Explaining the regional economic heterogeneity in Ecuador

This paper aims to present the economic heterogeneity of Ecuador’s regions using a descriptive analysis, and also to explain its main causes and implications. In comparison to the European Union, Ecuador exhibits a much higher degree of economic heterogeneity within regions and provinces. We relate this pattern to the dynamics of the economic structure, and we also highlight the progress done by now in enhancing regional convergence in Ecuador. The implications of the regional economic heterogeneity are important for the design of effective governmental policies

Measuring quality of employment: an application for Ecuador in the period from 2007 to 2017

Este trabajo investiga la evolución de la calidad del empleo en Ecuador en el periodo de 2007 a 2017. Debido al carácter multidimensional de la calidad del empleo, se construyen tres tipos de indicadores compuestos. Primero, se elabora un índice compuesto con dos tipos de ponderaciones de las dimensiones: uno que pondera de igual forma cada dimensión y otro que da mayor peso a la dimensión de remuneraciones. Segundo, reconociendo que cada mercado laboral tiene particularidades y que la ponderación de las dimensiones que representan la calidad del empleo no es el mismo para cada país, se aplica un análisis de componentes principales (ACP) policórico. Además, se calcula el indicador de calidad del empleo para diferentes sectores de actividad económica. Los resultados señalan que existe una mejora en el indicador de calidad del empleo en 2017 en relación con el nivel observado en 2007, lo que responde principalmente a los mayores niveles de estabilidad laboral y cobertura de seguridad social que experimentaron los trabajadores durante el periodo de estudio. No obstante, el porcentaje de personas con precariedad laboral sigue siendo bastante significativa, de la misma forma que se señalan marcadas diferencias en el nivel de calidad del empleo entre los diferentes sectores de actividad económica considerados. Los sectores de servicios presentan el mejor indicador, mientras que los sectores de agricultura, ganadería y pesca, y construcción registran el peor indicador.The document investigates the evolution of the quality of employment in Ecuador in the years 2007-2017. Due to the multidimensional nature of job quality, three types of composite indicators are constructed. First, a composite index is constructed with two types of dimension weights; one that weights each dimension in the same way, and another that gives greater weight to the remuneration dimension. Second, recognizing that each labor market has particularities and that the weighting of the dimensions that represent the quality of employment is not the same for each country, a Polychoric Principal Component Analysis (PCA) is applied. Additionally, the employment quality indicator is calculated for different sectors of economic activity. The results indicate that there is an improvement in the employment quality indicator in 2017 in relation to the level observed in 2007, what mainly responds to the higher levels of job stability and social security coverage that workers experienced during the study period. However, the percentage of people with job insecurity is still quite significant, in the same way that there are marked differences in the level of quality of employment between the different sectors of economic activity considered in the study. The services sectors present the best indicator, while the agriculture, livestock and fishing, and construction sectors register the worst indicator

Perception of the quality of tourist services in rural areas: Cuenca-Ecuador case

El objetivo de este trabajo es analizar las percepciones de la calidad del servicio de los turistas que visitaron las áreas rurales de la ciudad de Cuenca, Ecuador, como complemento de la oferta turística de este destino ‐patrimonio cultural de la humanidad‐. Se realizó un cuestionario con una escala Servqual ‐ Service Quality a una muestra de 326 turistas para medir la calidad de los servicios turísticos. Se aplicó un análisis Factorial Exploratorio (AFE) para determinar las dimensiones de calidad del servicio que recogió solamente las percepciones de los ítems definidos y un Análisis Factorial Confirmatorio (AFC) para confirmar la estructura factorial. Los hallazgos evidencian cinco dimensiones de la calidad: seguridad, tangibilidad, fiabilidad, empatía y capacidad, y se corroboró la estructura factorial, con un ajuste adecuado de los índices. El estudio sugiere que los espacios rurales deben ofrecer calidad en su oferta turística como atractivo para los turistas dentro del destino.he aim of this paper is to analyze the perceptions of the quality of the service of the tourists who visited the rural areas of the city of Cuenca, Ecuador, as a complement to the tourist offer of this destination ‐cultural heritage of humanity‐. A questionnaire with a scale Servqual ‐ Service Quality was obtained from a sample of 326 tourists to measure the quality of tourist services. An Exploratory Factor Analysis (AFE) was applied to determine the dimensions of service quality that collected only the perceptions of the defined elements and a Confirmatory Factor Analysis (AFC) to confirm the factorial structure. The findings show five dimensions of quality: security, tangibility, trust, empathy and capacity, and its factorial structure was corroborated, with an adjustment of the appropriate indices. The study suggests that rural spaces should offer quality in their tourism offer as an attraction for tourists within the destination

Spatial determinants of adequate employment in Latin America, the ecuadorian case

Este estudio emplea el modelo de selección de Heckman para analizar la dinámica del empleo adecuado en Ecuador, particularmente en el contexto de los determinantes espaciales. Los hallazgos revelan que, aunque la educación formal aumenta significativamente las perspectivas de empleo, su impacto en la adecuación laboral está matizado por disparidades regionales y características del mercado local. Además, el estudio descubre disparidades de género, con las mujeres enfrentando mayores obstáculos tanto en el acceso al empleo como en la adecuación del mismo. El papel de los desplazamientos emerge como un factor crítico, donde se demuestra que la infraestructura y la planificación urbana influyen en la idoneidad laboral. Comparativamente, el mercado laboral ecuatoriano demuestra una mayor sensibilidad a los determinantes espaciales y problemas de accesibilidad que sus contrapartes de la Unión Europea, lo que indica que las oportunidades laborales locales están más restringidas por factores geográficos y de infraestructura. Esta investigación subraya la necesidad de políticas de empleo integradas que consideren la alineación educativa, el mejoramiento de la movilidad y la inclusividad, con el objetivo de fortalecer el vínculo entre las habilidades adquiridas y las necesidades del mercado laboral dentro del contexto único ecuatorianoThis study employs the Heckman selection model to analyse the dynamics of adequate employment in Ecuador, particularly in the context of spatial determinants. The findings reveal that while formal education significantly boosts employment prospects, its impact on job adequacy is nuanced by regional disparities and local market characteristics. Furthermore, the study uncovers gender disparities, with women facing greater obstacles in both employment access and adequacy. The role of commuting emerges as a critical factor, where infrastructure and urban planning are shown to influence job suitability. Comparatively, the Ecuadorian labour market demonstrates a higher sensitivity to spatial determinants and accessibility issues than its European Union counterparts, indicating that local employment opportunities are more constrained by geographical and infrastructural factors. This research underscores the need for integrated employment policies that consider educational alignment, mobility enhancement, and inclusivity, aimed at strengthening the link between acquired skills and job market needs within the unique Ecuadorian contex

Determinants of Food Insecurity in Rural Households: The Case of the Paute River Basin of Azuay Province, Ecuador

Eliminar la inseguridad alimentaria es uno de los mayores desafíos mundiales de la humanidad. El propósito de esta investigación fue analizar los factores que determinan la inseguridad alimentaria en los hogares de la zona rural de la cuenca del río Paute, provincia del Azuay, Ecuador.Eliminating food insecurity is one of humanity’s greatest global challenges. Thus, the purpose of this research was to analyze the factors that determine food insecurity in households in the rural area of the Paute River Basin, Azuay Province, Ecuador. Stratified sampling was used as the sampling method, with proportional affixation. Moreover, we employed the Latin American and Caribbean Household Food Security Measurement Scale (ELCSA). We estimated the main determinants of household food insecurity using two binomial logit models and one ordered logit model. For the analysis of the data, the respective statistical and econometric tests were employed.  The results show that housing size and access to food security information are the most important determinants of food insecurity in the three predictive models applied in this research.This research contributes to the existing literature on food insecurity and provides important information forpolicymakers, especially regarding food insecurity in rural areas, which has profound economic and social implications

Discussing the inter-sectoral linkages in Ecuador, with a focus on the oil sector

The oil sector represents a key-sector of the Ecuadorian economy, characterised by a high level of value added and a high weight in the national exports. This paper tries to find out whether the oil sector is able to induce positive effects for other economic sectors, and to also measure these effects in comparison with those generated by other sectors. The empirical analysis uses the income and employment multipliers, which are derived from Leontief Input-Output tables. The results indicate that the Ecuadorian oil sector is the most independent one, so that policies enhancing stronger linkages with other sectors are highly recommended

Factors that determine the dietary diversity score in rural households: the case of the Paute river basin of Azuay province, Ecuador

Inadequate food and nutrition affect human well-being, particularly for many poor subpopulations living in rural areas. The purpose of this research was to analyze the factors that determine the Household Dietary Diversity Score (HDDS) in the rural area of the Paute River Basin, Azuay Province, Ecuador. The sample size of 383 surveys was determined by a stratified random sampling method with proportional affixation. Dietary diversity was measured through the HDDS, with 12 food groups (cereals; roots and tubers; fruits; sugar/honey; meat and eggs; legumes or grains; vegetables; oils/fats; milk and dairy products; meats; miscellaneous; fish and shellfish) over a recall period of 7 days. A Poisson regression model was used to determine the relationship between the HDDS and sociodemographic variables. The results show that the average HDDS of food consumption is 10.89 foods. Of the analyzed food groups, the most consumed are cereals; roots and tubers; fruits; sugar/honey. In addition, the determinants that best explain the HDDS in the predictive model were housing size, household size, per capita food expenditure, area of cultivated land, level of education, and marital status of the head of household. The tools used in this research can be used to analyze food and nutrition security interventions. Furthermore, the results allow policymakers to identify applicable public policies in the fight against hunger

Medición de la inseguridad alimentaria en los hogares pertenecientes a la zona rural de la cuenca del río Paute de la provincia del Azuay, Ecuador

En el mundo, cerca de 2.000 millones de personas padecen inseguridad ali- mentaria moderada o grave por la falta de acceso regular a alimentos nutritivos y suficientes (FAO et al., 2019). El número de personas que padecen hambre ha aumentado a casi 821 millones (FAO, FIDA et al., 2018) y en América Latina y el Caribe a 39,3 millones, siendo las personas que viven en las zonas rurales las que tienen mayor riesgo de padecer inseguridad alimentaria (FAO, OPS et al., 2018), afectado el cumplimiento del objetivo hambre cero para 2030. En efecto, el 46% de las personas en el mundo padecen hambre (FAO et al., 2019)