Paper #235

Title:

Convergence in panel data: Evidence from the skipping estimation

Author:

Etsuro Shioji

Date:

August 1997

Abstract:

This paper demonstrates that, unlike what the conventional wisdom says, measurement error biases in panel data estimation of convergence using OLS with fixed effects are huge, not trivial. It does so by way of the "skipping estimation"': taking data from every m years of the sample (where m is an integer greater than or equal to 2), as opposed to every single year. It is shown that the estimated speed of convergence from the OLS with fixed effects is biased upwards by as much as 7 to 15%.

Keywords:

income convergence, panel data estimation, skipping estimation, measurement error biases, small sample biases

JEL codes:

O40, C23

Area of Research:

Macroeconomics and International Economics

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