Do Local Economic Development Programs Work? Evidence from the Federal Empowerment Zone Program

Matias Busso and Patrick Kline

No 1639, Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers from Cowles Foundation for Research in Economics, Yale University

Abstract: This paper evaluates the impact of Round I of the federal urban Empowerment Zone (EZ) program on neighborhood level labor and housing market outcomes over the period 1994-2000. Using four decades of Census data in conjunction with information on the proposed boundaries of rejected EZs, we find that neighborhoods receiving EZ designation experienced substantial improvements in labor market conditions and moderate increases in rents relative to rejected and future zones. These effects were accompanied by small changes in the demographic composition of the neighborhoods, though evidence from disaggregate Census tabulations suggests that these changes account for little of the observed improvements.

Keywords: Program evaluation; Local economic development; Empowerment zones (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C21 H2 O1 R58 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 58 pages
Date: 2008-02
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-geo, nep-lab and nep-ure
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (61)

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