Convergencia, divergencia y estratificación. Estudio comparativo de la dinámica de crecimiento de la manufactura en los municipios mexicanos y los condados estadunidenses

In this document we analyze the dynamics of per capita value added in manufacturing as a proxy of per capita income in Mexico’s municipalities and US counties. Specifically we seek to determine if there is convergence (absolute or conditional), divergence or stratification. A dynamic panel model without exogenous regresors is utilized, and the problem of bias in this specific context is considered. In general it is concluded that the dynamics of per capita value added of US counties shows conditional convergence and low steady state dispersion. However, in the case of Mexico the dynamics are congruent with stratified growth. This study also finds that manufacturing growth in US counties and Mexican municipalities is divergent through time.