A supply-side explanation of European unemployment

This article offers a supply-side explanation of striking patterns in unemployment rates and duration of unemployment in European countries, compared with other member countries of the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development). The rise in long-term unemployment in Europe is attributed to the adverse incentive effects of generous welfare programs in times of economic turbulence.Unemployment - Europe

Problems in deriving Italian regional differences in intelligence from 2009 PISA data

Recent results of international assessment programs (e.g., PISA) have shown a large difference in high school students' performance between northern and southern Italy. On this basis, it has been argued that the discrepancy reflects differences in average intelligence of the inhabitants of regions and is associated with genetic factors (Lynn, 2010a and Lynn, 2012). This paper provides evidence in contrast to this conclusion by arguing that the use of PISA data to make inferences about regional differences in intelligence is questionable, and in any case, both PISA and other recent surveys on achievement of North and South Italy students offer some results that do not support Lynn's conclusions. In particular, a 2006–2009 PISA data comparison shows a relevant decrease in the North–South difference in only three years, particularly evident in the case of a single region (Apulia). Other large surveys (including INVALSI-2011) offer different results; age differences suggest that schooling could have an important role

Disability employment policy

This paper is the first in a series aimed at analyzing disability employment policy, and developing recommendations for policy reform in middle income countries. As the first paper in this series, this study provides a general overview of the relationship between disability and employment, focusing primarily on disability employment policies in OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) countries. It discusses how well these policies address the dual functions of integration, and income security, and reports on recent trends. A variety of policy tools are examined: full and partial disability cash benefits, vocational rehabilitation and training, supported work, sheltered and public sector employment, hiring quotas, tax incentives for employers, and anti-discrimination laws. A general set of recommendations are offered on designing disability employment policies in emerging economies.Social Protections&Assistance,Health Monitoring&Evaluation,Work&Working Conditions,Gender and Law,Social Cohesion

The Impact of e-Commerce on Cross-border Taxation

This essay offers a technical analysis on the impact of electronic commerce on cross-border taxation. The jurisdiction, the characterization of income. transfer pricing and tax administration are said to raise the potential problems on taxation of electronic commerce for both lax authorities and taxpayers at international level. The OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) sources will be used to discuss those problems. Keywords: electronic commerce. taxation. the OEC

West African Monetary Integration and Interstates Risk-Sharing

There are continuing efforts at the monetary integration and unionization in West Africa. Several academics argue that a monetary union among West African states would be costly because of the magnitude of asymmetric shocks. A common monetary policy is inappropriate and ineffective to respond to divergent shocks. Therefore, the stability of such a union is critically dependent on risk-sharing mechanisms for achieving income insurance and consumption smoothing. A monetary union is still optimal if output stabilization mechanisms such as risk-sharing institutions, are in place to cope with asymmetric shocks. This article estimates risk-sharing channels among West African states from 1970 to 2004. It uses the definition of national accounts to measure the fraction of asymmetric output shocks smoothed via net factors income, net transfers and net saving. We find that compared to the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) estimates, the degree of risk-sharing among West African countries is quite low. We also obtain that net saving is the significant and stable risk-sharing channel. A further analysis shows that only the contribution of public saving is significant.Asymmetric shocks, Interstates Risk-sharing, West Africa

West African Monetary Integration and Interstates Risk-Sharing

There are continuing efforts at the monetary integration and unionization in West Africa. Several academics argue that a monetary union among West African states would be costly because of the magnitude of asymmetric shocks. A common monetary policy is inappropriate and ineffective to respond to divergent shocks. Therefore, the stability of such a union is critically dependent on risk-sharing mechanisms for achieving income insurance and consumption smoothing. A monetary union is still optimal if output stabilization mechanisms such as risk-sharing institutions, are in place to cope with asymmetric shocks. This article estimates risk-sharing channels among West African states from 1970 to 2004. It uses the definition of national accounts to measure the fraction of asymmetric output shocks smoothed via net factors income, net transfers and net saving. We find that compared to the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) estimates, the degree of risk-sharing among West African countries is quite low. We also obtain that net saving is the significant and stable risk-sharing channel. A further analysis shows that only the contribution of public saving is significant.Asymmetric shocks;Interstates Risk-sharing;West Africa

Did Reagan Rule In Vain? A Closer Look at True Expenditure Levels in the United States and Europe

Conventional wisdom holds that the United States is a country of low taxes and small government, while the European countries have much larger governments with a higher tax burden. Fully measuring the role of government in a society, however, requires more than a comparison of tax burdens or the gross size of government spending in GDP terms. A proper accounting of the total share of national economic output allocated to governmental tasks and social expenditures in the United States and Europe calls this supposed transatlantic difference into question. European countries do have a much higher tax burden than the United States. However, healthcare and educational services, including tertiary education, are overwhelmingly provided by the government in Europe, while in the United States these services are much more often provided through the private sector. When private-sector spending on education and healthcare are combined with total government spending, the share of GDP allocated to these typically governmental functions in the United States is nearly identical to that in most European countries. Likewise, European countries have much higher levels of public social expenditures than the United States, but when the tax treatment of social benefits and tax breaks targeted to social purposes are considered, total public and private-sector social expenditures in the United States and Europe are quite similar. Thus there is very little difference between the United States and Europe in the share of resources allocated to governmental tasks and social expenditures, with the exception of much higher US private-sector healthcare expenditures. There is, however, little empirical evidence that higher private-sector US healthcare spending produces noticably better healthcare outcomes. Equal existing total levels of expenditures suggests that reform of US social and economic institutions does not require greater total resources, but instead an adjustment of how and to what purposes these resources are allocated. The more extensive provision of frequently tax-benefitted governmental and social services indirectly through the private sector in the United States further shields recipient groups from the public scrutiny usually given to direct government transfers. Similarly, tax-benefitted indirect services provision may explain why Americans are more hostile to higher taxes than Europeans, who generally receive these services as a direct quid pro quo from their governments and are thus likely more disposed to paying taxes.

Veteran teachers' identity: what does the research literature tell us?

This paper provides an overview of research on veteran teachers and teacher identity. It analyses issues at the personal, situated and professional levels that have been shown to impact on veteran teachers' identities. The search included empirical studies published in peer-reviewed journals between 2005 and 2016. In total, 19 papers were analysed. Findings revealed that many studies focused on veteran teachers' resilience. Issues concerning veteran teachers' identities are key to understanding why they remain in the profession and are able to sustain their motivation and commitment over time. Many veteran teachers portrayed in the literature built on their confidence regarding their professional competence and relied on internal and external issues to maintain their motivation and commitment to teaching. The role of emotions in the transformation of veteran teachers' identities and the permeable boundaries of the personal, situated and professional scenarios influencing veteran teachers' identities are highlighted in the paper.Financial Support by CIEC (Research Centre on Child Studies, IE, UMinho; FCT R&D unit 317, Portugal) by the Strategic Project UID/CED/00317/2013, with financial support of National Funds through the FCT (Foundation for Science and Technology) and co-financed by European Regional Development Funds (FEDER) through the COMPETE 2020 - Competitiveness and Internationalization Operational Program (POCI) with the reference POCI-01-0145-FEDER-00756