Decoupling economic growth from environmental degradation is a primary challenge for the Asia-Pacific. This study examines long-run dynamic associations between renewable energy (RE), non-renewable energy (NRE), economic growth, and C O 2 emissions across 32 Asia-Pacific economies (1990–2023). Employing the PMG-ARDL estimator and panel causality tests, the research provides a granular analysis of income-based heterogeneity. The results are consistent with an inverted U-shaped Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) association, with estimated income-specific mathematical inflection points at log-income levels of 29.50 for the High-Income group and 29.30 for the Middle-and-Low-Income group. NRE remains a dominant long-run correlate of growth, while also being associated with higher environmental costs. Conversely, RE and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in advanced technological hubs are negatively associated with emissions, providing evidence of patterns consistent with the “Technique Stage” and “Pollution Halo” hypotheses. Sub-group analysis indicates regional divergence: estimates for advanced economies are consistent with associations expected under a possible movement toward decoupling, whereas industrializing economies show associations consistent with scale-driven energy demand and “Pollution Haven” risks. These findings should be interpreted as evidence of long-run dynamic associations rather than definitive causal mechanisms. Results suggest potential pathways for differentiated strategies and infrastructure transitions toward regional decarbonization.
This article investigates the impact of infrastructure development on food security in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), with a specific focus on moderating role of institutional quality. To do so, the study utilizes a panel dataset for 40 SSA countries spanning the period 2005–2022. Methodologically, the research employs the System Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) and Panel-Corrected Standard Errors (PCSE) estimators. These techniques are adopted to robustly address potential endogeneity, unobserved heterogeneity, and cross-sectional dependence. The empirical findings demonstrate that while infrastructure development significantly enhances food security, this positive effect is substantially amplified in environments characterized by high-quality institutions. Ultimately, the results suggest that strengthening institutional frameworks is a critical lever for maximizing the returns on infrastructure investments and fostering sustainable food security across the region.
I quantify the degree to which people’s self-assessed overall health (SAOH) predicts their subsequent mortality. Prior research has justified using this measure in substantive research by claiming it has high predictive validity; many authors subsequently suggest that the measure has clinical utility because of its validity in predicting mortality. I computed risk of death within 1, 3, 5, and 10 years as a function of responses at baseline to a question about whether people’s health is generally excellent, very good, good, fair, or poor. Data come from the 1986 to 2018 U.S. National Health Interview Surveys and the 2014/2015 High School and Beyond study—each linked to mortality records. People offering worse evaluations of their health were substantially more likely to die within 1, 3, 5, and 10 years. Nevertheless, SAOH has low sensitivity and a high false positive rate (regardless of how it is dichotomized). Results are consistent across samples and sociodemographic groups. SAOH is an important measure of well-being and should continue to be used in epidemiological and other research. However, on its own it is not predictive of individual-level mortality; claims about its clinical utility for targeting interventions at people at highest risk of death are not supported.
Financial inclusion is one of the top priorities on the global development agenda. Financial literacy is identified as one major challenge in promoting financial inclusion. The paper develops a validated and reliable scale for assessing the financial literacy of the rural population in India, using data from villages in Maharashtra. The study considers the factors of knowledge, behavior, and attitude for the development of the scale. The scales are developed through five studies, including focus group interviews and survey data collection. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis are used for testing and validation of scales. Further, ANOVA is used to explore the relationship between the factors of financial literacy and socioeconomic parameters. The study uses both qualitative and quantitative methods. The study concluded that financial literacy is higher among people with bank accounts. Income level, education, and gender are found to be related tofinancial literacy. Financial literacy is lower among the female population, and it increases with income level and age, and varies by occupation. The study has implications for policymakers. Financial literacy can be enhanced by including it in the school curriculum, offering financial literacy programs for women, and raising awareness of government schemes and interventions.
Accelerating biodiversity loss poses significant sustainability risks, particularly in emerging economies where industrial expansion threatens fragile ecosystems. Despite increasing stakeholder attention, limited empirical evidence explains how firms strategically respond to biodiversity-related pressures. This study investigates the influence of stakeholder pressure on corporate biodiversity engagement and examines the mediating role of biodiversity-oriented marketing strategy. Survey data from 223 senior managers of listed companies in Bangladesh were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling. Results show that stakeholder pressure significantly enhances biodiversity-oriented marketing strategy and corporate biodiversity engagement. Mediation analysis confirms that marketing strategy partially mediates the relationship between stakeholder pressure and biodiversity engagement, with both direct and indirect effects statistically significant. These findings highlight marketing strategy as a critical organizational mechanism for translating external expectations into sustained biodiversity practices. The study contributes to stakeholder theory and sustainability marketing literature by clarifying strategic pathways through which firms embed biodiversity into core decision-making. For managers and policymakers in developing economies, the results underscore the importance of stakeholder-driven governance and strategic alignment in advancing corporate biodiversity responsibility.
The study aims to identify significant missing dimensions that can enhance the existing formula-based devolution by the Finance Commission in its objectives towards vertical and horizontal fiscal balance. Horizontal devolution of the central divisible pool by the Finance Commission has been so far undertaken on a formula-based approach. The Commission includes certain criteria in the devolution formula as a proxy to address the differences in revenue capacity, fiscal need, and the cost of providing public goods of the states to eliminate horizontal fiscal imbalances. However, the methodology has been strongly questioned in its inclusiveness, ability to address the inherent complexities and actual needs of different states. The paper attempts to address the plausibility of incorporating new dimensions in the devolution formula of the Finance Commission to making it a more effective instrument facilitating vertical and horizontal equity in the backdrop of the huge diversity among the recipient states. The empirical analysis highlights significant impact of five criteria on fiscal imbalance of the states; income distance, fiscal performance index, demographic performance, geographic disadvantage index and state energy and climate index, which justify their inclusion in the devolution formula.
Natural dye-based textile production is increasingly promoted as an environmentally sustainable alternative to synthetic dyeing. However, its economic sustainability and livelihood implications remain underexplored, particularly in place-specific contexts. This study examines the financial performance, operating risk, and efficiency of artisan-managed natural textile dyeing enterprises in Assam, India—a region characterized by rich biodiversity, long-standing dyeing traditions, and rural livelihood dependence on small-scale production systems. Drawing on primary enterprise-level data from lac and indigo (rom) dyeing units, the study employs an integrated analytical framework combining cost–volume–profit (CVP) analysis, regression modelling, and Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). The study is based on primary data collected from 150 enterprises, and econometric estimations were conducted using Stata 17. The results show that natural dyeing enterprises are economically viable, exhibiting high gross profit and contribution margins, low break-even sales, and substantial margins of safety, indicating limited operating risk. Regression analysis reveals that profitability is driven by contribution margin, scale of operation, and technology type, while labour cost intensity negatively affects financial performance. DEA results indicate higher technical and scale efficiency among indigo dyeing enterprises, whereas inefficiency among lac dyeing enterprises is largely attributable to sub-optimal scale. A positive relationship between technical efficiency and profitability further highlights the role of efficient resource use in strengthening enterprise resilience. By integrating financial performance, efficiency, and risk analysis within a place-based empirical framework, the study contributes to debates in economic geography and socio-environmental sustainability. The findings demonstrate how environmentally benign, traditional production systems can support resilient rural livelihoods when embedded within appropriate efficiency-, scale-, and productivity-enhancing strategies.
This paper documents the construction of an updated and comprehensive bridge between Compustat and the Longitudinal Business Database (LBD) spanning 1976–2020. The Compustat–LBD linkage is one of the most requested resources in the U.S. Federal Statistical Research Data Centers, yet no publicly documented, comprehensive bridge has existed to date. We fill this gap with a multi-stage matching framework that combines EIN matching, refined fuzzy name and address algorithms, NAICS alignment, telephone records, and a novel ExecuComp–LEHD linkage. The resulting bridge matches roughly 85% of unique GVKEYs and 95% of economic activity, providing a valuable resource for longitudinal research on U.S. businesses, corporate governance, and executive compensation. By detailing all matching procedures we deliver a production-quality tool for integrating public-company financials to firm-level microdata.
This study examines the relationship between trade and the gender gap in labour force participation, focussing on the moderating roles of financial inclusion across 48 SSA countries from 2005 to 2023. It utilises a panel data approach. Because of potential endogeneity issues between labour force participation and financial inclusion, the study employs the instrumental variables Generalised Method of Moments (IV-GMM) estimator to address this problem. The results show that the lagged dependent variable is statistically significant in all models, indicating a strong persistence of the gender income gap over time. This suggests that historical inequalities heavily influence current disparities, reflecting structural and institutional inertia. Trade openness appears to be linked to a reduction in the gender gap in labour force participation , though this effect is only weakly significant and becomes less consistent in expanded models. Financial inclusion variables, measured by the number of depositors and borrowers, also exhibit negative but statistically insignificant coefficients. These findings imply that while financial inclusion could help reduce the gender gap in labour force participation , its individual effects are limited and not robust across different specifications. Nonetheless, the interaction effects between trade and financial inclusion provide more promising insights.
This study addresses the challenges of measuring technical efficiency and productivity in the performing arts sector during the post-pandemic recovery period (2022–2023). Utilizing a non-radial Data Envelopment Analysis and the Global Malmquist Index, the research evaluates how human resource allocation influences performance, using 21 Polish philharmonic institutions as an empirical context. The results reveal significant performance variations and relatively low sector-wide efficiency. Notably, philharmonics supervised by regional authorities demonstrated higher efficiency and productivity compared to those under municipal governance. Furthermore, productivity growth was driven primarily by sector-wide technological progress rather than improvements in individual unit efficiency. The study identifies employment as a crucial factor, though its impact is mediated by operational scale. These findings provide broader methodological and practical insights for cultural economics and public policy, particularly regarding staffing optimization in post-crisis contexts, while filling a significant gap in the performing arts efficiency literature.
Big economic shifts often spark bold public demands. As digitalisation and artificial intelligence reshape economies, what do people expect from governments in response? While research on technological disruption has expanded in advanced economies, far less is known about how these transformations are unfolding in Africa or how Africans perceive them. This article addresses that gap by examining structural change and citizens’ responses to digital disruption in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Using dynamic panel data from 36 African countries from 1995 to 2019 and Afrobarometer Round 8 surveys conducted between 2019 and 2022, covering 45,684 respondents across 32 countries, I show that higher digital diffusion is associated with declining agricultural employment shares, rising service-sector employment shares, and productivity gains that depend on complementary capabilities. I further show that respondents prioritise job creation and work-linked training over general education, business loans, or broader social spending. Rather than the monetary compensation that often features prominently in OECD debates, the dominant public demand in SSA is for productive inclusion through employment. This article discusses the implications of these findings for the kind of employment-rich, productivity-enhancing transformation needed to realise ‘digital dividends' and contributes to broader debates on the political economy of technological change, compensation, and inclusion in the digital age.
This article provides a generalized and comprehensive methodological framework for decomposition analysis, as used in index number theory, index decomposition analysis (IDA), structural decomposition analysis (SDA) and production decomposition analysis (PDA). The purpose is not to deliver new results but to provide a non-technical guide for those involved in empirical work.
This study examined causal pathways leading to school dropout among teenage mothers in three major urban centers of Colombia’s Caribbean region. Through a quasi-experimental design with propensity score matching involving 173 adolescent mothers (ages 14–18) enrolled in public schools during 2024, the research tested whether the simultaneous absence of digital connectivity, psychosocial support, and childcare access directly affected dropout probability. Statistical analyses using Structural Bayesian Networks, Quantile Binomial Poisson Regression, and Generalized Treatment Effect Models identified three main direct causal influences: institutional support quality (coefficient = −0.327), digital access conditions (coefficient = −0.281), and residential instability (coefficient = 0.195). The combined effect of multiple support services reduced dropout probability by approximately one-third (ATT = −0.328, p < 0.001), with stronger protective effects for more vulnerable subgroups. City-specific variations suggested local institutional configurations modified these relationships, with Cartagena showing greater resilience despite similar structural challenges. The findings underscored the need for comprehensive support systems addressing digital inequalities, care infrastructure, and psychosocial assistance simultaneously.
There are new proposals for prices indexes that attempt to correct for what they consider bias in standard indexes from changes in consumer preferences. But these proposals have a fundamental problem that changes in preferences between two periods cannot be identified by data on prices and quantities with only a normalization. This paper shows that the required normalization is not free, so that an arbitrary choice of normalization can yield any desired index result. In fact, a normalization using the Sato-Vartia weights yields a Sato-Vartia index, implying exactly zero bias.
In this paper, we investigate household indebtedness in the lower half of the income distribution and examine the role of informal income, which is relevant for the design of macroprudential policy in developing economies. We identify five key patterns of household debt burden across the income distribution. First, lower-income deciles often exhibit a substantial gap relative to the national median. Nevertheless, most loans in the lower half of the income distribution are well serviced. This suggests that individuals at the bottom can manage their debt because a portion of their income is unreported, reflecting a reliance on informal employment and income. Comparing debt burden with loan performance thus provides a useful means to detect and potentially estimate the share of informal wages in the economy. Third, since informality makes it difficult to verify income, households in the lower deciles often carry relatively larger formal debt burdens, implying that macroprudential tightening may disproportionately affect these vulnerable groups. Fourth, we find that lower-income households rely heavily on credit from non-bank financial institutions. Finally, a higher share of non-performing loans across income groups originates from the non-bank sector. Taken together, these findings highlight critical considerations for designing effective macroprudential policy in economies with sizable informal sectors.
This study examines the impact of institutional quality and technological innovations on entrepreneurship development in the South Asian region. Using data from 2010 to 2024 for all South Asian countries except Afghanistan, we investigate the relationship between entrepreneurship development as dependent variable and technological innovation and institutional quality as independent variables. We have also considered foreign direct investment, financial development, and economic growth as control variables. Applying the Two-step system generalized method of moments, it is observed that technological innovation, institutional quality, and economic growth have a positive and significant impact on entrepreneurship development whereas foreign direct investment and financial development have a positive but insignificant impact. It is further observed that the interaction between institutional quality and technological innovation significantly influences entrepreneurship development. This study provides appropriate policy recommendations for the government, regulatory authorities, institutions, and other relevant stakeholders to strengthen the entrepreneurship ecosystem in South Asia in the future.
This study presents the results of a rapid, low-cost survey that collected labor market data for individuals in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Yale Labor Survey (YLS) used an online panel from YouGov to replicate statistics from the Current Population Survey, the government’s main source of household labor market statistics. The YLS’s advantages include its timeliness, its low cost, and its ability to develop new questions quickly to study labor market patterns during the pandemic. The results of the YLS show that online surveys can be used to gather economic and demographic data with reasonable accuracy and at low cost. Such surveys can therefore be useful complements to less-frequent government surveys, particularly when the labor market is stressed and real-time data are especially valuable.
Health survey statistics are essential for setting national targets, monitoring population-level trends, and tracking progress in adults’ utilization of preventive health services. However, survey estimates can be subject to nonresponse bias. This paper primarily assesses the potential for nonresponse bias in six utilization estimates from the Clinical Preventive Services Self-Administered Questionnaire (PSAQ) survey. The article highlights several findings. First, the eligible PSAQ sample person’s selective nonresponse associated with influenza vaccinations and blood pressure check-ups reported in the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey provides indirect evidence of overestimating the utilization of those services in the PSAQ survey. Second, the study found a few weighting class variables correlated with PSAQ response propensity and survey variables. Third, surprisingly, base-weighted estimates of preventive service utilization changed little despite multiple post-survey adjustments, suggesting no substantial nonresponse bias. Additionally, the study finds moderate to near-perfect concordance in responses to selected preventive service questions across interview modes.
The Current Population Survey (CPS) has been the nation's primary source of information about employment and unemployment for decades. The data are widely used by social scientists and policy makers to study labor force participation, poverty, and other high-priority topics. An underutilized feature of the CPS is its short-run panel component. This paper discusses the unique challenges encountered when linking basic monthly data as well as when linking the March basic monthly data to the Annual Social and Economic (ASEC) Supplement in the 1976-1988 period. We describe strategies to address linking obstacles and document linkage rates.
