelihoods, compelling large-scale displacement. Many climate-displaced individuals migrate to Dhaka in search of livelihood opportunities, often settling in overcrowded and poorly serviced slum areas. These informal settlements, characterized by inadequate housing, limited access to clean water, sanitation, and healthcare, exacerbate the vulnerabilities of displaced populations. The absence of resilient urban infrastructure and effective governance mechanisms further intensifies livelihood insecurity, health risks, and social instability. Women, children, the elderly, and persons with disabilities face heightened exposure to disease, malnutrition, and physical or gender-based violence. This paper explores how climate-induced displacement shapes livelihood adaptation and health outcomes among slum dwellers in Dhaka. Drawing on evidence from selected informal settlements, it examines the interlinkages between climate vulnerability, livelihood choices, and access to essential services such as water, sanitation, and healthcare. Findings reveal that while displaced households exhibit adaptive capacity through informal employment and community networks, the lack of institutional support limits their resilience to future climate shocks. The study highlights the urgent need for climate-resilient urban planning, inclusive social protection, and integrated health interventions to safeguard the well-being of climate-affected populations. Building urban resilience requires coordinated action that links climate adaptation with sustainable livelihood strategies and equitable access to basic services for all displaced communities.
Knowledge exchanges are one of the key micro-foundations for agglomeration economies and innovation. Skilled and creative workers have been identified as key actors in the dissemination of strategic knowledge in cities. However, evidence is still lacking on how their presence contributes to improving the economic and innovative performance of large cities. This study aims to explore the diffusion of innovative capacity and creativity at neighbourhood level, considering workers' social interaction at places of work and residence and its association with the creation of new firms in the metropolitan region of Madrid. To this end, an agent-based simulation model was used to determine the contagion model parameters. The results confirm that the contagion of innovative capacity and creativity, shaped by face-to-face contacts, is significantly associated with the creation of new firms. They also reflect the need to consider the multi-faceted dimension of distance among urban actors beyond geographical proximity, and the co-existence of general diffusion channels related to social interaction in urban centres with specialised spatial channels. The implications for urban and regional policy are discussed.
China's reform permitting rural collective construction land to enter the market has created new institutional conditions for the integration of the urban-rural land market, revitalizing rural areas, and promoting balanced regional development. From the perspectives of property rights differentiation and governance structure, this study constructs a Structure-Conduct-Performance (SCP) analytical framework to examine patterns of market integration under rural land institutional reform. A comparative case study was conducted in three representative regions in China, namely Wujin District (eastern), Changyuan County (central), and Meitan County (western), to examine the mechanisms of urban-rural construction land markets integration. The results indicate significant regional heterogeneity in the degree of market integration across pilot regions operating under a common reform framework. Depending on local property-right foundations, three distinct governance structures have emerged: market-dominated, government-market hybrid, and government-guided. Each governance structure corresponds with a distinct pattern of price integration. Therefore, rural land system reforms should be adapted to local conditions, with governance paths aligned to the existing property rights foundation, to progressively advance urban-rural land market integration through context-specific governance arrangements.
Proprietary data allows researchers to obtain additional, unique information that might not be easily available in public data. In the business establishment space, the National Establishment Time Series (NETS) is a commonly used longitudinal micro dataset of business establishments developed by Walls & Associates and Dun & Bradstreet. A comparable publicly available dataset is the Business Dynamics Statistics (BDS) from the Census Bureau. The BDS is a longitudinal business dynamics dataset of aggregated tabulations including job creation and destruction, establishment births and deaths, and firm startups and shutdowns. Both datasets are widely used to study firm entry, exit, growth, and other development topics in the social sciences. We explore the consistency of firm entry and exit patterns in the NETS and BDS. As shown in prior work, there are substantial inconsistencies in two time series. However, the cross-sectional correlations between local market measures and firm entry and exit are highly consistent across the two datasets.
This research addresses a critical but underexamined challenge in disaster preparedness: the identification of neighborhoods where evacuation is hardest to accomplish based on physical infrastructure constraints as well as inherent social vulnerability. Existing evacuation approaches emphasize the flow of traffic and the capacity of roads, but typically presume equal capability for people to evacuate, neglecting the aggregate barriers faced by socially vulnerable populations. Closing this gap, the research proposes an equity-informed approach aided by spatial optimization to identify population clusters with evacuation bottlenecks. In collaboration with local community groups and emergency response agencies in Santa Barbara County, this research informs inclusive evacuation strategies that foster resilience and lessen structural disparities in disaster response.
In contrast to traditional perspectives, recent research has highlighted advantages of peripheral environments for innovation, such as enabling certain types of innovation and trust-based cooperation. Yet, most of this research is of systemic nature, tending to overestimate structural conditions, whereas the characteristics of firms and their strategies for innovating in such environments are equally if not more important for enabling learning and innovation. Therefore, this study uses two surveys of qualitative interviews to investigate how small and medium-sized enterprises in the peripheral Emsland region in Northwest Germany acquire digitalization knowledge in the absence of strong formal support structures. Differentiating between six forms of practical learning-by-interacting processes allows an in-depth analysis of how learning emerges through the targeted actions of firms in a specific regional setting. Our findings show that while firms with low digital capacity passively absorb knowledge through open regional networks, digitally advanced firms strategically engage in selective, trust-based learning groups. Access to such "closed clubs" depends heavily on reputation and embeddedness. The study contributes to innovation research by highlighting the interplay between regional opportunity structures, particularly in economically robust peripheral regions, and firm characteristics, and by demonstrating how firms (fail to) manage acquiring knowledge for their digital development.
Against the backdrop of China's enduring urban-rural divide and the national strategy to achieve shared prosperity, this study examines the impact of urban-rural integration (URI) policies on rural enterprise growth. Using panel data from 1120 counties (2014-2023) and a difference-in-differences design, we find that URI implementation is associated with a 12% increase in rural enterprise growth. Mechanism analyses indicate that URI operates through three channels: population mobility, construction land supply, and financial service density-with financial development showing the largest mediating effect. Results also show heterogeneity across regions and sectors: eastern and industry-specialized counties experience larger effects, while agriculture, transportation, and wholesale trade exhibit more pronounced gains. These findings highlight the importance of addressing regional disparities through tailored, multi-dimensional policy packages to enhance URI's effectiveness in promoting inclusive and sustainable rural development.
This study examines how disaster management expenditure affects regional economic growth across different institutional contexts. Analyzing panel data from 226 South Korean municipalities (2011-2021) using fixed effects and System GMM, the analysis reveals systematically heterogeneous effects even after explicitly controlling for population density as a proxy for agglomeration: districts demonstrate the strongest impact, whereas counties show the weakest returns. These differences are consistent with agglomeration economies and vertical intergovernmental cooperation advantages in metropolitan districts. The findings contribute to fiscal federalism theory by demonstrating that for public services with network externalities, cooperative governance can be as crucial as local autonomy in shaping the economic returns to resilience-enhancing disaster management expenditure. Results support differentiated regional policies leveraging institutional characteristics.
The spatiality of Entrepreneurial Ecosystems (EE) has become a topic of recent interest in literature. Traditionally based on a regionally-bounded appraisal of the contextual conditions leading up to entrepreneurial activity, EE research is facing a shift toward the inclusion of more fine-grained territorial approaches that accommodate complex spatial topologies involving heterogeneous trajectories of local, domestic, and international linkages. Yet we still fall short in grasping how the spatial features of EE relate to their respective outcomes. In this article, we take up this challenge by addressing the extent to which spatiality affects the dynamics of development in EE. To that end, we focus on investment data extracted from Crunchbase covering 11,670 investment transactions spanning 2266 EE located in 118 countries. We then assess the spatiality of EE by means of looking into the association between investment inflows and outflows in relation to post-investment valuation at the level of EE (our measure of EE outcomes). We further qualify this association by adding a vector that associates financial flows to leading EE. We complement our overall analysis by running quantile estimations to check for variations in associations across different levels of development in the analyzed EE. Our findings offer consistent evidence of a positive association between the spatial fluidity of EE and its respective outcomes. This is valid for both inward and outward spatial connections, although stronger associations are perceived for the former. Also, where investments come from/go to matters, as receiving/sending investments from/to the most eminent ecosystems is a good predictor of EE outcomes.
This paper analyses high-tech firms' location determinants in Catalonia, Spain, using 2010-2019 firm data, and spatial models to assess spillover and industry-specific factor effects. Results show that high-tech firms, especially in services, are clustered in busy, wealthy cities with strong innovation hubs, while non-high-tech firms prefer lower-density and lower-cost areas. Income levels and nearby high-tech activity influence firm location, highlighting the inter-municipal dynamics. Labour availability, universities, and innovation hubs also play relevant roles, though effects vary by sector. This paper contributes to firm location literature by integrating innovation ecosystem components (e.g., universities, incubators, and technology parks) into a spatial econometric framework that captures inter-municipal spillovers. These findings offer new insights into the literature on firm location choices and provide policymakers tools to promote innovation and regional balance.
