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Analysis of the Employment Effects of Economic Zones in the US, France and Poland: Methodological and Socio-Economic Challenges
Abstract
Theoretical background: Countries around the world use a variety of instruments to intervene in economic processes to promote regional development and attract foreign investment. One such tool is the creation of economic zones, which offer a range of incentives and concessions to companies operating within their boundaries. The theory of economic zones fits into the concept of selective interventionism, whereby the state provides special benefits in selected areas in order to, i.a., stimulate economic growth, employment or reduce unemployment.
Purpose of the article: The article presents a synthesis of previous research on the effectiveness of economic zones in terms of their impact on employment and unemployment reduction, analysing experiences from the USA, France and Poland. It aims to identify the factors that may account for the significant differences in research findings across these countries.
Research methods: This article is a theoretical review of the literature on the evaluation of the impact of economic zones in the USA, France and Poland. The analysis of the literature focuses on the methodology, results and conclusions of different studies, taking into account the diversity of research approaches, data analysis techniques, sampling criteria and socio-economic factors. The information gathered is synthesised to identify key trends, consistency and inconsistency of findings, and methodological challenges.
Main findings: Differences in the efficiency of SEZs in the US, France and Poland are mainly due to differences in tax policies applied at different administrative levels. In addition, the effectiveness of zones is strongly influenced by local socio-economic conditions and the heterogeneity of beneficiaries. Important methodological challenges include the identification of zone areas and the selection of appropriate control groups. Analysing the impact of employment in zones, taking into account local conditions and the heterogeneity of enterprises, can significantly improve the effectiveness of these programmes.
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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.17951/h.2026.60.1.21-40
Date of publication: 2026-05-23 16:12:43
Date of submission: 2024-09-13 09:07:33
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