Journal
REVIEW OF WORLD ECONOMICS
Volume 145, Issue 4, Pages 615-640Publisher
SPRINGER
DOI: 10.1007/s10290-009-0037-y
Keywords
Specialisation; Economic development; Semiparametric and nonparametric methods
Categories
Ask authors/readers for more resources
This paper contributes to the literature on the evolution of overall specialisation along the process of economic development by simultaneously estimating 'specialisation curves' emerging from fully comparable employment and export statistics in a sample of 32 economies (1980-2000). We apply semiparametric estimation methods, which allow us to combine the flexibility of the estimation with the inclusion of country-specific effects, demonstrating that their omission can be the source of contradictions in nonparametrically revealed patterns of diversification along the path of growth. We find no strong support for a U-shaped pattern (which is very sensitive to the methodological setting applied) but rather a robust tendency towards manufacturing despecialisation in the initial phase of economic growth that is confirmed both by export and employment specialisation patterns.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available