Spatial Organization of Manufacturing in the Global Economic Context (the Case Study of U.S.)

Abstract

The case study of United States shows that global economic processes signifi cantly infl uence location of manufacturing. Analysis of multidimensional data covering 1860–2010 shows several stylized facts. Increasing intensity of U.S. involvement in global economy leads with a certain time lag to the growth of spatial polarization of U.S. manufacturing. Calculations show that the less is interregional inequality in U.S. and the more integrated are national markets for goods and factors of production, the smaller are interregional shifts of manufacturing under changing global economic conditions. The second group of stylized facts is the shift of U.S. manufacturing from cores of largest agglomeration and growth of agglomeration level. Rising international competition enhances selection of enterprises and, because of strong link between productivity of an individual fi rm and concentration around its location, promotes agglomeration. High concentration of innovations leads to the increasing level of agglomeration of U.S. manufacturing, reinforcing importance of local clusters and MSAs in comparison with industrial regions. Finally, highly localized agglomeration effect in fast-growing sector of business services leads to displacement of manufacturing from cores of large MSAs.