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A global disaster, such as the recent Covid-19 pandemic, affects every aspect of our lives and there is a need to investigate these highly complex phenomena if one aims to diminish their impact in the health of the population, as well as their socio-economic stability. In this paper we present an attempt to understand the role of the governmental authorities and the response of the rest of the population facing such emergencies. We present a mathematical model that takes into account the epidemiological features of the pandemic and also the actions of people responding to it, focusing only on three aspects of the system, namely, the fear of catching this serious disease, the impact on the economic activities and the compliance of the people to the mitigating measures adopted by the authorities. We apply the model to the specific case of Spain, since there are accurate data available about these three features. We focused on tourism as an example of the economic activity, since this sector of economy is one of the most likely to be affected by the restrictions imposed by the authorities, and because it represents an important part of Spanish economy. The results of numerical calculations agree with the empirical data in such a way that we can acquire a better insight of the different processes at play in such a complex situation, and also in other different circumstances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mining and quarrying were important economic activities in Europe in past centuries, but during the 20th century, raw materials became vital to societal development. Mining has been subject to fluctuations related to wars, economic crises, and advances in environmental rights. A series of events led some European countries, such as Spain, to assume a leading position in the market for certain raw materials, such as tungsten. However, most of Europe's mines have been abandoned. This paper considers several postindustrial heritage sites that can used to illustrate how metal and stone were extracted in past centuries. Such sites have become a tourist attraction in the context of heritage in some countries. This area in western Spain, which contains ancestral quarries that helped build the architectural heritage of UNESCO World Heritage Cities and artisanal mines that contributed to building the economy of an extremely poor population, has a story to tell. All these mines and quarries can be used to explain the cultural heritage of the area as part of a postindustrial heritage landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tourism is one of the most important industries in the Mediterranean countries, which strongly contributes to the economic activity, capital investment and job creation. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to examine the determinants influencing profitability of hotel companies in selected Mediterranean countries. Thereby, dynamic panel data models are estimated on an extensive dataset for the period from 2007 to 2015. The paper provides evidence on differences among internal profitability determinants of hotel companies operating in tourism competitive countries. The results indicate that the cash flow to operating revenue has a statistically significant and positive impact on profitability in all observed countries. The total asset turnover ratio is significant for all countries except Portugal, while labour productivity is significant only for Spain, which is also the country with the highest turnover per employee. The solvency ratio is positively related to profitability, except for Greece as the most indebted country. Size proved to be significant for hotels in Spain and Portugal, while age is the variable by which the countries mostly differ, as findings show a different impact of underlying variable on hotel profitability. Findings provide information to shareholders that would ensure profitability of hotel companies operating in different countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - Might a country's economic growth performance differ depending on the evolution of its human capital? This paper aims to consider education as a channel for human capital improvement and then for economic growth. The authors hypothesize the existence of a threshold for education, after which point the characteristics of economic growth change. Design/methodology/approach - To address this question, the authors turn from a linear framework to a nonlinear one by applying smooth transition specifications. Findings - This empirical analysis for Spain points to the existence of nonlinearities in the relationship between education and economic growth at country level, for both secondary and tertiary education. Next, as different patterns emerge in different regions, the authors provide a regional analysis for a number of representative Spanish regions. The results show that both secondary and tertiary education matter for economic growth and that nonlinearities in this relationship should be taken into account. Practical implications - What is learnt from using Smooth Transition Regression models for the education-economic growth link is that the educational level of the population can be understood as a source of nonlinearities in the economic activity of a country (and of a region). Thus, depending on national and regional educational levels, economic growth behaves differently. Originality/value - Although the importance of nonlinearities has been identified, linearity is usually assumed in this field of the literature. This paper calls into question the linearity assumption by using time series techniques for 1971-2013 in Spain, an OECD country, and testing whether the results at country level hold for different regions within Spain as a robustness check. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports an examination of the economic contribution to Spain provided by sport hunting. This paper identifies the main stakeholders, the overall expenses and contribution to the Spanish Gross Domestic Product (GDP), tax revenue, and the number of jobs supported. The results confirm that hunting can be considered a key economic activity for the Spanish environment and primary sector, and a measure combatting rural depopulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tourism is one of the main economic activities in many countries. The core idea of this paper is to conduct a comparative analysis of the economic impact of tourism in Romania, Spain and Turkey during 2000 - 2018. Thus, the aim of the present paper is threefold. The first is to analyze the direct, indirect and induced contributions of Travel & Tourism to GDP in these countries. The second is to determine the impact of Internal T&T Consumption on GDP growth. The third is to measure tourism multiplier and tourism efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper analyzes the financial relations of non-financial private sector firms in Spain based on the financial instability hypothesis developed by Hyman Philip Minsky. We suppose that in the private sector of the Spanish economy after the 2008–2013 crisis there was an increase in the number of firms characterized by the hedge regime of financing. We test this hypothesis using the 2011–2017 data for 163 Spanish private non-financial companies from Thomson Reuters. Three indices were constructed according to three methodologies that distinguish firms as hedge, speculative and Ponzi, in order to determine the degree of financial fragility of the private sector of the Spanish economy. The results showed that the economy of Spain in 2011–2017 was in the process of escaping from financial fragility. This occurred despite austerity policies. Such policies diminish economic activity, in general, and the flow of business profits in particular. It makes it difficult to escape from a fragile financial position. Nevertheless, in the case of Spain, the negative consequences of austerity policies were offset by other government measures, tourism and export diversification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyze the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on electricity consumption patterns. We highlight the importance of decomposing total electricity consumption into consumption by firms and by households to better understand the economic and social impacts of the crisis. While electricity demand by firms has fallen substantially, the demand by households has gone up. In particular, our focus is on Spain where, during the total lockdown, these effects reached –29% and +10% respectively, controlling for temperature and seasonality. While the electricity demand reductions during the second wave were milder, the demand by firms remained 5% below its normal levels. We also document a change in people’s daily routines in response to the stringency of the lockdown measures, as reflected in their hourly electricity consumption patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The LAGs (Local Action Groups) are in charge of designing the development strategy under the LEADER Approach for their areas of action, as well as managing European aid for Rural Development in order to promote new economic activities with which generate progress and alleviate the demographic and socioeconomic problems of its most depressed municipalities. Thus, in this paper the qualitative analysis of LEADER in Extremadura (SW Spain) in the 2007–2013 programming period is presented through the results of a questionnaire to the technical staffs of the 24 LAGs in order to complement the various previous quantitative studies and to know the opinion of essential actors in the rural development processes. During the 2007–2013 period (with the EAFRD as European Fund to finance rural development aids) LAGs have faced great bureaucratic and administrative burdens, which adds to the difficult economic situation experienced in recent years. This has hindered the true labor of these partnerships, that is, to revitalize their territories of action in order to create socioeconomic and, consequently, demographic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores whether the changes in energy intensity in Spain have led to improvements in the energy consumption levels or to a backfire effect offsetting the expected decrease. Jevon's paradox or backfire effect happens when a rebound higher than 100% causes energy efficiency improvement to raise energy consumption. To test Jevon's paradox or the backfire effect caused by energy efficiency actions, a Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index I (LMDI-I) is used for the Spanish economy. The period under consideration ranges from 2000 to 2015, when three national action plans were implemented. The main methodological novelty of this paper consists on to block the economic activity effect in a second decomposition round to better explore the effect of energy efficiency on energy consumption. As a whole, our results do not support Jevon's paradox for the sectors analyzed. However, they do warn about a possible backfire effect in the industry, transport and service sectors. Major findings follow these same findings when the activity effect is blocked. • Backfire effect caused by energy intensity is explored. • Focus is on the Spanish case from 2000 to 2015. • Main methodological novelty is to block the economic activity in a LMDI approach. • Results do not support Jevon's paradox for the sectors analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Ager: Journal of Depopulation & Rural Development Studies / Revista de Estudios sobre Despoblación y Desarrollo Rural is the property of Rolde de Estudios Aragoneses and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper addresses the problem of reducing the number of values required to characterize an electricity demand profile, which is usually known as its dimensionality. This reduction may have a significant impact on the computational efforts and storage capacities required to analyze and process high volumes of electricity load curves. Also, the reduction to 2 or even 1 component enables its graphic representation. Specifically, this work is mainly focused on profiles defined by their monthly demand values, and where the clients are aggregated by locations and/or economic activities. This approach is of great interest for marketing analysis and decision-making of electricity retailers. In this sense, the use of dimensionality reduction techniques based on knowledge (calendar and temperature) along with the application of data-driven procedures (Principal Component Analysis and autoencoders), are explored in the paper. The results of this research show that autoencoders clearly outperform the other techniques, yielding errors in the reduction process between 15% to 40% lower and preserving distances between profiles in the low-dimensional spaces, with a correlation of 0.93 with the distances in high dimensional space. Additionally, the bidimensional graphical representation of a profile can easily be interpreted in a polar way, where the angle denotes the shape of the profile, and the radius reveals its scale. To reach these results, a very large dataset has been employed, with about half a million aggregated profiles corresponding to the electricity consumption during 3 years of more than 27 million clients in Spain. [Display omitted] • Autoencoders are the best option to reduce the dimensionality of demand profiles. • Data-driven techniques outperform knowledge-based models by reducing components. • Low-dimensional characterization preserves the relative distances between profiles. • The graphic representation of bidimensional profiles admits a polar interpretation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the influence of the service sector in the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) model regarding carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. The analysis is applied for Spain during the period 1940-2014. It compares the standard environmental Kuznets curve model and its modification by isolating the evolution of the impact of services. The results through the autoregressive distributed-lag (ARDL) estimation strategy confirm that even though all economic activities tend to be more and more sustainable, it is the development of service sector that becomes fundamental in the reduction of per capita CO2 emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose -- The purpose of this paper is to present an integrated model of the determinants of innovation in clusters. In the understanding, internal, external and relational dimensions must be considered to make up a complete picture of the innovation processes. The authors propose that the exploration capacity of the firm, as well as its networking intensity and the external resources provided by supporting organizations are relevant in this context. Design/methodology/approach -- The empirical study has drawn on the population of the firms belonging to the Valencian textile industrial cluster in Spain and was carried out in two different phases. In the first step the authors applied the social network analysis technique to study the relational structure of the participating companies, followed by a second analysis aimed at performing a more detailed analysis of the companies that answered the roster by means of face-to-face interviews. Findings -- Results suggest that firms in clusters must develop individual capacities parallel to the systemic resources in order to improve their innovation performance. These systemic resources are provided by the position in the knowledge network and the relations with Knowledge Intensive Business Services (KIBS), as agents that connect the cluster with external networks. Originality/value -- In spite of diverse contributions, previous research only provides a partial explanation of the issue and others underestimate one of the elements (internal or external to the firm) where the sources of innovation are generated. The originality of this study lies in the fact that it presents a complete perspective of the innovation process in clustered firms and clarifies key questions in cluster studies through network analysis techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista de Economía Aplicada is the property of Revista de Economia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Revista Catalana de Dret Públic is the property of Revista Catalana de Dret Public and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

How have the effects of Spanish fiscal policy varied over time? Given this starting point, in this article we analyse the regime dependence of fiscal policy in Spain by estimating a vector autoregressive model within a Markov-switching framework. Our results indicate that Spain’s membership of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) is the most likely source of time variation in the fiscal outcomes. Accordingly, increases in the primary deficit-to-GDP ratio do not succeed in stimulating economic activity in the first regime; rather, unexpected upsurges in the primary deficit harm economic activity (non-Keynesian effect) in the second regime, which prevails since the ratification of the Maastricht Treaty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the evolution of budgeting practices in the extremely difficult Spanish economic environment. In order to analyse if companies are still maintaining their budgeting process and if, right now, they are facing more difficulties in forecasting accurate indicators, two similar web surveys were addressed over two periods of time, firstly in 2008 at the beginning of the financial crisis, and secondly in 2013 after five years of a downward trend. In addition, in-depth interviews were conducted to investigate how companies brought more flexibility to their budgeting process in order to cope with environmental uncertainty. The survey indicates that 97% of respondents are still using a traditional budgeting process being this result similar to the one found in 2008. However, 2013 showed that the reliance on forecasted information is being increasingly questioned. Furthermore the study revealed that the respondents are bringing more flexibility to their processes, being able to modify the objectives once the budget is approved and to obtain new resources outside the budgeting process. This paper contributes to revealing information about difficulties in setting reliable objectives in a turbulent environment and provides data about the evolution of budgeting practices over five years during an austere economic crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the last decade, rural historians have increasingly studied the wealthier sectors of rural communities. This paper seeks to analyze the economic activities of rural elites, focusing on the Midlands in the kingdom of Valencia during the fifteenth century. The combination of both notarial and court of justice registers provides a perspective on the multiple businesses of those families and offers insights into the general trends of European rural elites in the Middle Ages, as well as specific information about those in Valencia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article studies the Spanish response to COVID-19 from an inter-governmental relations perspective. Despite its high degree of territorial decentralisation, a strong centralisation movement characterised Spain's first months of dealing with the crisis. But once the first wave of contagions was overcome, regions regained their space and new types of vertical coordination between central and regional governments were put in place. Standing apart from central-regional frictions, and as a separate piece in the multi-level system, municipalities found their place in developing an autonomous and active role in fighting the economic effects of the pandemic. Territorial tensions, veto players and the emergence of new IGR formal mechanisms characterise the Spanish trajectory, our analysis of which draws upon the literature on crisis management and intergovernmental relations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resumen: Se aborda la participación de los agentes sociales en la gestión de la crisis de la COVID‐19 analizando las experiencias de diálogo social tripartito surgidas en España, Italia y Portugal. Se examinan las variables económicas y políticas que han podido favorecer la revitalización del tripartismo en estos tres países en comparación con la anterior crisis económica. En este sentido, la ausencia de políticas de austeridad y la asunción compartida de la responsabilidad por agentes sociales y gobiernos han impulsado la consecución de diferentes acuerdos que, aunque difieren en su contenido y alcance, evidencian un fortalecimiento del diálogo tripartito al máximo nivel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spanish elite's perceptions of the European Union-China Comprehensive Agreement on Investment (CAI) are positive given its economic and normative prospects and its compatibility with Spain's policy objectives. Spanish Ministry officials and business representatives welcome the potential progress on market access, level-playing field, and sustainable development, as it would offer economic opportunities in the Chinese market and bilateral investment, without precluding increased monitoring of Chinese economic activities. The agreement is in line with their willingness to increase bilateral ties under a normative framework that defends Spanish interests and values. Spanish elites consider that it is compliant with Spain's and the European Union's strategies and characterization of China as a partner, competitor, rival, which acknowledges that China is a key economic and multilateral partner, but also promotes a unified European China strategy, European strategic autonomy, and initiatives that tackle China's challenges related with human rights, or investments in strategic sectors. Hence, Spanish political parties supported the resolution of the European Parliament freezing an eventual ratification of the CAI whilst Chinese sactions against European stakeholders are in place. Spanish elites also value that the agreement does not prevent greater cooperation with the United States, a key ally and more significant partner than China. Some political and private groups have expressed their opposition to the agreement, but their impact is likely to be limited. Finally, the practical implications—and reception—of the agreement will depend of its implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aims to characterise the phenomenon of depopulation in the rural environment from the point of view of the opportunities offered by technology-based rural entrepreneurship as a lever that promotes population fixation and the economic dynamisation of the most depressed territories subject to the economic and social imbalances generated by depopulation. Research Design & Methods: The research approach is based on the application of case studies as an empirical research technique. In particular, the strategy for the promotion of rural start-ups in CyL - the largest European region and one of the Spanish regions most affected by the negative consequences of depopulation - is analysed. Findings: Empirical evidence has shown that economic conditions have impacted the extent and duration of migration flows from rural areas to a more industrialised urban environment. Thus, in recent decades, the spatial distribution of the population has taken shape characterised by strong concentrations in large cities as opposed to the dispersion and low density of the population in large areas of the territory. Implications / Recommendations: The promotion of rural entrepreneurship through the development of specific actions to encourage the creation of start-up companies could be a solution to the demographic challenge. Contribution / Value Added: The creation of a regional entrepreneurial ecosystem has been possible owing to the financing, growth, scaling, and business internationalisation programmes promoted by the regional government. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spa tourism has been experiencing over the last decades significant changes in its nature. Supply and demand have changed in recent years, impacting on the function of thermal centers in general, and on the use of their base resource, mineral-medicinal water, in particular. Recently, this productive sector has been forced to resituate itself due to the unexpected outbreak of the Covid pandemic whose impacts on the sector are still to be fully calibrated, although it has already halted a large part of economic activity and global flows of people and goods. The present investigation examines the function and potential that spas have as health agents. In the case of Spain, this research note reflects on the opportunities, for a repositioning of this activity in the tourist dynamics that arise during and after a period of crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The human effect on air quality in cities and the evolution of air pollution is obvious, due to economic activity, vehicle traffic, etc. The situation created indirectly by COVID-19, has caused many countries to impose during certain periods restriction of movement and stoppage of economic activities, which has allowed us to observe the instant effect that occurs on the air quality in cities. This article discusses what the observed effect has been, focusing on the early moments of the pandemic (January 2020 to March 2020), with an analysis of the situation from its origin in China to its arrival in Europe and more specifically the situation created in Spain. After the analysis of the situation, it can be seen the large reduction of pollutants in the air of different cities, and in particular in Spain, which came to reduce about 80%. All this leads us to the observation of how human activity can greatly influence air pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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• Traffic accidents and economic activity in Spain is analyzed for 1975:01 - 2016:12. • Asymmetric cyclical behavior of accident and injuries is found. • Mandatory seatbelts use has led to a reduction of all accidents rates since 1992. • The penalty points system introduced in July 2006 has only had temporary effects. • A Composite Leading Indicator is used for real time forecasting of accident rates. This paper analyzes the relationship between road traffic accidents and real economic activity in Spain, using data on accidents, fatalities and injuries from January 1975 to December 2016. Our results show the historical asymmetric cyclical behavior of traffic accidents variables. This relationship is more evident for accidents and injuries, while fatalities have shown a different pattern since 2002. Besides using aggregate data, we have analyzed urban and nonurban accidents separately. We analyze the effect of economic variables, public policy interventions and other potential factors affecting traffic series. Regarding policy interventions, we confirm a permanent reduction in all accident rates associated with the mandatory use of seatbelts on car passengers since 1992. However, the penalty points system introduced in July 2006 has only had temporary effects. We have also shown the effect of economic variables such as Industrial Production Index, gasoline and diesel consumption and registration of new vehicles and, as a novelty, the benefits of using the composite coincident and leading indicators of the Spanish economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite policy initiatives aimed at promoting female access to jobs, the information and communication technology (ICT) professions have traditionally been largely monopolised by men. Segregation, gendered stereotypes and environmental factors have a clear impact on educational and professional choices, as well as on working conditions. The spread of ICT to all economic activities has meant that ICT specialists are now to be found everywhere, not only in the ICT sector where many stereotypes related to technical jobs persist. This work aims to analyse the gender wage gap and discrimination in ICT professions, with the emphasis on how working in an ICT‐intensive industry might affect that situation. The study uses the Spanish Earning Structure Survey data for 2014, and applies wage decomposition techniques to the wage distribution. The results show that female ICT professionals face unfavorable working conditions, especially in highly qualified jobs and in ICT‐intensive industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wagner's Law has been widely tested using empirical analysis, yet very few studies have conducted this analysis using disaggregated data over an extended period of time. This study examines the economic classification of public spending (COFOG) in Spain for the period 1958 - 2015. Our findings confirm previous results in the sense that the law is not rejected for public spending as a whole. Furthermore, our results reveal that social aid and current transfers can be considered as luxury goods as their demand grows more than proportionally when income rises. Our findings also confirm the results of other studies in which education, healthcare and social aid all fail to reject Wagner's Law. The study provides two important contributions to the literature. First, the study considers a substantially long time period to examine the relationship between different categories of public spending and economic growth. This type of analysis has been carried out on occasion for other economies but never for the Spanish case. Second, our study uses the methodology of unit roots and cointegration with structural breaks, representing an innovation in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of Investigaciones Geograficas is the property of Universidad de Alicante, Instituto Universitario de Geografia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Investigaciones Geograficas is the property of Universidad de Alicante, Instituto Universitario de Geografia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article focuses on the historical evolution of industrial areas and industrial estates, and their role in the growth of medium-sized cities in Spain. Topics discussed include different phases of urbanization in Spanish medium-size cities; how city's maps have changed during the urbanization process; and how the economic activity in cities is related to the loss of industrial and cultural heritage.

Self-employment is usually associated with entrepreneurship and it is often promoted as a way of reducing unemployment. Our aim in this article is to analyse the relationship between self-employment and unemployment taking into account its spatial dimension. The entrepreneur activity in each region depends not only on its own endowment but the entrepreneurship environment may be exerted some influence. Regional Spanish data are used to obtain evidence about this relationship using a Spatial Durbin model to embed the spatial dimension. The results reveal that both the direct and indirect effects are relatively small. Further, if unemployment increases in a region, self-employment decreases. However, if unemployment grows in neighbouring regions, incentives for entering self-employment increase, implying that there is a ‘refugee’ effect (self-employment as an answer to the lack of wage employment). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]