‘Please, don't go’: the role of local public human capital in post‐disaster recovery

Abstract We examine the nuanced interplay between local administrative capacity and post‐earthquake economic recovery. By focusing on the aftermath of the 2016 Central Italy earthquake, and employing the synthetic difference‐in‐differences estimator, we shed light on the crucial role of low local public employee turnover as a mitigating factor in curtailing post‐disaster job losses and the reduction of business activities. Our findings advance the disaster recovery literature by delving into municipal‐level dynamics, highlighting the significance of specific human capital and local administrative stability in fostering socioeconomic resilience.