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Journal Article
Research Spotlight: Immigration and Labor Market Outcomes
Immigration policy is a contentious issue. Some fear that an influx of immigrants will "crowd out" natives in the labor market — that is, displace native workers by competing for the same jobs — while others claim that immigrants increase productivity by contributing new skill sets that supplement the skills of natives.
Briefing
Diverging Trends in Market Concentration
Researchers at the University of Chicago and the Richmond Fed uncover a paradoxical trend of rising national market concentration and falling local concentration across major economic sectors. Top firms — often thought to displace local businesses — are found to instead accelerate this divergence by enhancing (rather than stifling) local competition upon entry. This challenges prevailing narratives that top firms wield the market power to negatively impact consumer welfare by geographically expanding.
Briefing
Sectoral Multipliers and Technology Adoption as Insight Into Growth
In a multisector model with technology adoption and rich network structures, what policy instruments best reduce distortions and promote economic development? This article discusses a framework showing that technology adoption has important effects on both the magnitude and relative effectiveness of sectoral industrial policies. After applying the framework to data on the Indian economy, adoption subsidies prove the most cost-effective instrument with high sectoral multipliers and relatively lower fiscal costs of implementation. Particularly promising sectors emerge that stand to foster the ...
Briefing
How Do Banks Choose Where to Place Branches?
Prior to the 1980s, U.S. banks faced restrictions on where they could open branches, which essentially confined them to their home states. Subsequent deregulation over the next two decades eliminated these restrictions, drastically changing the landscape of the banking industry. Some banks grew rapidly, while many others exited the market due to either competitive forces or consolidation. The main effect of deregulation was to allow banks to open branches in new locations; as such, this episode provides a natural experiment to study the mechanisms behind the sorting patterns that emerge from ...