Stochastic convergence tests for US regional per capita personal income; some further evidence: a research note

Abstract

This paper contributes to the time-series literature on US regional income convergence. We apply unit root tests to metropolitan and nonmetropolitan per capita personal income series from 1969 to 2001. We show that some of the mixed results on regional income convergence in the time-series literature may be the result of using different unit root tests. We demonstrate these mixed results with our data. Then, using a test we consider the most appropriate, we generate results which reject the hypothesis that US regional incomes are nonstationary. Thus, we provide additional support for the regional convergence of US per capita regional income.