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Determinants of youth unemployment rate: case of Slovakia
No full textResearch background: The employment rate of young individuals in the labour market has considerably decreased in developed countries recently. Due to lower labour capital, skills, and generic and job-specific work experience, youth consider finding suitable job challenging. If they fail to succeed in the labour market soon after graduation, it leads to long-term unemployment, unstable and low-quality jobs, and even social exclusion.
Purpose of the article: This paper aims to analyse the unemployment rate of high school-graduated students and the factors impacting this unemployment rate, such as GDP per capita, total unemployment rate, apartment price per square meter and results from state exams. Identifying the determinants affecting youth unemployment is crucial for theoretical knowledge and for policymakers to ensure youth inclusion in the economic mainstream. As a result, society can reduce social and economic costs and avoid structural problems in the future.
Methods: Data about 464 Slovak high schools from National Institute for Certified Educational. Data include the graduate unemployment rate for each high school in Slovakia. Furthermore, two logistic regression models have been developed to investigate the impact of selected factors on high school graduates? unemployment rate immediately after graduation and nine months after graduation.
Findings & value added: This paper indicates the existence of statistical dependency between unemployment of high school graduates and overall unemployment rate in the region, GDP per capita in the region, quality of high school education and cost of living in the region immediately after graduation. Analysis of the period nine months after graduation has shown the important decline of education quality provided by high schools. To reduce youth unemployment, the state should focus primarily on improving overall unemployment itself by implementing a dual-learning system, simplifying business opportunities, making part-time work available, or introducing lifelong learning to help transform the economy into a knowledge base
Determinants for international competitiveness of the food industry in 43 countries world-wide: evidence from panel models
No full textResearch background: Food industry is of key importance to each economy due to its role in ensuring food security, balancing the labour market, as well as contributing to the economic growth and international trade. With a limited increase in demand for food in many highly developed countries, further growth in this sector of the economy will largely depend on the ability to successfully distribute manufactured goods in international markets and cope with competitive pressure from other entities.
Purpose of the article: Therefore, the study attempts to assess the determinants of international competitiveness of the food industry worldwide measured by the trade balance.
Methods: The research was based on data from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development Data Center (UNCTADStat) and the World Input-Output Database (WIOD). The time frame for the analyses was determined by the availability of internationally comparable data and thus covered the period of 2000?2014. The empirical analysis was performed with the use of panel models, while international competitiveness was measured by trade balance (net export).
Findings & value added: It was proved that increasing trade openness and relative demand, as well as decreasing relative unit labour costs have a positive impact on international competitiveness of the food industry worldwide. However, the nature of the relationship between relative labour productivity and trade balance appears to be ambiguous. A stronger impact of the examined factors on net exports in the long-run rather than the short-run was also evidenced. The novelty of our analysis is that we consider trade balance determinants of the food industry worldwide using panel models, whereas most of the existing studies focus either on one or a narrow group of countries
Meeting the European green deal objective of expanding organic farming
No full textResearch background: Economic growth is unsustainable. However, a circular economy has the potential to lead to sustainable development, while decoupling economic growth from the negative consequences of resource depletion and environmental degradation. The EU\u27s strategy of climate neutralization in 2050 developed, inter alia, into a European Green Deal action plan aiming at the efficient use of resources by moving to a cleaner, circular economy. More sustainable EU food system is a cornerstone of the European Green Deal. The European Commission\u27s goal is 25% of agricultural land to be used for organic production in 2030. The question is if it is possible to reach the objective with the use of current incentives. What else may be done to encourage European farmers to convert to organic farming?
Purpose of the article: The aim of this research is to review the development of organic agriculture in Europe and the EU and to identify incentives for farmers to convert to organic farming.
Methods: First of all, the methodological approach is to iteratively review the existing literature to frame the problem. Secondly, the data on organic agriculture in Europe is to be analyzed to answer the research questions. The analysis is based on international statistics, mainly collected by FiBL, IFOAM, EC Agri-food data portal and Eurostat..Fitting the trend functions to the actual data has been made in three scenarios (pessimistic, realistic and optimistic). These trend functions were used for the long-term forecasts of the share of organic farmland in the EU.
Findings & value added: The long-run forecast might be treated as a goal, which can motivate to act more intensively to achieve the objective. The existing measures, including organic farming payments, are not sufficient to meet the goal of massive increase in the acreage under organic production. It is necessary to develop new incentives e.g. Green Public Procurement, innovative and effective media campaigns, development of a dynamic network of actors within the organic food supply chain with the use of blockchain technology
Is redistributive policy of EU welfare state effective in tackling income inequality? A panel data analysis
No full textResearch background: Income inequality has risen sharply since the 1990s, despite the increase in the average size of redistribution in countries representing different welfare state models. The problem of increasing income inequality is currently a challenge for the EU economies, not only with well-established liberal traditions, but also with conservative and social-democratic ones. Therefore, it is worth conducting research on the redistributive effects of fiscal policy.
Purpose of the article: The article aims to show the redistributive effects of fiscal policy, paying particular attention to the most characteristic trends in redistribution, which are responsible for the growing income inequality. An overview of the fiscal instruments ? mainly personal income tax and benefit systems ? along with an empirical research on their potential impact on income inequality, allows for conclusions to be drawn about the effectiveness of redistributive policy in the EU countries.
Methods: Both descriptive analysis and panel data analysis is implemented to examine the effectiveness of redistributive policy in tackling income inequality in the EU?28 countries in years 2005?2017.
Findings & value added: Based on the panel analysis, it has been found that social transfers were much more effective than direct taxes in combating income inequality. In addition, the largest increase in income inequality ? as previously assumed ? was observed in the liberal welfare states, while the smallest in the social democratic welfare states. The empirical analysis extends the existing knowledge on main weaknesses of fiscal welfare state, indicating the required changes that may improve both its equity and efficiency
Segmentation and estimation of claim severity in motor third-party liability insurance through contrast analysis
No full textResearch background: Using the marginal means and contrast analysis of the target variable, e.g., claim severity (CS), the actuary can perform an in-depth analysis of the portfolio and fully use the general linear models potential. These analyses are mainly used in natural sciences, medicine, and psychology, but so far, it has not been given adequate attention in the actuarial field.
Purpose of the article: The article\u27s primary purpose is to point out the possibilities of contrast analysis for the segmentation of policyholders and estimation of CS in motor third-party liability insurance. The article focuses on using contrast analysis to redefine individual relevant factors to ensure the segmentation of policyholders in terms of actuarial fairness and statistical correctness. The aim of the article is also to reveal the possibilities of using contrast analysis for adequate segmentation in case of interaction of factors and the subsequent estimation of CS.
Methods: The article uses the general linear model and associated least squares means. Contrast analysis is being implemented through testing and estimating linear combinations of model parameters. Equations of estimable functions reveal how to interpret the results correctly.
Findings & value added: The article shows that contrast analysis is a valuable tool for segmenting policyholders in motor insurance. The segmentation\u27s validity is statistically verifiable and is well applicable to the main effects. Suppose the significance of cross effects is proved during segmentation. In that case, the actuary must take into account the risk that even if the partial segmentation factors are set adequately, statistically proven, this may not apply to the interaction of these factors. The article also provides a procedure for segmentation in case of interaction of factors and the procedure for estimation of the segment\u27s CS. Empirical research has shown that CS is significantly influenced by weight, engine power, age and brand of the car, policyholder\u27s age, and district. The pattern of age\u27s influence on CS differs in different categories of car brands. The significantly highest CS was revealed in the youngest age category and the category of luxury car brands
Reinvestment and effective corporate income tax rates in V4 countries
No full textResearch background: In the Visegrad Four (V4) countries (Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Slovakia), the inward foreign direct investment (FDI) shows high shares in the exports and gross domestic product (GDP). Furthermore, reinvested earnings play a significant role in the national balances of payments (BoP). Therefore, it is crucial to investigate the reinvestment rates and effective corporate income tax rates (ETRs) of transnational corporations (TNCs) and financial institutions settled in the V4 countries and compare them with the said rates in other European Union (EU) Member States. It is essential to unveil factors shaping investors? decisions to reinvest profits. Policymakers should reflect on them when cultivating the overall business climate to boost citizens? welfare.
Purpose of the article: We aim to identify the determinants of the FDI profit reinvestment rate in the V4 countries as host economies from 2014 to 2019 and draw a comparison with the EU?27 average. We dedicate special attention to the correlation between the reinvestment and the ETRs and other selected business climate indicators as specified in the World Bank?s Ease of Doing Business (World Bank, 2020).
Methods: To assess the determinants of the reinvestment rates, we employ a three-stage model of multiple linear regression, where we analyse extensive datasets published by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Eurostat, World Bank, and public and aggregate country-by-country reports (CbCR) provided by the respective financial institutions and TNCs.
Findings & value added: Our research shows that the corporate income tax (CIT) rate and ETRs significantly correlate with the reinvestment rate. The same applies to three Ease of Doing Business sub-indicators (Starting a business, Getting credit, and Contract enforcement). Contrary to the findings of Lundan (2006), Beugelsdijk et al. (2010), Nguyen and Rugman (2015), and Sutherland et al. (2020), macroeconomic factors, the profitability of corporations, and exchange rate stability turned out to be statistically insignificant. Our research has policy implications, for it can contribute to policy discussions on enhancing business environments in the V4 countries and ways to motivate foreign investors to reinvest their profits. The added value combines macroeconomic data with the unique and relatively new CbCR databases
Product and process innovation patterns in Polish low and high technology systems
No full textResearch background: While the Sectoral Innovation System (SSI) anticipates technology-related similarities in innovation patterns in the same sectors across countries, the distance to the frontier suggests that there are important differences with respect to the level of national technological development. Most contemporary analyses of sectoral innovation systems are focused on well-developed economies. In contrast, the evidence from developing countries including new EU members are scared and lack dynamics.
Purpose of the article: The purpose of this paper is to identify and compare product and process innovation patterns in Polish low and high technology systems. The main assumption is that divergence and convergence in innovation patterns of low- and medium-low technology (LMT) and high technology (HT) systems evolve over time and are strongly influenced by the characteristics of firms, their linkages with other system participants, existing demand, and institutional conditions.
Methods: According to the third edition of the Oslo Manual (OECD, 2005), we employ a harmonized questionnaire and methodology to collect unique micro data on innovation. The survey concerns 5252 firms including 873 firms from HT sector. The scope of the research relates to product and process innovation at least new to the firm.
Findings & value added: Our results show that although the intensity of product and process innovation is higher in HT system, both business support institutions and public financial instruments better support firms in LMT sectors. On the other hand, existing demand and market structure favor the emergence of new innovations at the firm level (imitations), but with more emphasis on LMT. The key source of innovation is suppliers, with foreign suppliers in HT and national ones in LMT. In contrast to leading economies, LMT plays a key role in long term economic growth in Poland
Does trade openness improve the quality of domestic institutions? Evidence from Africa
No full textResearch background: The research article deals with impacts of international trade openness on institutions in less developed economies, namely in Africa.
Purpose of the article: It investigates the impacts of international trade openness on institutional quality in Africa measured by twelve various variables.
Methods: It applies generalized methods of moments to a dynamic panel data of 34 African countries in the period of 1988?2012. Institutional quality data come from International Country Risk Guide, the rest from World Development Indicators and UNESCO databases.
Findings & value added: Our results indicate that in the case of Africa, trade openness seems to be a positive and significant determinant of institutional quality, however, it differs across various institutional variables. Trade openness brings a positive impact on government stability, bureaucracy and law and order, we also identify its conflict-mitigating effects. This happens, unfortunately, with an exemption for natural resources exports. Trade openness also positively influences security and socioeconomic conditions, although we find the link much weaker. Regarding our control variables, we find two interesting results. First, GDP per capita has a strong and positive association with institutional quality when measured by one bundled indicator, however, individual variables show different intensities. Second, we find a strong and positive association of net foreign direct investment inflows and government stability. The added value of this research lies not only in focus on the less researched relationship, i.e., how trade impacts the institutional quality, but dominantly in focus on many institutional variables at once and comparison of their effects. Other empirical studies usually focus on selected variables only, or on selected trade items (natural resources)
How do SMEs from different countries perceive export impediments depending on their firm-level characteristics? System approach
No full textResearch background: The differences in the legal structures, tax rates, and cultural-linguistic issues of various countries have always been a significant concern for SMEs in their exporting activities and internationalization processes. However, since firm-level characteristics might provide some advantages or disadvantages in their operations, their perceptions of export impediments might vary across size, age, and sector groups.
Purpose of the article: This paper investigates the perceptions of export impediments by 408 larger-smaller, older-younger, and manufacturing-nonmanufacturing Czech, Slovakian and Hungarian SMEs in a country-based perspective.
Methods: The researchers use the random sampling method to create research samples and employ an internet-mediated questionnaire to collect the research data. The researchers use both Independent Sample T-test and ANOVA analyses to find differences between size, age, and sector groups.
Findings & value added: While the differences exist between the perceptions of Slovakian larger-smaller and manufacturing-nonmanufacturing SMEs regarding cultural differences, the perceptions of legal and tax-related export impediments by SMEs do not differ depending on their age, size, and sector. This paper contributes to the literature by confirming various perceptions of SMEs in different countries and different characteristics regarding export obstacles and providing an entity-specific and international scope that policymakers and SMEs can benefit from. Awareness of the policymakers regarding the results of this paper that includes differences and similarities in SMEs? perceptions of export barriers might make them have close interactions with SMEs to reduce SMEs? concerns regarding their export risks. On the other hand, SMEs that are aware of the results of this paper can be more interested in having a broader network that includes close relationships not only with intermediary firms, but also with governments to overcome the export impediments
Stability of profits and earnings management in the transport sector of Visegrad countries
No full textResearch background: Business profit and its stable development are key performance indicators. Many enterprises performed earnings manipulation, either upward or downward, according to the current business and macroeconomic situation, as well as time. These activities may interrupt the stationarity of time series. This article focuses on the transport enterprises, and the assessment of bonds in their earnings.
Purpose of the article: The target of the article was to identify the occurrence of non-stationary and its unit root in the EBITDA of transport enterprises for each country in V4 during the period of 2010?2019.
Methods: The stationarity and unit roots in time series were tested by the Kwiatkowski, Phillips, Schmidt, and Shin tests and the Augmented Dickey-Fuller based on the samples of 470 Slovak, 405 Czech, 774 Polish, and 1,056 Hungarian. The behavior of earnings manipulation (the first cause of non-stationarity) was indicated by the Modified Jones model. Additional causes for non-stationarity were confirmed by the regression analysis, including factors such as the GDP, unemployment rate, average monthly gross wage, and the Ease of doing business index.
Findings & value added: The non-stationarity in the time series of EBITDA was disclosed for each country in the V4 region. Earnings management was discovered to be the cause of this erratic development. Thus, the value-added for the authorities and auditors is to show the association between non-stationary and creative accounting. In addition, purposeful downward manipulation in the transport sector occurs, not upward, which is typical in general. The methodology used in the study may be applied cross-sectorally in emerging countries. The labelling of specific macroeconomic variables depending on the country offers enterprises the opportunity to focus on factors with a crucial influence on their existence and activities