Convergence Heterogeneity at the Local Level in Sub-Saharan Africa

Charpe, Matthieu (2022): Convergence Heterogeneity at the Local Level in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Abstract

This paper tests for convergence in labor productivity at the local level in 10 Sub-Saharan countries, disaggregated into 1136 administrative entities. This work combines nighttime lights data and a unique set of population censuses to produce local measures of growth, employment and sectoral shares. We find evidence of unconditional convergence across sectors in the range of 2\%. However, convergence is heterogeneous and conditional on both manufacturing and services employment shares. Convergence is also associated with proximity to the main city, moderate population density, low land suitability and relatively moderate temperature. Lastly, the within effect dominates the between effect.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: Local convergence, nighttime lights, heterogeneity, local labour market, structural transformation, census
• Subjects: J - Labor and Demographic Economics > J2 - Demand and Supply of Labor > J23 - Labor Demand; J - Labor and Demographic Economics > J4 - Particular Labor Markets > J46 - Informal Labor Markets; O - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth > O1 - Economic Development > O14 - Industrialization ; Manufacturing and Service Industries ; Choice of Technology; R - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics > R1 - General Regional Economics > R11 - Regional Economic Activity: Growth, Development, Environmental Issues, and Changes; R - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics > R2 - Household Analysis > R23 - Regional Migration ; Regional Labor Markets ; Population ; Neighborhood Characteristics

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