Economic Structure, Productivity, and Infrastructure Quality in Southern Mexico

Deichmann, Uwe ; Fay, Marianne ; Koo, Jun ; Lall, Somik V.

World Bank, Washington, DC

关键词: AVERAGE PRODUCTIVITY;    BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT;    CITIES;    COMPANY;    CREDIT MARKETS;   

DOI  :  10.1596/1813-9450-2900
RP-ID  :  WPS2900

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: World Bank Open Knowledge Repository

【 摘 要 】

There are large and sustaineddifferences in the economic performance of sub-nationalregions in most countries. The authors examine the economicstructure and productivity in Southern Mexico and compare itwith the rest of the country. The authors use firm leveldata from Mexican manufacturing to test the relativeimportance of firm level characteristics (such as humancapital and technology adoption) compared with externalcharacteristics (such as infrastructure quality andregulatory environment) in explaining productivitydifferentials. The authors find that the economic structureof Southern Mexico is considerably different from the restof the country, with the economic landscape dominated bymicro enterprises and a relative specialization in lowproductivity activities. This, coupled with low skill levelsand fewer skill upgrading opportunities, reduces theperformance of Southern firms. Productivity differentialsbetween Southern firms and others, however, only exist formicro enterprises. The econometric analysis shows that whileemployee training and technology adoption enhanceproductivity, access to markets by improving transportinfrastructure that link urban areas also have importantproductivity effects.