Convergence Across Italian Regions and the Role of Technological Catch-Up

This paper suggests that the main (and possibly unique) source of β- and σ- convergence
in GDP per worker (i.e. labor productivity) across Italian regions over the
1980-2000 period is the change in technical and allocative efficiency, i.e. convergence
in relative TFP levels. To reach this conclusion, I construct an approximation of
the production frontier at different points in time using Data Envelope Analysis
(DEA), and measure efficiency as the output-based distance from the frontier. This
method is entirely data-driven, and does not require the specification of any particular
functional form for technology. Changes in GDP per worker can be decomposed
in changes in relative efficiency, changes due to overall technological progress, and
changes due to capital deepening. My results suggest that: (i) differences in relative
TFP are quantitatively important; (ii) while technological progress and capital
deepening are the main, and equally important, forces behind the rightward shift
in the distribution of GDP per worker, convergence in relative TFP is the main
determinant of the change in the distribution's shape.