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Does taking the shadow economy into account matter when measuring aggregate efficiency?

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Listed:
  • Pierre-Guillaume Méon
  • Laurent Weill
  • Friedrich Schneider

Abstract

We analyze how adding the shadow economy to official output figures affects estimated technical efficiency at the country level. We find that this only slightly affects the ranking of efficiency scores, but increases average efficiency in a sample of 87 to 97 countries, both developed and developing. Our results are robust to the functional form of the production technology and the adjustment of labour to account for years of schooling.

Suggested Citation

  • Pierre-Guillaume Méon & Laurent Weill & Friedrich Schneider, 2011. "Does taking the shadow economy into account matter when measuring aggregate efficiency?," ULB Institutional Repository 2013/103502, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    • Handle: RePEc:ulb:ulbeco:2013/103502
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    Cited by:

    1. Fan, Qingji & Kuper, Paul & Choi, Yun Hyeong & Choi, Seong-jin, 2021. "Does ICT development curb firms’ perceived corruption pressure? The contingent impact of institutional qualities and competitive conditions," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 135(C), pages 496-507.
    2. repec:bla:germec:v:11:y:2010:i::p:109-149 is not listed on IDEAS
    3. Sabrina Auci & Laura Castellucci & Manuela Coromaldi, 2021. "How does public spending affect technical efficiency? Some evidence from 15 European countries," Bulletin of Economic Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 73(1), pages 108-130, January.
    4. S. Auci, 2014. "The role of production chains in Italian industry: A steady connection between Italy's North-West and South," Rivista economica del Mezzogiorno, Società editrice il Mulino, issue 3, pages 617-658.
    5. Brock, Gregory & German-Soto, Vicente, 2017. "Regional industrial informality and efficiency in Mexico, 1990–2013," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 39(5), pages 928-941.
    6. Rajeev K. Goel & Ummad Mazhar & Rati Ram, 2022. "Informal competition and firm performance: Impacts on input‐ versus output performance," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 43(2), pages 418-430, March.
    7. Brock, Gregory, 2019. "A remote sensing look at the economy of a Russian region (Rostov) adjacent to the Ukrainian crisis," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 41(2), pages 416-431.
    8. Brock, Gregory, 2015. "The informal economy of Rostov Oblast on the eve of the Ukrainian refugee crisis," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 37(5), pages 789-803.
    9. Gregory Brock & Constantin Ogloblin, 2014. "Another look at technical efficiency in American states, 1979–2000," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 53(2), pages 577-590, September.

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