Prices for, and the affordability of childcare has received increased attention since the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, concerns have been raised about potential differences in childcare costs and access between rural and urban communities. To address these issues, we combine...

We construct an instrumental variable for the Internet penetration rate using China's "8-horizontal-8-longitudinal" optical cable network to identify the impact of the Internet on the agglomeration of producer services in cities. We find that, (i) the Internet promotes the agglomeration of...

In recent decades, there has been a growing emphasis on the importance of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as a significant driver of economic growth and enhancer of competitiveness. They constitute an estimated 90% of the total population of businesses, and contribute significantly, up...