Maria BAS
January 2009
PhD in Economics at EHESS and Paris School of Economics (PSE), with Highest Honors (10/2004- 02/2008)
Jury: B. Amable, R. Boyer (Advisor), P. Martin, T. Mayer, J-M. Siroën and J. R. Tybout
PhD Thesis: Trade policy, productivity gains and technology adoption: a heterogeneous firms approach
 Research Interests
Primary fields: international economics,
international trade,
micro-econometrics studies
Secondary fields: development economics
Current position
* London School of Economics, Center for Economic Performance (CEP)
Post-doctoral Fellow invited by Henry OVERMAN - 10/08 - 01/09.
* Penn State University
Post-doctoral Fellow invited by James R. TYBOUT - 02/09 - 06/09
Teaching
Teaching Assistant on Macroeconomics, Economic Analysis and International Economics at Université Paris Ouest
Complete CV  en fr
Research Papers
Trade, Technology Adoption and Wage Inequalities: Theory and Evidence, job market paper (revised November 2008)
This paper develops a model of trade that features heterogeneous firms, technology choice and different types of skilled labor in a general equilibrium framework. Its main contribution is to explain the impact of trade integration on technology adoption and wage inequalities. It also provides empirical evidence to support the model’s main assumption and predictions using plant-level panel data from Chile’s manufacturing sector (1990-1999). The theoretical framework offers a possible explanation of the puzzling increase in skill premium in the developing countries. The key mechanism is found in the effects of trade policy on the number of new firms upgrading technology and on the skill-intensity of labor. Trade liberalization pushes up export revenues, raising the probability that the most productive exporters will upgrade their technology. These firms then increase their relative demand for skilled labor, thereby raising inequalities.
Trade integration and within-plant productivity evolution in Chile, with Ivan Ledezma, April 2007, (revised October 2008), CESifo Working Paper No. 2077 and Working paper PSE No 2007-09 (Submitted)
We study the impact of trade on productivity using Chilean plant-level data (1982-1999). Our contribution is to disentangle the impact of export and import barriers. Firstly, we estimate the production functions to obtain plant TFP. Secondly, we estimate trade barriers (border effects) between Chile and its trading partners at the industry level and over time. Finally, we test the impact of trade barriers by regressing productivity on border effect estimates. A fall in export barriers improves productivity in traded sectors, while the reduction of import barriers might foster productivity in export industries but it hurts firms in import-competing ones.
Trade liberalization and heterogeneous within-firm productivity improvements with Ivan Ledezma (revised June 2008), Working paper PSE No 2006-36
This paper develops an intra-industry model of trade with heterogeneous firms to investigate the impact of trade on the evolution of within firm productivity. The main contribution is to incorporate endogenous labor productivity gains. Heterogeneous firms have different incentives to invest in foreign technology which in turns enhances efficiency heterogeneously. Trade liberalization reduces the price of imported capital equipment and increases factor demands. These mechanisms introduce two novel results. First, aggregate productivity increases due to within-firm productivity improvements. Second, tariffs reduction has little impact on the extensive margin of trade in countries already highly open.
Research in Progress
Productivity gains and export participation: evidence from Argentinean and Chilean plants
Links to others authors
Gabriele CARDULLO
Elvire GUILLAUD
Ivan LEDEZMA
Contact
Email : bas "at" pse.ens.fr |
