Congestion Charges in Stockholm: How Have They Affected Retail Revenues?

Abstract

Did the introduction of congestion charges in Stockholm city reduce retail revenues? Data from 20 shopping malls – 8 within the toll area, and 12 outside the toll area – and from a sample of retail stores located along the main shopping streets was analysed using an intervention-control approach. Favourable outcomes, such as reduced traffic, less emissions of carbon-dioxide and perceived improvements in air quality and accessibility, do not seem to have been offset by reduced revenues for retailers located within the toll area.
Related content: Working Paper No. 134

Do Targeted R&D Grants toward SMEs Increase Employment and Demand for High Human Capital Workers?

Book chapterPublication

Daunfeldt, S. O., Halvarsson, D., Tingvall, P. G., & McKelvie, A.

Publication year

2022

Published in

Springer.

Abstract

Most previous studies on the employment effects of government R&D grants targeting SMEs are characterized by data-, measurement-, and selection problems, making it difficult to construct a relevant control group of firms that did not receive an R&D grant. We investigate the effects on employment and firm-level demand for high human capital workers of two Swedish programs targeted toward growth-oriented SMEs using Coarsened Exact Matching. Our most striking result is the absence of any statistically significant effects. We find no robust evidence that the targeted R&D grant programs had any positive and statistically significant effects on the number of employees recruited into these SMEs, or that the grants are associated with an increase in the demand for high human capital workers. The lack of statistically significant findings is troublesome considering that government support programs require a positive impact to cover the administrative costs associated with these programs.

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Utvärderingar av näringspolitik – en intressekonflikt mellan myndigheter, konsult-företag, politik och skattebetalare?

Article (without peer review)Publication

Colin, E., Sandström, C., & Wennberg, C.

Publication year

2021

Published in

Ekon. Debatt, 49, 30-41.

Abstract

Antalet utvärderingar av ekonomisk politik ökar explosionsartat. Det finns dock få systematiska sammanställningar av de utvärderingar som görs och det saknas kunskap om hur utvärderare skiljer sig åt gällande metoder och slutsatser, inte minst inom näringspolitiken. Vi studerar utvärderingar av 110 näringspoli-tiska insatser 2009–19 genom att granska huruvida valet av utvärderare påver-kar utvärderingarnas resultat. Privata konsulter visar sig vara den vanligaste utvärderaren av näringspolitik och deras utvärderingar skiljer sig från andra utvärderare genom att vara övervägande mer positiva till de utvärderade insat-serna. Vi diskuterar intressekonflikter som kan antas föreligga mellan utvärde-rare, myndigheter, den politiska makten och allmänheten.

Colin, E., Sandström, C., & Wennberg, C. (2021). Utvärderingar av näringspolitik–en intressekonflikt mellan myndigheter, konsultföretag, politik och skattebetalare. Ekon. Debatt, 49, 30-41.

Tillväxt och hållbar utveckling i Sverige – fick Lindbeck (1974) rätt?

Article (without peer review)Publication

Grafström, J., Paulson, R., Sandström, C. & Wieslander, A.

Publication year

2020

Published in

Ekonomisk Debatt

Abstract

Abstract

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