Geography, Geology, and Regional Economic Development
Presented by:
Alex James
College of Business and Public Policy
University of Alaska-Anchorage
Friday, September 17, 2021
12:00 pm-1:15 pm
Taylor-Hibbard Seminar Room (Rm103)
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We estimate the long run population effect of large resource discoveries in the United States and consider heterogeneous effects created by environmental and geographic features of the discovery site. Using a dynamic event study analysis and developing novel, geographically delineated measures of both amenity value and geographic isolation, we find that resource discoveries cause population to grow both in the short and long-run (e.g., fifty years). However, this effect is largely driven by discoveries in unfavorable locations that might struggle to grow in the absence of a resource discovery. More generally, this paper highlights the importance of considering heterogeneous effects of labor demand shocks and yields insights into the observed spatial distribution of people in the United States.
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