城市级别、全要素生产率和资源错配

Administrative Rank, Total Factor Productivity and Resource Misallocation in Chinese Cities

本文从城市行政级别这一全新视角重新解释了城市的生产率水平和资源配置效率。我们发现,行政级别越高的城市,其制造业企业的全要素生产率(TFP)平均水平也越高,但城市级别对TFP的正面影响主要体现在国有企业和外资及港澳台企业,高级别城市民营企业的TFP反而更低;行政级别越高的城市,制造业企业的资源错配程度越严重,并且这一效应集中体现在国有企业和外资及港澳台企业,城市级别对民营企业的资源配置反而具有改善作用。城市级别发挥作用的渠道包括高级别城市的企业政府补贴更多、人才优势更大、融资便利更多、地方税负更小,其中前3个渠道主要体现在国有企业,地方税负主要体现在外资及港澳台企业。本文的研究推进了对城市生产效率的理解,并且从更一般的意义上揭示了行政手段作为资源配置方式的经济意义。

This paper explores the role of administrative rank in explaining the variation of productivity and allocative efficiency among Chinese cities.We find that manufacturing firms in higher-ranking cities have on average higher total factor productivity.The effect is evident in state-owned firms and foreign firms.Private firms in high-ranking cities have lower TFP.We also find that resource misallocation is more prevalent in higher-ranking cities.The effect is also driven by state-owned firms and foreign firms.Being in high-ranking cities improves the allocative efficiency of private firms on the contrary.We rationalize the results on basis of subsidy,human capital,and financing advantages of state-owned firms,and tax advantage of foreign firms in high-ranking cities.This study complements our understanding of the productive efficiency of cities,and more generally,calls attention to the economic importance of administrative means in resource allocation.