Gravitational Fields and Spatial Autocorrelation as Methods for Economic Analysis: An Application to Wages in the United States

Abstract

The primary goal of this paper is to compare and combine different spatial analysis tools, Moran’s global and local Index, the Getis-Ord Index with the gravitational model. These techniques were applied to a sample of wages from the manufacturing and financial sectors across counties in the United States. The method identifies and investigates patterns of spatial concentration through a cross-analysis that integrates gravitational fields. It also expands the study of trade and market dynamics beyond conventional theories, and highlights the significance of spatial analysis in improving the understanding of how economic forces shape such spatial patterns.