60 research outputs found
Determinants of Productivity per Employee: an Empirical Estimation Using Panel Data
No full textTwo different approaches are used in this article to study productivity per employee: the determinants of its growth rate in the 1990s are first examined, and then the determinants of its level, using a more structural approach. ICT are shown to have a positive and significant effect on both growth rates and levels of productivity. This result is consistent with that of Gust and Marquez (2002), although the sample of countries is larger and GMM are used. In both sections of the paper, the employment rate and productivity exhibit a significant negative relationship, arising from the concentration of employment on the most productive members of the workforce. Indicators of financial depth and price stability are found to be significant.Productivity ; Panel ; Generalized method of moments ; Information and communication technology (ICT) ; Growth accounting
Trading Partners and Trading Volumes: Implementing the Helpman-Melitz-Rubinstein Model Empirically
No full textHelpman, Melitz, and Rubinstein (2008)-HMR-present a rich theoretical model to study the determinants of bilateral trade flows across countries. The model is then empirically implemented through a two-stage estimation procedure. This note seeks to clarify some econometric aspects of the estimation approach used by HMR and explore the consequences of possible departures from the maintained distributional assumptions.Gravity equation, Heteroskedasticity, Jensens inequality
SWAP onboard PROBA 2, a new EUV imager for solar monitoring
No full textSWAP (Sun Watcher using Active Pixel system detector and image processing) is a solar imager in the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) that has been selected to fly in 2007 on the PROBA 2 technological platform, an ESA program. SWAP will use an off-axis Ritchey Chrétien telescope equipped with an EUV enhanced active pixel sensor detector (coated APS). This type of detector has advantages that promise to be very profitable for solar EUV imaging. SWAP will provide solar coronal images at a 1-min cadence in a bandpass centered on 17.5 nm. Observations with this specific wavelength allow detecting phenomena, such as solar flares or EIT-waves, associated with the early phase of coronal mass ejections. Image processing software will be developed that automatically detects these phenomena and sends out space weather warnings. Together with its sister instrument LYRA, also onboard PROBA 2, SWAP will serve as a high performance solar monitoring tool to be used in operational space weather forecasting. The SWAP data will complement the solar observations provided by instruments like SOHO-EIT, and STEREO-SECCHI
A comparison of structural productivity levels in the major industrialised countries
No full textHourly labour productivity levels in a number of European countries are thought to be very close to, or possibly even higher than the level ‘observed’ in the United States. At the same time, however, there are big differentials between hours worked and/or employment rates in these countries and in the United States. Frequent mention is also made of the theory of diminishing returns to hours worked and the employment rate. The object of the analysis proposed here is to adjust the ‘observed’ levels of hourly productivity for the effect of the differentials (with the United States) in the hours worked and/or employment rates of several categories of the population of working age in order to calculate ‘structural’ hourly productivity. The results obtained confirm the diminishing returns to hours worked and the employment rate (especially where young and elderly people are concerned). The level of ‘structural’ hourly productivity appears to be highest in the United States, suggesting that the differential between per capita GDP in the European countries and in the United States is attributable to hours worked and employment rates being at lower levels, and also to lower ‘structural’ hourly productivity.Productivity; Employment rates; Working time; ICTs; Well-being
Production factor returns : the role of factor utilisation
No full textShort-term increasing returns to production factors are usually found in empirical studies. We argue they can be due to omitted variables, particularly the intensity of factor utilisation. Thanks to original French firm-level data (1992-2008), we show how increasing returns to scale disappear when working time, capacity utilisation rate and mainly capital operating time are introduced in the production functionProduction function, productivity, factor returns.
SWAP: Sun watcher using APS detector on-board PROBA-2, a new EUV off-axis telescope on a technology demonstration platform
No full textSWAP (Sun Watcher using Active Pixel System detector and Image Processing) is an instrument that has been selected to fly on the PROBA-II technology demonstration platform, a program of the European Space Agency (ESA) to be launched in 2006. This paper presents the instrument concept and its scientific goals. SWAP uses an off-axis Ritchey Chretien telescope that will image the EUV solar corona at 19.5 nm on a specifically fabricated extreme ultraviolet (EUV) sensitivity enhanced CMOS APS detector. This type of detector has advantages that promise to be very profitable for solar EUV imaging. The SWAP design is built on a similar concept as the MAGRITTE instrument suite for the NASA Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) mission to be launched in 2007. The optics have been adapted to the detector size. The SWAP PROBA-2 program will be an opportunity to demonstrate and validate the optical concept of MAGRITTE, while it will also validate space remote sensing with APS detectors. On the science outcomes, SWAP will provide solar corona images in the Fe XII line on a baselined 1-min cadence. Observations with this specific wavelength allow detecting phenomena, such as solar flares or 'EIT-waves", associated with the early phase of coronal mass ejections. Image recognition software will be developed that automatically detects these phenomena and sends out space weather warnings. Different modules of this software will run both on the ground system as well as on the onboard computer of PROBA II. The SWAP data will complement the observations provided by SOHO-EIT, and STEREO-SECCHI
Price Stickiness and Sectoral Inflation Persistence: Additional Evidence
No full textIn this paper, using US as well as French sectoral data and indicators of price rigidity, we re-examine the (lack of) relation between price stickiness and inflation persistence. This has recently been put forward by Bils and Klenow (2004) as evidence against time-dependent price setting models. We obtain that, when filtering out sector-specific shocks along the lines of Boivin et al. (2009), and allowing for an alternative assumption on the marginal cost process, the case against the time-dependent Calvo model is substantially weakened.Sticky prices, Heterogeneity, Inflation persistence.
Employment and productivity: disentangling employment structure and qualification effects
No full textThis paper studies the effect of changes in the employment rate on labour productivity per hour, taking an empirical approach. By splitting the workforce into three qualification categories, this study allows us to distinguish the effects of changes in the employment rate structure from those of changes in the qualification structure. With the results obtained, we are then able to emphasise the mechanical effect on GDP, for each country in our panel, of a catch-up with the best practice with respect to employment rate structure and qualification level. It appears that the two effects are more or less of the same magnitude. Moreover, this methodology allows us to rank the countries in our panel depending on the gains they could expect from adopting the best practices in each of the two areas.Productivity; Growth; Employment; Education
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