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An important literature emphasizes that finance grew rapidly after WWII relative to the full economy and the services sector, but these are poor benchmarks because they mask a broad structural shift from low- to high-skill services. We show that i) finance is among the most skill-intensive service industries, ii) the evolution of the finance income share closely tracks other high-skill service industries, and iii) finance grew much slower than the rest of high-skill services in the post-WWII period. The rise of modern finance is not as remarkable as prior research suggests, providing context for debates about the size of finance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: At the beginning of the pandemic, the identification of transmission chains was biased towards more closely monitored sectors, such as healthcare and sociosanitary centers. Objective: The objective of our research is to describe the impact of the pandemic on the Spanish non-healthcare workers measured through health-related workplace absences. Methods: A descriptive study of the cases of COVID-19-related temporary disability (TD) between February 15th and September 17th, 2020, was carried out. TD quarantine/infection ratios were calculated for every economic sector of activity. Rates of COVID-19 TDs per 100,000 affiliated workers were obtained, by gender, age, economic activity of the company or occupation of the worker. Results: A total of 1,126,755 TDs were recorded, 45.4% in women. The overall TD rates were 5,465 quarantines and 1,878 illnesses per 100,000 women, and 4,883 quarantines and 1,690 illnesses per 100,000 men. The highest incidence rates of TD due to illness were observed in younger age groups, under 30. The median TD quarantine/infection ratio was 2.6 (Interquartile range [IQR] 1.5–3.9), and Postal and Courier activities had the highest value: 4.7 quarantines per case (IQR: 3.75–6.12). The TD rates were higher in female workers in most sectors of activity and occupations compared to men in the same sectors and with the same occupations. The results show the uneven impact of COVID-19 by occupation, with a higher rates in less qualified occupations (unskilled workers and laborers) versus the first categories of the table (directors, managers, technicians, and professionals). Conclusions: The results confirmed the high impact of COVID-19 on Spanish non-healthcare workers and it's inequalities. They also confirmed the potential use of TDs as an alternative source for epidemiological, public health surveillance and early warning of new emerging infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on Latin American labor markets continue to be quantified, to identify the social and economic impacts that this pandemic had, and to design more efficient public policies that would protect the most vulnerable groups. For this reason, the research question was as follows: what were the changes in the labor formality rates before and two years after the main contingency measures of the COVID-19 pandemic were implemented? Methods: Using data from Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru, and Uruguay, the formality rate (t) was analyzed, which was calculated using a weighted average between the formal employment rates of the number (i) of economic sectors (p) in a specific period (t). Results: The results suggest that the weighted labor formality rate increased in the countries of the region. These changes in formality could be the result of greater capital accumulation, the integration of productive processes, the integration of commercialization processes, and differentiated fiscal stimuli (i.e., the intrasectoral aspect), but it was not due to the displacement of workers from highly informal economic sectors to more formalized sectors (i.e., the intersectoral component). Discussion: The findings emphasized the precarious situation of women in the region, regardless of the country, particularly in Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and Argentina. These findings suggest the need to design public policies that reverse the current situation of the labor market and prevent future economic shocks, with special emphasis on the informal sector and women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the scope of tourism and hospitality, this economic sector has a significant role to play in the global effort to become more sustainable. As more initiatives are discussed and implemented to promote sustainability, such as the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals, and the regular emissions cuts promised in various COP summits, the need to understand tourism and hospitality's role in sustainability only increases. Results from a qualitative study conducted among 4- and 5-star hotels in Dubai suggested that, while hotels are keen, there is a lack of awareness and understanding about how best to implement sustainable initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the relationship between corporate secrecy and financial crime, presenting an analytical framework to strengthen risk assessment efforts. We develop secrecy indicators using corporate ownership data from over 2.6 million firms across eight European countries. These indicators are validated using machine learning models built upon evidence of crime committed by firms and/or their owners. The results demonstrate robust predictive power: firms with complex structures and owners from high-risk jurisdictions show a higher likelihood of engaging in illicit activities. Incorporating macro-level information, such as geographic location and economic sector, enhances the understanding of this phenomenon. These findings advance empirical knowledge about the nexus between secrecy firms and crime, offering anti-money laundering authorities novel machine learning tools for effective risk assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The essay indicates the main antecedents for the organization of the health system in Chile that is presently in force, with transformations following the country's coup d'état 50 years ago. It describes the recent debate over, and resistance to, the transformation and strengthening of the public system, with regard to controlling the health industry in the post-dictatorship, from the point of view of the sectors of economic power as well as the important viewpoint of the population, which in the face of a discouraged public health sector, seems to overlook the collective meaning of health care and the role of a state guarantor and protector of minimum social rights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To study the relationship between the dynamics of the COVID-19 pandemic and the state of the economy, the authors developed a stochastic model that covers the epidemic and economic blocks and the system of relationships between them. Based on the three-sector Lorenz model, they have proposed an approach to analyze the interrelationships between economic sectors related to food production, food supply chains, and the healthcare industry. The model combines the above economic sectors in a single structure and considers each sector in terms of productivity, the number of jobs, and the structural disturbance levels. The authors carried out model studies to analyze the dependence of the dynamics of the pandemic on the initial conditions and parameters for managing the epidemic process and the impact of the pandemic on changes in the balance of supply and demand in sectors of the economy related to food production, food transportation, and the healthcare industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research shows that domestic unrest, and especially violent conflict, raises political risk and discourages foreign direct investment (FDI). However, prior work primarily has studied private Western multinational corporations, not authoritarian China, the second largest overseas investor, which has both state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and privately-owned enterprises (POEs). This paper investigates the effects of domestic conflict on overseas Chinese FDI. We first compare Chinese SOE and POE investments in host states facing political unrest. Next, we disaggregate political unrest, examining the effect of violent and non-violent campaigns on Chinese SOEs and POEs. We then disaggregate the sector of FDI inflows. Contrary to prior conflict studies, we find host states under political unrest, and specifically violent campaigns, attract Chinese SOEs no matter the economic sector, whereas POEs are more risk averse. Our findings show that Chinese SOEs favor higher risk investments, suggesting the need for theoretical nuance in the domestic conflict and FDI literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper uses a multisector, multiregional general equilibrium input-output model to study the spillovers of global carbon pricing to Germany and Europe. It uses the World Input-Output Database (WIOD) to calibrate the intersectoral trade between seven regions and 56 economic sectors per region as well as EXIOBASE's sectoral accounts of greenhouse gas emissions to calibrate emission costs. We find that moving from European-only to global carbon prices does neither reduce nor increase the aggregate GDP loss for Germany or Europe as a whole. However, this masks a large degree of heterogeneity across sectors. Sectors that rely on foreign sectors, which are themselves sensitive to the transition, experience large negative spillovers from global carbon pricing. Other sectors, even those with a high emission or trade intensity, tend to benefit from global carbon pricing due to an improvement in international competitiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors of the present article pose and consider in detail the highly relevant issue of whether capitalism has a future or whether it will be replaced by some new system. And if it does have a future, then what future will it be? These questions are nothing new, but in the recent few years, just like a hundred years ago, they have acquired exceptional importance, since not only the Left but also the representatives of the largest financial capital started speaking about the end of capitalism. The present article considers the following aspects: what is capitalism as an economic sector and as an economic system? How did capitalism evolve? What are its potentialities? The authors also make some forecasts for the next 50–100 years. Various scenarios for the future of capitalism are considered: from maintaining its leading role to its reduction to a sector. It is assumed that in the coming decades, the development of capitalism may proceed in different ways in developed and developing countries, which may result in a complex continuum of types, transitions, combinations, and forms of capitalism. In some countries, the development of capitalism has reached a level when it has already exhausted itself and needs transformations; meanwhile, there are countries where full-fledged market relations have not yet emerged. The authors analyze two main types of capitalism. The developed countries are likely to experience a shift toward strengthening of distributive institutions. In their turn, the developing countries that continue the processes of economic and socio-political modernization are likely to proceed toward strengthening of capitalist market institutions, though with some important restrictions preventing exploitation and environmental degradation. The authors believe that capitalism will be inevitably transformed in one way or another, but such transformations can vary greatly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rewilding, a concept often defined as an open-ended approach to ecological restoration that aims to establish self-sustaining ecosystems, has gained much interest in recent conservation science and practice. The economic dimensions of rewilding remain understudied, despite repeated calls for research, and we find that synthetic or programmatic contributions to the scientific literature are still missing. Here, we mined Scopus and Web of Science databases through a systematic review, looking for "rewilding" with various economic terms in the peer-reviewed literature, in the English language. We then screened out a 257 references-rich corpus with 14 variables, including the position of rewilding regarding positive and negative economic effects in specific sectors, and geographical or ecological foci. Our corpus amounts to ca. 40% of recent rewilding literature, with a clear emphasis on European study sites and the economic consequences of rewilding initiatives. Rewilding studies often refer to positive economic impacts on tourism and hunting, e.g., through higher income and employment rates, although very few studies properly quantify these. Conversely, most authors find rewilding harms farming, which is threatened by abandonment and damages by wildlife, raising interest in potential EU subsidy regimes. We highlight the surprising paucity of rewilding literature truly focusing on economics and/or providing detailed quantification—with remarkable exceptions. While rewilding's ecological relevance is no longer in question, demonstrating its economic benefits and sustainability will undoubtedly help scaling up. Thus, we advise rewilders to systematically measure and report investments and outcomes of rewilding initiatives, and to adopt common standards for cost and benefit assessments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We use a variety of network analysis metrics to measure the Chinese financial sector's closeness and centrality. • The intersectoral structural feedback relationship between the financial sector and other sectors is identified using Causative matrix. • Chinese financial sector has profound push effects in the economy. • The financial sector is becoming less tightly linked to other sectors as resource consumption and production distribution become more diverse. This study examines the intersectoral linkages and evolving role of the Chinese financial sector in the economic network, with a variety of network analysis metrics, and structural changes to its intersectoral structural feedback relationship, with the Causative matrix. Our analysis yields four main results. First, Chinese financial sector (with greater downstream network closeness than upstream closeness) drives growth in its downstream sectors and has significant supply-side effects in economy. Second, the financial sector serves as an important network intermediary, facilitating transactions and interactions among various economic sectors. Third, the more externalized (pre-Global Financial Crisis) financial sector, which received significant feedback from other sectors' final demand, became more internalized after the crisis. Finally, the financial sector is becoming less tightly linked to other sectors, with heterogeneous resource consumption and production distribution, and vulnerability to systemic risks. Policy integration of intersectoral linkages and financial leverage can promote economic growth and manage systemic risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The article aims to answer the question of which of the economic policy instruments may have the greatest impact on the acceptance of renewable energy sources by the business sector in Poland. Design/methodology/approach: The research process used a tool in the form of a method (CAWI), which was used to verify the role of selected economic policy instruments in the process of the announced energy transformation. The research area focused on assessing the possibility of changes in the acceptance of renewable energy sources by the business sector in selecting economic policy instruments. Economic and non-economic instruments were analyzed. Conclusions: The authors conclude that the management of the process of acceptance of renewable energy sources by the business sector should be implemented using appropriately selected economic policy instruments and go hand in hand with changes taking place in the economic environment. Research limitations/implications: The presented survey research was conducted on a specific research sample of approximately 250 respondents-entrepreneurs in a selected voivodeship, which is a national leader in the development of renewable energy sources. It is necessary to conduct much broader analyses and research, in particular covering regions of Poland where the share of energy obtained from renewable sources is negligible. Practical implications: The research results are the first approach to indicate to government administration entities which economic policy tools have the greatest impact on managing the process of acceptance of renewable sources by the business sector in Poland. Practical implications: The research results are the first approach to indicate to government administration entities which economic policy tools have the greatest impact on managing the process of acceptance of renewable sources by the business sector in Poland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To study the relationship between the dynamics of the COVID-19 pandemic and the state of the economy, a stochastic model is developed that covers the epidemic and economic blocks and the system of relationships between them. An approach is proposed to analyze the interrelations of economic sectors related to food production, transport chains of their delivery, and the medical sector, using the three-sector Lorenz model. This model combines the described sectors of the economy into a single structure, each of which is considered from the point of view of the level of productivity, the number of jobs, and structural disturbances. Model studies are carried out to analyze the dependence of the dynamics of the pandemic on the initial conditions and parameters for managing the epidemic process and the impact of the pandemic on changes in the balance of supply and demand in sectors of the economy related to food production, transport, and the medical sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has had an unimaginable effect on global economies and threatens the efficiency and growth trajectory of the banking sector. The pandemic has disrupted the primary operations of the banking sector, as banks were compelled to close physical branches to adhere to social distancing guidelines. Given the importance of the banking sector to economic development, understanding the consequences of COVID-19 on efficiency and growth trajectory of this sector is crucial for ensuring its sustainability. By drawing data from annual reports of 13 publicly quoted banks in Nigeria from 2019q1 to 2021q2 (pre and post COVID-19), this study investigates the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on efficiency and growth trajectory of the banking sector. The data obtained were mainly analysed using DEA and LGCM. The DEA results show an upward trend in the average scores of technical efficiency, pure technical efficiency, and scale efficiency in both periods. The LGCM results reveal a statistically insignificant difference in banks' growth trajectory (rate of change) in both periods. Overall, our analyses suggest that the outbreak of COVID-19 does not threaten the efficiency and growth trajectory of the banking sector. However, the insignificant difference between the pre and post nationwide lockdown suggests that there is an insignificant improvement in the efficiency of the banking sector during the post nationwide lockdown period. These findings offer practical implications for banks, regulators, and policymakers regarding the unprecedented uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of O Social em Questão is the property of Faculdades Catolicas - Pontificia Universidade Catolica do Rio de Janeiro 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.)

Ecotourism is the nature-based economic sector essential for sustainable local economic development. The present study aims to design suitable sites for ecotourism using the GIS-based Criteria Importance Through Inter Criteria Correlation (CRITIC) technique in the Darjeeling Himalayan region of India. The study attempts eight essential factors for evaluating the suitability map. The suitability map was categorized into four classes: Highly Suitable, Moderately Suitable, Marginally Suitable, and Least Suitable. The result revealed 786.23 sq. km (33.81%) as highly suitable, 797.549 sq. km (34.30%) as moderately suitable, 438.48 sq. km (18.86%) as marginally suitable, and 303.01 sq. km (13.03%) as least suitable. The result shows northern and north-western parts, namely Jorebunglow Sukiapokhri, Mirik, Kurseong, Rangli-Rangliot blocks, and the north-eastern parts Kalimpong I and Kalimpong II blocks, as highly suitable zones for ecotourism development. Finally, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) and area under curve (AUC) analyses were used to validate the suitability map. The model validation with an AUC-ROC value was assigned 0.845, suggesting that the outcome is highly reliable with ground truth. The study can be helpful for policymakers to understand the spatial information of ecotourism in Darjeeling Himalaya. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Al-Adab / Al-ādāb is the property of Republic of Iraq Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research (MOHESR) 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.)

Pakistan has faced significant economic losses due to catastrophes, specifically floods. This study aims to assess the ripple effects of the 2022 floods, focusing on the Construction Industry, which has been gaining importance in the national economy, and on the resilience of economic sectors absorbing the negative shocks from floods. The study uses the Asian Development Bank's (ADB) Input-Output database for Pakistan using the Dynamic Inoperability Input-Output Model (DIIM) with the Fuzzy Full Consistency Method (F-FUCOM). The analysis revealed that the Construction Industry's weak resilience resulted in a prolonged recovery period and that the lack of flood risk mitigation infrastructure was identified as the most critical. The results suggest that policymakers prioritise such infrastructures, like dams, early warning systems, and transportation infrastructure, to enhance the resilience of the overall economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Several empirical studies indicate that the existence of a large informal sector is a major obstacle to firms' choices of innovation strategies. This paper aims to address this issue and investigates the effect of the informal sector on the innovation of formal firms in Greece. Design/methodology/approach: Using the World Bank's Enterprise Survey data, the impact of informal competition on formal firms' innovation in Greece is investigated by testing whether formal firms use innovation as a tool to protect and sustain their competitive advantage vis-à-vis informal firms and whether overall and informal competition has an inverted-U relationship with the innovation of formal firms. The effects of bribing and other variables drawn from the empirical literature are also controlled for. Findings: The findings fill a gap in the literature regarding the effects of the informal sector on formal economic activity in Greece, by indicating that the informal sector puts pressure on formal firms to innovate, in order to differentiate their product or service and enhance their productivity and by offering learnings to help policymakers to promote innovation in Greece. Originality/value: The originality of this study is that it investigates the impact of informal competition on formal firms' innovation in Greece, a developed economy with a large informal sector. It does so by focusing on the effects that formal firms' informal practices have on their competitors' innovation activities, and the role of informal competition in creating and sustaining a competitive advantage in Greece. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Environmental & Social Management Journal / Revista de Gestão Social e Ambiental is the property of Environmental & Social Management Journal 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 aim of this study is to support local utilities in implementing the most beneficial regional Power-to-X projects (technologies for utilizing surplus electricity). In this learning paper, we explore the question: What are the most economically viable PtX business cases for local utilities in an urban setting? To this end, we provide an overview of possible PtX pathways and analyze the situation based on a scenario for the transformation of the energy sector in the city of Wuppertal. Based on this, policy recommendations are formulated to drive forward a low-risk and sustainable transformation of the energy sector and to remove economic and technical barriers. It is shown that socio-economic factors and the acceptance of society must also be taken into account in order to understand the overall situation and ensure the success of the energy transition. The learning paper is therefore also a plea for a holistic and interdisciplinary approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Europe has experienced the adverse effects of climate change due to the human footprint on a scale never seen before. The region's future appears challenging as it persistently adheres to conventional practices. To address this, social movements in Europe must advocate for policymakers to earnestly undertake the widely advocated energy transition within the existing socioeconomic model. A crucial aspect for governments is to comprehend the status along the trajectory of this transition. In this study, we investigate the intricate relationship between emissions, economy, and energy spanning the years 1990 to 2019 across 32 European countries. Our analysis differentiates among major polluting sectors, utilizing a dynamic model that accounts for potential structural breaks. Our findings confirm the presence of ruptures in the stability of the parameters, revealing three distinct periods marked by historical shocks. While the majority of European countries exhibit a decoupling between emissions and economic growth, a contrasting trend is observed between emissions and energy consumption. Notably, the energy supply and residential sectors emerge as the most problematic due to their high carbon intensity. However, the decoupling process remains distant in terms of energy, underscoring the imperative shift toward renewable energy sources over conventional fossil-based fuels. This study emphasizes the urgency of adopting sustainable practices to mitigate climate change and encourages a revaluation of current energy paradigms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on a panel of banks in Hong Kong, we found that banks with a relatively thin capital buffer and liquidity before the pandemic may constrain their post‐pandemic loan growth. We further found strong evidence that the release of countercyclical capital buffer (CCyB) requirements amid the pandemic mitigated the capital constraint to support continued provision of bank credit to the real economy, but mainly to non‐hard hit economic sectors. Nevertheless, the credit flow to hard‐hit economic sectors is found to be well supported by the SME Financing Guarantee Scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper discusses the results of a selection of a set of monthly indicators to be used as predictors of the quarterly index of Italian service turnover. A mixed frequency approach based on sparse temporal disaggregation is used, which outperforms the classical methods of the Chow and Lin family, allowing both a high number of regressors by the LASSO method and stable estimates. The application refers to the turnover in transport, a sector strongly affected in 2020 by the dramatic movements due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the resurgence of inflation at the end of 2021. The monthly indicators are selected from 143 time series: 56 series of business surveys in transport about both the climate and frequency of the answers; 18 series from Assaeroporti about both passengers and cargo flights split by national and international routes; 69 series of monthly turnover in industry split by both sector of economic activity and reference market. The sample spans the months from January 2010 to December 2021 for both seasonally adjusted and unadjusted data. Several aspects of the estimation are considered: the stability of selected indicators over the quarters 2017–2021; their forecasting performance; the reliability of the estimates in terms of their monthly pattern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyzes Reverse Logistics (RL) practices associated with the concept of Circular Economy (CE), comparing studies conducted before and after the implementation of the National Solid Waste Policy (NSWP) in Brazil. Data from companies in the Sul Fluminense region were analyzed using the Analytic Hierarchy Process to prioritize RL practices and identify those related to CE. The research included companies from nine Brazilian economic sectors that engage in some form of RL. The comparison of results aimed to evaluate the influence of the NSWP on these practices, with data analyzed using the Super Decisions software (version 3.2) to establish priorities and aggregate them using the Aggregating Individual Priorities method. It was observed that the implementation of the NSWP in 2010 emphasized the importance of sustainability. Although the concept of CE is recent, its operationalization is based on consolidated RL practices such as recycling, remanufacturing, and material reuse. The study provides insights to optimize and expand these practices, facilitating the transition from a linear economy to a circular one. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A correlation between economic development and road freight is demonstrated in the literature review provided in this paper. This relationship was studied in relation to the global gross domestic product (GDP) of the countries under review. Therefore, this paper presents the validation of this correlation in the Colombian case, based not only on global GDP, but also on the GDP for each of the main economic sectors of the country. The correlation was analyzed using several of the following statistical methods: correlation using the non-parametric method (Spearman), the causality relationship using the Granger test, the relationship between variables using Principal Component Analysis (PCA), and multivariate correlation to establish the level of significance of each economic sector by means of the p-value. The study concludes that the best correlation is between the GDP of some economic sectors and the amount of freight transported one year later. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Labor productivity is a key indicator of economic development and public well-being. This study assesses the structural shifts, regional dynamics, and sectoral trends in the domain of labor productivity in the Russian Arctic from 2011 to 2021, identifying aggregated economic sectors. The findings reveal that labor productivity levels in the Russian Arctic exceed the national average, primarily due to the resource-based nature of regional economies. However, a major issue is the persistently high level of interregional differentiation in labor productivity within the Arctic. The study demonstrates that an initially high level of labor productivity does not necessarily ensure long-term growth. An analysis of structural shifts in labor productivity over the past decade indicates a shift towards the market sector of the Arctic economy, evidenced by an increased share in gross regional product (GRP) and a decrease in time worked. Within the market sector, several trends are observed: the leading role of the extractive industry is maintained due to its expanding share in GRP; the role of agriculture is growing, reflected in a decreased share of hours worked; and the importance of other market sector branches, particularly transport, communication, and electric power, is diminishing as their share of total hours worked increases. The observed decline in labor productivity within the non-market sector suggests the potential for negative social consequences for the Arctic population. An analysis of labor productivity growth rates indicates that the leading sectors in terms of growth are mining, finance and business services, construction, and trade. These sectors can be considered sources of economic growth in the Arctic. Interregional differences in labor productivity growth rates within the same sector of the Arctic economy suggest the influence of regional factors, highlighting the potential for discovering unique reserves of productivity growth in each region.

The purpose of this article is to consider the prospects for the integration of blockchain and artificial intelligence (hereinafter referred to as AI) as an innovative approach to modernisation of various economic sectors. The authors analyse the possibilities of using this technological merger to optimise business processes, increase transparency and reduce transaction costs in different sectors, including finance, healthcare, transport, energy, etc. Particular attention is paid to the benefits of synergy between AI and distributed ledger technology, which allows for more efficient and sustainable systems of managing data and assets. The research object in this article is the process of integrating blockchain and AI. The subject of the study is the effectiveness of modernisation of various economic sectors through the combination of these technologies. The research method is an analytical review of scientific publications and successful implemented projects. The results of the current article lie in the analysis of the advantages of integrating blockchain and AI as well as forecasting further prospects for the development of this area. The practical significance of the work consists in the fact that the obtained results can be used to design strategies and plans for the implementation of this technology integration into domestic business.

Business ethics represents an important aspect that influences each country’s socio-economic system, and is important to society, environment, and economy. The present article aims to define significant attributes of business ethics in the sector of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and compares their attitudes within the three most significant business sectors in the Visegrad Group countries (V4 countries: Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, Poland, and Hungary). An empirical study, focusing on the attitudes of small and medium-sized firms, was conducted in June 2022 in Visegrad Group countries through the reputable hired company MNFORCE, using the Computer Assisted Web Interviewing research method. The total number of respondents in the Visegrad Group countries was 1,398. Statistical hypotheses were tested using descriptive statistics, chi-square, and Z-score at a significance level of α = 5%. The most important conclusion of this research is that there are no significant differences in the approach of SMEs to business ethics based on the sector in which the companies operate. Some notable differences in attitudes among SMEs in Slovakia and the Czech Republic were identified, but these were marginal. Therefore, differences in the transformation process within selected economic sectors do not impact the formation of attitudes of small and medium-sized companies in business ethics. It is evident that business ethics is significantly determined primarily by the personal characteristics of the owner/manager of the company, and the specificities of individual sectors do not influence this field.

This comparative analysis examines data on the workforce in two regional economies (Bashkiria and Udmurtia) during the years 1940-1955. The selected period is unique due to the extreme transition from peacetime to wartime economies and back. Special attention is given to analyzing the indicator of “average monthly wage levels”. Materials from leading federal archives and one regional archive were utilized. A detailed comparison of indicators between the two regions is conducted. It was found that before the war, industry played a significantly larger role in Udmurtia's economic structure compared to Bashkiria, but during the war years, the proportion of industrial workers in Udmurtia only slightly increased, while in Bashkiria it more than doubled (a consequence of evacuees being relocated). The study reveals that during the examined period, sectors such as construction and geological exploration developed at a significantly faster pace in Bashkiria compared to Udmurtia. In 1940, the largest sector by number of workers and employees was the industrial sector, with the educational system coming in second place, playing a key role in preparing the workforce. The conclusion drawn is that by the end of the study period, a positive outcome was achieved with living standards surpassing pre-war levels.

The EU aims to drive the data and platform economy by establishing a single European Data Space(s) vision, envisioning it as a catalyst for innovation, novel services, enhanced competition and consumer welfare. It involves implementing existing and forthcoming horizontal and sectorial data-sharing laws to overcome technical, legal, and ethical barriers to (personal and non-personal) data access and achieve specific data-driven policy targets. The initial spaces will cover nine economic sectors, few established and others in development. The study assesses the possible oversight of competition law collusion concerns in these initiatives, using the example of the EU Mobility Data Space (EMDS). By employing competition law qualitative doctrinal methods, it emphasizes the risks of digital collusion within these EU-wide open data frameworks, and it indicates that they could severely harm one or several parameters of competition. It concludes by offering policy recommendations to prevent or minimize collusion risks for the EMDS and suggests further research in other sectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China, the European Union, and the United States are the three largest digital economies in the world. This article compares the antitrust regulation of the digital economy in the three regions after the 2000s. It argues that over time, the antitrust regulation of the digital economy in the three regions tends to converge along three dimensions: growing separation of the antitrust regulation of the digital economy from that of the other economic sectors, convergence of regulatory objectives, and convergence of regulatory methods. In combination with the geopoliticization of the platform economy, this article argues that four factors have contributed to shape such convergence: (1) historical factors, (2) globalization of the digital economy, (3) increasing policy imitation and policy competition among the major digital powers of the world, (4) support from the civil society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThis article explores the challenge of sustaining development-oriented political coalitions in ‘dependent intermediate democratic economies’ (IDDEs). Scholars have pointed out that the absence of upgrading coalitions in IDDEs, particularly in Latin America, results from weak economic and political institutions and fragmented political support, as well as from the political and social turbulences introduced by economic dependency. Our argument, however, is that some Latin American IDDEs have managed to craft semi-stable political configurations capable of sustaining development and reform processes with relative success. These intermediate coalitions pivot on context-specific stabilization mechanisms that balance institutional, political, and economic fragilities and tensions. To support this argument, we take issue with three countries in Latin America’s Southern Cone – Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay – and distinguish three different types of stabilization mechanism at play in each of these cases: an Argentine-style variant based on the hegemonic role played by a dominant political party, a Chilean-style variant based on elite consensus and the atomization of collective organization, and a Uruguayan-style variant sustained by stable links between and within economic and social sectors. Additionally, we explore how each of these configurations, due to their structure, carry inherent hazards that envision specific trajectories of destabilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the socioeconomic status of professionals in the artist's labor market by comparing two different data sources that reveal the persistent coexistence of two generally segregated economic sectors: the formal and the informal. The methodology adopts a dual approach, combining cumulative distribution functions and statistical inference via a logistic ordinal model. Key findings indicate that younger artists are less likely to have high earnings, while earnings tend to increase with age, and women are more likely to have lower earnings than men. There are also notable differences between the two data sources in the impact of education on earnings, although education contributes to higher earnings in both samples. These findings provide a foundation for discussing the potential impact of existing measures and those yet to be implemented in the context of the Statute of the Artist in Spain, which is committed to the specific reform plan for the culture and arts sector to promote equity, sustainability, and inclusion within this sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Employees in the outdoor recreation sector account for 3.2% of the U.S. workforce, contributing to over $1.1T in national economic output. As awareness of the sector’s economic strength has grown, interest in promoting outdoor recreation careers has expanded. Research on outdoor recreation careers has not kept pace with workforce development initiatives, however, and existing data and research reports provide only aggregate figures that neither reflect the new employment landscape nor track how careers are navigated by the people who occupy them. This article reports on an interview study of 15 established outdoor recreation professionals in executive or management positions to gain insights into career trajectories in outdoor recreation. Their narrative responses were assessed using the Psychology of Working Theory, a career counseling framework organized around the concept of decent work. Findings are presented along with points for outdoor recreation career advocates to consider in future research and workforce development initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article engages the question how police departments internally delegitimize the use of private sector technology vis-à-vis democratic considerations. Specifically, it retraces argumentation around the discontinuation of commercial predictive policing software and the alternative development of in-house tools. Conceptually, the analysis builds on the notion of digital sovereignty that has more recently become a popular analytical trope vis-à-vis public-private partnerships/public sector procurement and the question which technologies and services state agencies should keep under their own control in order to avoid dependencies on external suppliers and ensure functionality even in times of crisis and/or breakdown. Importantly, digital sovereignty allows us to study the complex and multi-faceted power relations between the police, private sector technology suppliers, and the public. The analysis identifies three key facets of digital sovereignty around which police concerns regarding the use of private sector technology revolve: (1) the control over data; (2) skepticism towards black boxes; and (3) accountability requirements towards the general public. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studying and analyzing energy consumption and structural changes in Pakistan's major economic sectors is crucial for developing targeted strategies to improve energy efficiency, support sustainable economic growth, and enhance energy security. The logarithmic mean Divisia index (LMDI) method is applied to find the factors' effects that change sector-wise energy consumption from 1990 to 2019. The results show that: (1) the change in mixed energy and sectorial income shows a negative influence, while energy intensity (EI) and population have an increasing trend over the study period. (2) The EI effects of the industrial, agriculture and transport sectors are continuously rising, which is lowering the income potential of each sector. (3) The cumulative values for the industrial, agricultural, and transport sectors increased by 57.3, 5.3, and 79.7 during 2019. Finally, predicted outcomes show that until 2035, the industrial, agriculture, and transport incomes would change by -0.97%, 13%, and 65% if the energy situation remained the same. Moreover, this sector effect is the most crucial contributor to increasing or decreasing energy consumption, and the EI effect plays the dominant role in boosting economic output. Renewable energy technologies and indigenous energy sources can be used to conserve energy and sectorial productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This article aims to highlight the existence of an Anthropocene feedback process originating from the pressures of human actions on Earth, particularly the adoption of novel technologies that bring risks and negative environmental impacts in two strategic economic sectors: energy and agriculture. Originality/value: We defend the argument that each technological advance generates new associated risks, increasing the negative pressure on terrestrial ecosystems. This argument draws inspiration from the discourse on the “risk society” (Beck, 2011), which deals with the unquantified uncertainties linked to technological progress. It also aligns with the concept of the Anthropocene (Crutzen & Stoermer, 2000), which examines how human actions and organizations impact the Earth’s system. The discussions demonstrate that uncertainty remains an inherent facet of human activities, thus perpetually subjecting such actions to risk. Design/methodology/approach: We employ a theoretical essay approach to discuss evidence that underscores the challenges posed by technological advancements in the energy and agriculture sectors, notably expressing human-induced environmental impacts. Findings: By analyzing technological advances in energy and agriculture, we substantiate the existence of the Anthropocene feedback process. This analysis contradicts the notion of a favorable “good Anthropocene” (Asafu-Adjaye et al., 2015) and challenges the misconception that technological progress alone can sufficiently mitigate the repercussions of human activities on Earth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Musculoskeletal symptoms are common and affect people of all ages and may occur in one (single-site) or in several regions of the body (multisite). Obesity may be associated with these symptoms. Objective: To evaluate the association between obesity and single-site and multisite symptoms in a working population. Materials and Methods: This is a crosssectional study with white and blue collar workers from several economic sectors. 1,233 workers were evaluated and 644 composed the sample. Personal and occupational characteristics were assessed using a sociodemographic questionnaire. Musculoskeletal symptoms were identified using the Nordic Musculoskeletal Symptom Questionnaire (NMQ). The Body Mass Index (BMI) was calculated and dichotomized in obese (>30 kg/m² ) and non-obese (<30 kg/m2 ). Data was descriptively analyzed and through logistic regression in the SPSS program. Results: There was no association between symptoms and obesity, except for the ankle/foot region in male workers. Conclusions: Obesity was associated with the presence of ankle/feet symptoms in men. This association may indicate mechanical overload in the region during activities performed in the standing posture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rates of achieving Urban Sustainability vary between world countries, it is one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 20230). Sustainable urbanism could be achieved through some common basic mechanisms such as awareness, enacting binding laws and legislation, imposing taxes, and fees, or providing various fiscal and urban incentives. Developing countries often do not resort to using fiscal incentives to avoid its reduction effect on their limited financial resources, and they may also avoid imposing relevant taxes such as carbon tax, energy tax, and climate change tax to prevent its negative effect on the competitiveness of the developing industrial and economic sectors there. Therefore, the research aims to propose the most appropriate urban incentives for Egypt and developing countries in general, with minimum negative commercial effect, and as one of the most influential means towards sustainability to fulfill the Egyptian Housing Strategy and activate GPRS “Green Pyramid Rating System”. The research follows comparative methodology, it compares the commonly used incentives in many countries globally and regionally. It identifies the incentives that may be more appropriate for Egypt and other developing countries in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The long-term contributions of agroforestry to landscape restoration should be carefully managed. Agroforestry began as early as 1977, meanwhile, landscape restoration, gained traction after the 2011 Bonn Challenge. Since missing the 2020 Bonn Challenge targets, there's urgency to hit 2030 ambitions and secure the gains later. We use here, the participatory domestication of Irvingia wombolu, as an agroforestry pathway to mosaic landscape restoration. This paper describes the transfer of planting materials of this species between two agroecological regions of Cameroon. Over a twenty-year period; 2003 to 2023. we analyze the steps; reflections; performance of the transferred materials; and mixed fortunes they brought to beneficiary communities. A number of lessons emerge for agroforestry and landscape restoration practices; (i) there is need for future technical and social safeguarding, to support vulnerable segments of beneficiary communities; (ii) the cost of safeguarding should be anticipated; (iii) as the 'decade of restoration', looms models are necessary to anticipate the future; (iv) user-friendly models of ecosystem services of agroforestry systems are needed to leverage private sector funding; and (v) a 'maintenance mentality' and mechanism for restored landscapes, need to be developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Contaduría y Administración is the property of Facultad de Contaduria y Administracion-Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico 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 Contaduría y Administración is the property of Facultad de Contaduria y Administracion-Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico 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.)

Taxes are the main source of state income. The research aims to examine the influence of the contribution of the service and the industrial sector on tax revenues. The difference in research is that it uses per capita income as a moderating variable. This research uses data from countries, such as Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden, which have several similarities in terms of prosperity, education, and a strong and stable economy. The data used comes from the World Bank and spans 2002-2019. The research results show that the contribution of the service sector, industry, and per capita income positively influences tax revenues. Supported by high tax rates, increasing donations to the service, and industrial sectors means that tax revenues are growing. Interestingly, using per capita income as a moderating variable negatively affects the service and industrial sectors' tax revenues. With the moderating influence of per capita income, tax avoidance can grow in the service and industrial sectors. One of the tax avoidance measures is using a transfer pricing scheme. This was triggered by high tax rates and the Human Development Index (HDI). The higher the tax rate, the more loopholes the taxpayer will look for to avoid taxes, to lower the tax burden. A high HDI will enable a high level of tax knowledge. Apart from increasing tax compliance, a high level of tax knowledge will also allow tax avoidance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The attractiveness of the equities of the Islamic faith-compliant companies as a hedge or possible diversifier has been underscored; however, there is a lack of empirical research on their safe-haven and hedge attributes against changes in the level of cryptocurrency environmental attention (ICEA). We examine whether various distributions of the ICEA possess a significant predictive power on various quantiles of Islamic sectoral stock returns by employing weekly data on the ICEA and Shariah-compliant stocks from 10 sectors of economic activity and base their multi-scale analysis on the complete ensemble empirical mode decomposition (CEEMDAN) approach. We present the asymmetric causality-in-means and quantile-on-quantile regression between the ICEA and Islamic stocks. The empirical results show a significant predictive power of the ICEA on various quantiles of Islamic sectoral stocks in the medium- and long term. We find that the safe-haven and hedging attributes of investments in Islamic stocks are sector-dependent across the medium- and long-term scales. Hence, our findings emphasize that based on market states, possible safe-haven attributes, diversification opportunities, and hedges for cross-sectoral investments with Islamic stocks are viable along various investment horizons for diverse levels of cryptocurrency environmental attention. These findings provide original valuable insights for portfolio management and improving financial stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]