5th NORDIC-BALTIC CONFERENCE IN REGIONAL SCIENCE
GLOBAL-LOCAL INTERPLAY IN THE BALTIC SEA REGION
Pärnu, Estonia, October 1-4, 1998

Prof. Juan Cuadrado Roura
Departamento de Economia Aplicada
Universidad de Alcala
Rafael Calvo 17-4, E28010 Alcala-Madrid, Spain
Tel.: 43 1 885 4215    Fax: 43 1 885 4219
E-mail: cuadrado@lander.es

The main purpose of this contribution is to analyse the differences in terms of productivity behaviour among the European regions. The paper sets out from an analysis of regional labour productivity convergence through a conventional approach. However, a more detailed study shows the existence of several behaviour patterns among European regions, which are even observed within relatively homogeneous areas ( peripheral, central, old industrialized and lagging ones). This demands a more detailed analysis. An alternative method is used to attain this objective. More than 90 significant regions of the European Union have been selected to verify  some specific differences firstly observed in their productivity, employment and GVA growth rates. The paper conclude the existence of remarkable regional trends within a relative global tendency to converge in terms of labour productivity. A typology of regions is finally suggested.