Innovation Strategies and Labor Productivity in Pakistan: The role of product, process, and organizational innovations.

A new GLO Discussion Paper studies the effects of product, process, and organizational innovations on firm labor productivity in Pakistan.

The Global Labor Organization (GLO) is an independent, non-partisan and non-governmental organization that functions as an international network and virtual platform to stimulate global research, debate and collaboration.

GLO Discussion Paper No. 466, 2020

Innovation Strategies and Productivity Growth in Developing Countries: Evidence from Pakistan – Download PDF
by
Wadho, Waqar & Chaudhry, Azam

GLO Fellow Waqar Wadho

Author Abstract: We examine the determinants of product, process, and organizational innovation, and their impact on firm labor productivity using data from a unique innovation survey of firms in Pakistan. We find significant heterogeneity in the impact of different innovations on labor productivity: Organizational innovation has the largest effect followed by process innovation. But unlike much of the literature, we found a negative impact of product innovation suggesting a disruption effect of new products; however, this is mitigated if new products are paired with process or organizational innovations. We find a strong impact of engaging in knowledge creation on product and process innovation. We found that external knowledge networks and innovation cooperation play no significant role in firms’ decision to perform R&D and its intensity, though vertical linkages with suppliers (clients) promote product (process) innovations. Foreign competition has a negative effect on product innovation and a positive effect on organizational innovation.

GLO Discussion Papers are research and policy papers of the GLO Network which are widely circulated to encourage discussion. Provided in cooperation with EconStor, a service of the ZBW – Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, GLO Discussion Papers are among others listed in RePEc (see IDEAS,  EconPapers)Complete list of all GLO DPs – downloadable for free.

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Mismatched workers face higher long-term unemployment: Educational mismatches, technological change and unemployment.

A new GLO Discussion Paper finds for Italian data that mismatched workers are at risk of long-term unemployment.

The Global Labor Organization (GLO) is an independent, non-partisan and non-governmental organization that functions as an international network and virtual platform to stimulate global research, debate and collaboration.

GLO Discussion Paper No. 465, 2020

Educational mismatches, technological change and unemployment: evidence from secondary and tertiary educated workers –  Download PDF
by
Esposito, Piero & Scicchitano, Sergio

GLO Fellows Piero Esposito & Sergio Scicchitano

Author Abstract: In this article, we investigate the role of several types of educational mismatch in explaining labour market transitions of workers with secondary and higher education. We focus on transitions from employment to unemployment and on job changes, to assess whether mismatch is a temporary or a permanent phenomenon. In the first case, as suggested by matching models, mismatch will be eliminated through job-to-job transitions. In the second case, it might be permanent and caused by employment discontinuity and deskilling processes. By using information from the Italian Survey of Professions (ICP) and the Survey on Labour Participation and Unemployment (PLUS), we calculate three measures of vertical mismatch. This allows comparing the outcomes from self-reported and revealed match measures in order to assess the robustness of the results. In addition, we use a measure of horizontal mismatch and evaluated the effect of Routine Bias Technical change (RBTC) in terms of unemployment risk, through a Routine Task Index (RTI) calculated on Italian data. Results indicate that mismatched workers are at risk of long-term unemployment. More specifically, among workers with higher education, the risk is due to mismatches in the field of studies whereas for secondary educated workers, over-education is the main cause of unemployment risk. The effect of the RTI is often not significant. This adds evidence to the problem of skill gap in Italy, as educational choices are not aligned to market needs. In this respect, both demand side and supply side policies are needed to allow firms to better use this human capital.

GLO Discussion Papers are research and policy papers of the GLO Network which are widely circulated to encourage discussion. Provided in cooperation with EconStor, a service of the ZBW – Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, GLO Discussion Papers are among others listed in RePEc (see IDEAS,  EconPapers)Complete list of all GLO DPs – downloadable for free.

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GLO Southeast Asia Lead Niaz Asadullah speakes on Labor Economics in Dhaka, Bangladesh, as part of a GLO mission to promote research on the topic in the region.

Professor Niaz Asadullah gave a talk at the Department of Economics of East West University in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on “Labor Economics for Southeast Asia“. He is the Lead of the GLO Southeast Asia Cluster. The session was moderated by Assistant Professor Dr. Iftekharul Huq. The session is part of GLO supported activities in the region to promote the study and practice of labor economics. Topics discussed included the low participation of women in Southeast Asian labor markets, the linkages between labor and marriage market, the dynamics of wage returns to education and the risk of job automation and technological unemployment. A large number of students attended the event and actively took part in the Q&A session.

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The child tax credit reform in Austria reduces the income tax burden for households with children.

A new GLO Discussion Paper finds that the child tax credit reform in Austria reduces inequality, lowers the poverty rate in general, but by definition only for households with children.

The Global Labor Organization (GLO) is an independent, non-partisan and non-governmental organization that functions as an international network and virtual platform to stimulate global research, debate and collaboration.

GLO Discussion Paper No. 464, 2020

Reducing the income tax burden for households with children: An assessment of the child tax credit reform in AustriaDownload PDF
by
Christl, Michael & De Poli, Silvia & Varga, Janos

GLO Fellow Michael Christl

Author Abstract: This paper analyses the impact of the implementation of a child tax credit in Austria in 2019, not only on micro, but also on macro level by using a dynamic scoring methodology. First, we assess the fiscal and distributional impact of this reform using the microsimulation model EUROMOD. Second, we estimate labour supply impacts of the reform based on a structural discrete choice framework. Third, we evaluate the macroeconomic impacts of the reform, by calibrating and shocking QUEST, the DSGE model of the European Commission, with the micro-based results for the implicit tax rate, the non-participation and the labour supply elasticities. We show that the child tax credit reform in Austria reduces inequality, lowers the poverty rate in general, but by definition only for households with children. Overall the reform has a positive impact on labour supply, both on the extensive and on the intensive margin, especially for women. On the macro-level (and in the long-run), our model suggests a positive impact on employment. Additionally, we find that parts of the tax decrease can be potentially captured by the employer, meaning that gross wages would fall slightly. However, we find small but positive effects on GDP, investment and consumption, although the long-run macroeconomic effects depend crucially on how the government compensates the missing tax revenues after the reform. Accounting for these feedback effects at the micro level with a new methodology, we show that the second round effects are important to take into account, because they provide insights into the medium-term distributional impact of the reform.

GLO Discussion Papers are research and policy papers of the GLO Network which are widely circulated to encourage discussion. Provided in cooperation with EconStor, a service of the ZBW – Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, GLO Discussion Papers are among others listed in RePEc (see IDEAS,  EconPapers)Complete list of all GLO DPs – downloadable for free.

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Enterprising women in Southern Africa: GLO Discussion Paper of the Month & all GLO papers of January 2020.

The GLO Discussion Paper of the Month of January shows that promoting access to credit and improving the property rights framework are vital for removing barriers to productive female entrepreneurship at a larger scale in countries such as  Eswatini, Lesotho, and Zimbabwe. The paper makes a significant contribution to policy debates, suggesting  that policy interventions aimed at removing obstacles to female land tenure and ownership could greatly benefit Southern African countries.

GLO Discussion Papers are research and policy papers of the GLO Network which are widely circulated to encourage discussion. Provided in cooperation with EconStor, a service of the ZBW – Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, GLO Discussion Papers are among others listed in RePEc (see IDEAS, EconPapers)Complete list of all GLO DPs downloadable for free.

GLO Discussion Paper of the Month: January

GLO Discussion Paper No.  457, 2020

457 Enterprising women in Southern Africa: When does land ownership matter? –  Download PDF
by 
Brixiová, Zuzana & Kangoye, Thierry & Tregenna, Fiona  

GLO Fellow  Zuzana Brixiová

Author Abstract:   Limited access to finance is one of the major barriers for women entrepreneurs in Africa. This paper presents a model of start-ups in which firms’ sales and profits depend on their productivity and access to credit. However, due to the lack of collateral assets such as land, female entrepreneurs have more constrained access to credit than do men. Testing the model on data from the World Bank Enterprise Surveys in Eswatini, Lesotho, and Zimbabwe, we find land ownership to be important for female entrepreneurial performance in terms of sales levels. This finding suggests that the small Southern African economies would benefit from removing obstacles to women’s land tenure and enabling financial institutions to lend against movable collateral. While land ownership is linked with higher sales levels, it seems less critical for sales growth and innovation where access to short term loans for working capital seems to be key.

GLO Discussion Papers of January 2020

459 One billion euro program for early childcare services in Italy –  Download PDF
by 
Giorgetti, Isabella & Picchio, Matteo

458 Law enforcement, social control and organized crime. Evidence from local government dismissals in Italy –  Download PDF
by 
Cingano, Federico & Tonello, Marco

457 Enterprising women in Southern Africa: When does land ownership matter? –  Download PDF
by 
Brixiová, Zuzana & Kangoye, Thierry & Tregenna, Fiona

456 Agricultural Transformation and Farmers’ Expectations: Experimental Evidence from Uganda –  Download PDF
by 
Bonan, Jacopo & Kazianga, Harounan & Mendola, Mariapia

455 Reforms and Employment in The Egyptian Labor Market: Evolution by Age From 1988 to 2006 –  Download PDF
by 
Selwaness, Irene

454 Early Life Environments and Frailty in Old Age among Chinese Older Adults –  Download PDF
by 
Li, Xaxi & Xue, Qian-Li & Odden, Michelle C. & Chen, Xi & Wu, Chenkai

453 Social Security Expansion and Neighborhood Cohesion: Evidence from Community-Living Older Adults in China –  Download PDF
by 
Bradley, Elizabeth & Chen, Xi & Tang, Gaojie

452 Prenatal Sunshine Exposure and Birth Outcomes in China –  Download PDF
by 
Zhang, Xin & Wang, Yixuan & Chen, Xi & Zhang, Xun

451 Health Inequality among Chinese Older Adults: The Role of Childhood Circumstances –  Download PDF
by 
Yan, Binjian & Chen, Xi & Gill, Thomas M.

450 Names and Behavior in a War –  Download PDF
by 
Jurajda, Štěpán & Kovač, Dejan

449 Innovation and Self-Employment –  Download PDF
by 
Ciarli, Tommaso & Di Ubaldo, Mattia & Savona, Maria

448 Rent sharing in China: Magnitude, heterogeneity and drivers –  Download PDF
by 
Duan, Wenjing & Martins, Pedro S.

447 Spending in social services in China: A multi-country analysis –  Download PDF
by 
Bajo-Rubio, Oscar & Gómez‐Plana, Antonio G.

446 Time-Space Dynamics of Return and Circular Migration: Theories and Evidence –  Download PDF
by 
Constant, Amelie F.

445 It’s the way people move! Labour migration as an adjustment device in Russia –  Download PDF
by 
Pastore, Francesco & Semerikova, Elena

444 Legal History, Institutions and Banking System Development in Africa –  Download PDF
by 
Mutarindwa, Samuel & Schäfer, Dorothea & Stephan, Andreas

443 Robots, Reshoring, and the Lot of Low-Skilled Workers –  Download PDF
by 
Krenz, Astrid & Prettner, Klaus & Strulik, Holger

442 Competitive strategies, heterogeneous demand sources and firms’ growth trajectories –  Download PDF
by 
Caravella, Serenella & Crespi, Francesco & Guarascio, Dario & Tubiana, Matteo

441 Livelihood Diversification Strategies: Resisting Vulnerability in Egypt –  Download PDF
by 
Helmy, Imane

440 Social Safety Nets in Tunisia: Do Benefits Reach the Poor and Vulnerable Households at the Regional Level? –  Download PDF
by 
Nasri, Khaled

439 Agricultural credits and agricultural productivity: Cross-country evidence –  Download PDF
by 
Seven, Unal & Tumen, Semih

GLO DP Team
Senior Editors: Matloob Piracha (University of Kent) & GLO; Klaus F. Zimmermann (UNU-MERIT, Maastricht University and Bonn University).
Managing Editor: Magdalena Ulceluse, University of GroningenDP@glabor.org  

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Retirement Effects on Internal Chinese Migration

A new GLO Discussion Paper finds that retirement increases the probability of migration strongly.

The Global Labor Organization (GLO) is an independent, non-partisan and non-governmental organization that functions as an international network and virtual platform to stimulate global research, debate and collaboration.

GLO Discussion Paper No. 463, 2020

The Retirement Migration Puzzle in ChinaDownload PDF
by
Chen, Simiao & Jin, Zhangfeng & Prettner, Klaus

GLO Fellows Klaus Prettner & Zhangfeng Jin

Author Abstract: We examine whether and how retirement affects migration decisions in China. Using a regression discontinuity (RD) design approach combined with a nationally representative sample of 228,855 adults aged between 40 and 75, we find that retirement increases the probability of migration by 12.9 percentage points. Approximately 38% of the total migration effects can be attributed to inter-temporal substitution (delayed migration). Retirement-induced migrants are lower-educated and have restricted access to social security. Household-level migration decisions can reconcile different migration responses across gender. Retirees migrate for risk sharing and family protection mechnisms, reducing market production of their families in the receiving households.

GLO Discussion Papers are research and policy papers of the GLO Network which are widely circulated to encourage discussion. Provided in cooperation with EconStor, a service of the ZBW – Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, GLO Discussion Papers are among others listed in RePEc (see IDEAS,  EconPapers)Complete list of all GLO DPs – downloadable for free.

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Knowledge-based long-run growth effects of rising longevity and an increasing retirement age

A new GLO Discussion Paper studies the long-run growth effects of rising longevity and an increasing retirement age.

The Global Labor Organization (GLO) is an independent, non-partisan and non-governmental organization that functions as an international network and virtual platform to stimulate global research, debate and collaboration.

GLO Discussion Paper No. 462, 2020

Rising longevity, increasing the retirement age, and the consequences for knowledge-based long-run growth Download PDF
by
Kuhn, Michael & Prettner, Klaus

GLO Fellow Klaus Prettner

Author Abstract: We assess the long-run growth effects of rising longevity and increasing the retirement age when growth is driven by purposeful research and development. In contrast to economies in which growth depends on learning-by-doing spillovers, raising the retirement age fosters economic growth. How economic growth changes in response to rising life expectancy depends on the retirement response. Employing numerical analysis we find that the requirement for experiencing a growth stimulus from rising longevity is fulfilled for the United States, nearly met for the average OECD economy, but missed by the EU and by Japan.

GLO Discussion Papers are research and policy papers of the GLO Network which are widely circulated to encourage discussion. Provided in cooperation with EconStor, a service of the ZBW – Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, GLO Discussion Papers are among others listed in RePEc (see IDEAS,  EconPapers)Complete list of all GLO DPs – downloadable for free.

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Exports have a positive, but small impact on long-run growth in Spain

A new GLO Discussion Paper reveals that the impact of exports on economic growth has been small but positive in 1850-2017 Spain.

The Global Labor Organization (GLO) is an independent, non-partisan and non-governmental organization that functions as an international network and virtual platform to stimulate global research, debate and collaboration.

GLO Discussion Paper No. 461, 2020

Exports and long-run growth: The case of Spain, 1850-2017Download PDF
by
Bajo-Rubio, Oscar

GLO Fellow Oscar Bajo-Rubio

Author Abstract: We analyse in this paper the relationship between international trade and economic growth from the point of view of one of the most traditional hypotheses within this field, namely, the export-led growth hypothesis, for the case of Spain in a long-term perspective of almost 170 years. Exports seem to have played a positive, though modest, role in promoting economic growth in the Spanish economy over the whole period, mostly due to the higher productivity associated with the export sector. The contribution of exports to growth, however, seems to have been stronger in the final years of the 19th century, unlike the rest of the period, where it proved to be very small.

GLO Discussion Papers are research and policy papers of the GLO Network which are widely circulated to encourage discussion. Provided in cooperation with EconStor, a service of the ZBW – Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, GLO Discussion Papers are among others listed in RePEc (see IDEAS,  EconPapers)Complete list of all GLO DPs – downloadable for free.

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Weathering the storm: Weather shocks and international migration from the Philippines

A new GLO Discussion Paper reveals and investigates the channels of international migration from the Philippines caused by weather shocks.

The Global Labor Organization (GLO) is an independent, non-partisan and non-governmental organization that functions as an international network and virtual platform to stimulate global research, debate and collaboration.

GLO Discussion Paper No. 460, 2020

Weathering the storm: Weather shocks and international migrants from the PhilippinesDownload PDF
by
Pajaron, Marjorie C. & Vasquez, Glacer Niño A.

GLO Fellow Marjorie Pajaron

Author Abstract: The growing literature on environmental migration presents conflicting results. While some find that natural disasters induce international migration, others discover a dampening effect. We aim to reconcile these differences by using a comprehensive list of weather shocks from the Philippines, a country prone to natural disasters and a major exporter of labor. We constructed a longitudinal provincial dataset (2005–2015) from an assemblage of administrative and survey datasets and tested linear, quadratic, and lagged models. Our fixed-effects results are consistent with both strands in the literature with caveats. First, Filipinos are more likely to work abroad when they experience less-intense tropical cyclones and storm warning signal but are more likely to stay with a more damaging storm warning signal. Second, differential effects of weather shocks on international migration contingent on agriculture exists. Third, non-environmental factors such as economic (unemployment rate) and infrastructure (number of high schools) also push Filipinos abroad.

GLO Discussion Papers are research and policy papers of the GLO Network which are widely circulated to encourage discussion. Provided in cooperation with EconStor, a service of the ZBW – Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, GLO Discussion Papers are among others listed in RePEc (see IDEAS,  EconPapers)Complete list of all GLO DPs – downloadable for free.

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One billion government money for early childcare in Italy: What are the effects?

A new GLO Discussion Paper studies the effectiveness of a government program to strengthen the public supply of early childhood educational services in Italy.

The Global Labor Organization (GLO) is an independent, non-partisan and non-governmental organization that functions as an international network and virtual platform to stimulate global research, debate and collaboration.

GLO Discussion Paper No. 459, 2020

One billion euro program for early childcare services in ItalyDownload PDF
by
Giorgetti, Isabella & Picchio, Matteo

GLO Fellow Isabella Giorgetti & Matteo Picchio

Author Abstract: In 2007 the Italian central government started a program by transferring funds to regional governments to develop both private and public early childcare services. Exploiting the different timing of program implementation across regions, we evaluate its effectiveness in boosting the public supply of early childhood educational services. We find that the ratio between the available slots in public early childhood education and the population of those aged 0-2 increased by 17.2% three years after the start of the program, with respect to the pre-program level. The program impact was however limited in the South and mostly driven by the Center-North.

GLO Discussion Papers are research and policy papers of the GLO Network which are widely circulated to encourage discussion. Provided in cooperation with EconStor, a service of the ZBW – Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, GLO Discussion Papers are among others listed in RePEc (see IDEAS,  EconPapers)Complete list of all GLO DPs – downloadable for free.

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