Remaking Regional Economies: Power, Labor, and Firm Strategies in The Knowledge Economy

Why do some regions gain jobs while others lose them? Policy makers tell us that regions must compete for firms and young talent to survive in the global economy.This key book examines how far firms' locations decisions represent political and economic strategies: to reshape the markets for their products and the labour markets in which these products are produced.At the centre of the analysis is how labour is affected by and responds to firms strategies. Foregrounding the political dimension and focusing on labour, the authors demonstrate why the region has become the spatial frame for so much economic policy. The analysis draws on case studies from the US and Canada as well as examples for the UK and continental Europe.This significant volume will open the debate on the need for a politically informed interpretation of firm strategies within and across regions, and as such, it will be of interest to academics, raise questions for policy-makers and offer viable alternatives.

Jennifer Clark is assistant professor at the School of Public Policy, Georgia Institute of Technology.