The Dynamic Wage Barganing Problem

This paper considers dynamic equilibria in wage bargaining unifying for the first time the models of Coles and Wright (1998) and Pissarides and producing in contrast to the Coles and Wright model, a non-deficient equilibrium. In sharp contrast to the Pissarides model we analyse a fully dynamic model with non-linear cost functions and risk-averse agents, to provide overall, saddle-path stability and unique wage and employment outcome which is devoid of limit cycles.Wage determination, job matching, unemployment, labour markets, bargaining.

An Analysis of Paddy Productivity Growth in West Bengal and Orissa

In this paper, we attempt to analyse the changes in paddy productivity growth in West Bengal and Orissa during eighties and early nineties. Results reveal that input productivity has played an important role in the agricultural growth performance in the eighties and early nineties in these states. While this productivity growth has been brought about through improvements both in efficiency and technology, there are substantial variations across seasons and seed varieties. Also, the performance of paddy in West Bengal has been better than that of Orissa, primarily because the state of production technology in West Bengal is more advanced than in Orissa.

Fiji's Sugar Woes: The Challenge of the Land Tenure System, Ethnicity and the Erosion of EU Sugar Preferences

The non-renewal of land leases since 1997 and the impending withdrawal of the European Union's sugar preferences in 2007 have created major uncertainties in Fiji's sugar industry. In the context of this troubled environment, this paper examines the impact of various socio-economic factors on the viability of the industry by focusing on farm efficiency in sugar cane production. It was found that, in general, farmers were inefficient and produced 25% less than their potential output. Among the farm inputs, land (labour) was relatively the most (least) efficiently used input. Empirical evidence also suggests that the more productive Indian farmers rather than the natives be left to farm cane and that large scale farming should be seriously considered by amalgamating land leases. Lastly, it is possible for Fiji's sugar industry to be sustained with the use of appropriate best farming techniques to improve cane yield, and if there is successful expansion of sugar-related products.Random coefficient production frontier, technical efficiency, sugar cane production, Crop Production/Industries,

Construction of An Adult Equivalence Index to Measure Intra-household Inequality and Poverty: Case Study

More often than not, poverty and inequality measures are based on consumption expenditures of households but this does not represent the welfare of the individuals within the household and hence concern has been raised on policy formulation (Haddad and Kanbur 1990). The strong assumption for such data use has been that resources within a household are divided according to need but a growing body of literature has argued that this is not true and that consumption inequality exists within households (Sen 1984, Thomas 1990, Phipps and Burton 1995, Iversen 2003). These studies have shown that certain social configurations such as discriminations or norms against women, the earning capacity of individuals and power structure within the households (traditionally assigned or acquired through earnings) are causes of inequality within the household. When deprivations within the household are not accounted for and if these are aggregated for the whole population, the underestimation of inequality and poverty could be significant and result in gross policy neglect.

Civil service and military pensions in India

This paper describes the New Pension System (NPS), an individual account defined contribution pension scheme introduced for civil servants in India, and the problems faced in implementation of this system. We describe what has been achieved in the implementation of the NPS, and the challenges ahead. We also document the state of military pensions which have not been a part of the reform process.