Railroads, Reallocation, and the Rise of American Manufacturing

Richard Hornbeck and Martin Rotemberg
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Martin Rotemberg: New York University

No 396, 2019 Meeting Papers from Society for Economic Dynamics

Abstract: We examine the impacts of market integration on the development of American manufacturing, as railroads expanded through the latter half of the 19th century. Using county-by-industry data from the Census of Manufacturers, we estimate substantial impacts on manufacturing productivity growth from increases in county market access due to expansion of the railroad network. These productivity impacts are driven by increases in "reallocative efficiency," as input usage increased in areas where value marginal product exceeded marginal cost.

Date: 2019
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-gro and nep-his
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Working Paper: Railroads, Reallocation, and the Rise of American Manufacturing (2019)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:red:sed019:396

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