Cambio técnico y cambio ocupacional en la economía española (1980-2000)

En España, durante los años 1980-2000, el progreso técnico ha incidido sobre el empleo en un doble sentido. Por un lado, los incrementos de la productividad del trabajo han supuesto un ahorro importante de puestos de trabajo. Por otro lado, este cambio técnico ha sido sesgado, favoreciendo la categoría de «profesionales y técnicos ». Las ocupaciones menos cualificadas han sido las segundas en crecimiento, por lo que una imagen apropiada para el caso español sería la del «reloj de arena». El modelo de «descomposición estructural por ocupaciones» explica la espectacular expansión de los profesionales y técnicos: en cada rama estos trabajadores sustituyen a otros con menor formación, al tiempo que las ramas que más crecen son precisamente las que emplean más trabajo cualificado. Los multiplicadores input-output muestran que el cambio técnico se ha propagado por todos los sectores a través del creciente consumo intermedio de bienes intensivos en tecnología

Lecciones y desafíos para la transición hacia la paz. Reporte ejecutivo

El seminario internacional “Retos y desafíos de la transición hacia la paz” realizado en Medellín por la alianza constituida por Proantioquia, Fescol y la Universidad EAFIT entre el 16 y el 17 de abril de 2015, se propuso discutir aprendizajes y retos de experiencias previas que puedan contribuir a que la transición de la guerra a la paz en el país siente las bases de un postconflicto pacífico y sostenible. El presente documento sintetiza las reflexiones suscitadas en el marco del seminario. Con el fin de aportar a la definición de una agenda de incidencia multinivel que desde la sociedad civil inicie la construcción de un lenguaje compartido, este reporte propone un conjunto de insumos para el desarrollo de emprendimientos orientados a facilitar la construcción de paz en los territorios de Colombia

Adaptación al espacio europeo de educación superior de un cuestionario de opinión del alumnado sobre la docencia de su profesorado

After reviewing questionnaires from other universities, taking into account the theoretical framework of the new questionnaire, the transversal skills adopted by the University and the three dimensions set out by ANECA, a series of indicators and possible items deemed suitable to be included in the new questionnaire were drawn up. This results were all compared and contrasted within various focus groups undertaken with experts in the topic, with lecturers, and with students. Based on this comparison, the pilot questionnaire, which had 18 items plus two more criterion-referenced items, was drawn up. This was applied to a sample of almost one thousand students. The analyses carried out to  the items, as well as the reliability and the validity of the test, show that the questionnaire rigorously complies with the standards required by this type of instrument. Finally, in the discussion of the results, certain controversial aspects, or those relating to improving the evaluation of the university teaching staff, are presented.  Indicated amongst these aspects, is the need to incorporate the questionnaire into a more wider-ranging evaluation plan, such as DOCENTIA, the possibility of creating banks of items, the inclusion of open items and the exigency of undertaking on-line applications of the questionnaire

An applied method for assessing socioeconomic impacts of European fisheries quota-based management

Fishing activity is conditioned by diverse factors that determine and limit the capacity of fishermen to decide on their level of production (i.e., the fisheries output is determined exogenously). In the context of the input-output analysis, models have been developed that permit the assessment of socioeconomic impacts of an activity, but almost always from a perspective where demand is the driving force of the economy. Procedures have recently been developed to measure impacts in which both the existence of sectors subject to exogenous supply shocks and the existence of forward linkages with other sectors of the same economy are considered. The objective of this study is the application of this new methodology for the analysis of a specific case: fishing activity in Galicia (NW Spain). The socioeconomic impacts linked to the determination of annual fishing quotas by species for major fleet segments managed by European Union are quantified. This procedure is should be potentially be very useful as a fishing management tool. It provides more accurate estimations of the possible socioeconomic impacts of catch limitations and gives detailed information on the sectoral and spatial distribution of these impacts on the economy.Xunta de Galicia | Ref. GRC2014/022Xunta de Galicia | Ref. AGRUP2015/08Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad | Ref. ECO2014-52412-

Characterization of fisheries dependence in Galicia (Spain)

The management of marine ecosystems requires adequate knowledge of both environmental and human dimensions, as well as their interrelationships. In this study, the aquaculture and fisheries activities are analyzed in one of most important fishing regions in Europe, Galicia (NW Spain). In particular, the intensity and characteristics of the fishing dependency are evaluated in terms of income and employment. Thus, nine marine economic activities for nine Maritime Zones have been defined, considering the social and economic relevance of the provided ecosystem services to these communities. This paper highlights the entire Galician coast as fishing-dependent, independently of the urbanization level. Furthermore, the contribution of different fishery segments to the income and employment of these coastal communities is reviewed, including fluctuations on whether the activity is small or large-scale. Finally, this study establishes a strong relationship among the marine activities, which generate most employment, and the regulatory framework of the Regional Government. Therefore, the conclusions are relevant to design and implement policies that affect Galicia׳s Region and all its related marine ecosystems.Xunta de Galicia | Ref. CN 2011/020Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación | Ref. ECO2009-1032

A methodological approach to quantifying socioeconomic impacts linked to supply shocks

Input-output models are commonly used to assess socioeconomic impacts. These models typically evaluate exogenous variations in demand-related elements; however, they do not fully capture the associated effects of backward and forward sectoral linkages simultaneously. An analysis from the supply perspective is of greater interest to economic sectors that exploit natural resources because their activity is subject to natural variations or political factors beyond the producers' direct control. This paper proposes a methodology to improve the estimation of the impacts of these variations or supply shocks. Within the methodological context of input-output analysis, a practical procedure is introduced including price mechanisms that allow us to consider all sectoral linkages (backward and forward). Therefore, the proposed method will improve impact assessments derived from supply shocks linked to environmental events.Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad | Ref. ECO2014-52412-RXunta de Galicia | Ref. GRC2014/022Xunta de Galicia | Ref. AGRUP2015/0

Assessment of Socioeconomic Impacts Through Physical Multipliers: The Case of Fishing Activity in Galicia (Spain)

In the context of fishery management based on the ecosystem-based approach, it is necessary to develop methods and tools in order to facilitate the decision making and balance the socioeconomic and environmental dimensions of sustainability. The goal of this document consists of providing an assessment tool of the possible socioeconomic impacts arising from the variation in the fishing opportunities. After defining what we call input-output physical multipliers, an application for the case of fishing in Galicia (Spain) was developed. The results show that this method is valid for obtaining a more accurate assessment of the possible socioeconomic impacts arising from a fishing supply shock, considering in equal measure the backward and forward linkages of fishing activity with other sectors. The defined multipliers permit the assessment and comparison ex ante of different management scenarios for fisheries. As a consequence, this is a method with the capacity to provide support for a better decision making to the fishery regulators and other decision-makers, facilitating the implementation of more holistic management frameworks

Evidence on Economies of Scale in Local Public Service Provision: A Meta-Analysis

The standard theory of optimal jurisdictional size hinges on the existence of economies of scale in the provision of local public goods and services. However, despite its relevance for forced local amalgamation programs and related policies, the empirical evidence on the existence of such economies of scale remains elusive. The main goal of this paper is to produce an updated and comprehensive quantitative review of the existence of economies of scale in the provision of local public goods using a meta-analysis approach to systematize the wide range of empirical approaches and modeling frameworks found in the previous literature. Our analysis confirms the presence of moderately increasing to constant returns to scale in the provision of local services across traditional local service sectors such as education, water and sanitation, and garbage collection. We identify best practices for future empirical research in this area, which should rely on physical output as the metric of activity, production cost data as the measure of input expense, and a translog specification function for the modeling of cost functions. Finally, we find evidence that the determinants of output cost elasticity include bidirectional publication bias and population density but do not include the presence or absence of modern “lean” production technologies or the (perceived) capital intensity of the sector, contrary to conventional wisdom. These findings have significant policy implications for countries considering jurisdictional consolidation programs

Wildfire spreading simulator using fast marching algorithm

Programs that can predict wildfire behavior are a very useful tool in terms of extinguishing these fires more effectively. State of the art wildfire simulators present some drawbacks such as not being sufficiently user-friendly, being expensive, requiring great computational power or having poor graphical representation. This paper presents a prototype wildfire simulation app that uses Fast Marching (FM) as its core algorithm. The wildfire app is developed as a Matlab GUI. Said application shows the shape of the fire front at a given moment in time in a 3D map of the terrain affected by the fire. Any real life maps can be loaded to the application for wildfire prediction. The user can choose to vary parameters such as starting (ignition) and ending points, wind direction and speed and propagation time, and see its effect on fire propagation. Interface response to each change in the input is very fast, therefore proving the effciency of the algorithm. Although a prototype, the wildfire basic app is superior to some state of the art simulators regarding certain important features. It can be concluded that Fast Marching is a valid core algorithm for a fire simulator. The way the app is programmed in Matlab confers it flexibility, enabling further specific changes that make it truly competitive against currently used wildfire simulators

Determinantes de la diferencia salarial en el mercado laboral de Ecuador. Un estudio territorial

Este artículo presentó un análisis de los principales determinantes que inciden en la diferencia salarial en el mercado laboral para el Ecuador en el año 2019, clasificando el estudio en trabajadores formales e informales. Para ello, se estimaron las diferencias salariales a través de descomposiciones econométricas, a partir de datos de la encuesta de empleo y desempleo de las cinco principales ciudades del Ecuador. La metodología aplicada se basó en técnicas de reponderación junto con estimaciones de modelos de funciones de influencia recentradas (RIF). Entre los principales hallazgos, se mostró que las diferencias salariales fueron justificadas por las características de los individuos y por la estructura productiva; además, que Guayaquil es la ciudad con mayor brecha salarial en el mercado laboral formal, mientras que, en Cuenca, las mayores diferencias salariales se registran en los trabajadores informales. Los factores claves que explican principalmente la brecha salarial son: la educación, el tamaño de la empresa y la rama de actividad. Esto evidencia la gran precariedad laboral que existe en los diferentes territorios del Ecuador, destacando la necesidad de una mayor convergencia productiva impulsada por reformas laborales que promuevan el acceso al trabajo formal y fomenten la inversión privada.Palabras clave: Diferencia salarial, desigualdad, mercado laboral, métodos de descomposición. Abstract. This article presents an analysis of the main determinants that affect the wage difference in the labor market for Ecuador in 2019, classifying the study into formal and informal workers. To carry out this study, wage differences are estimated through conometric  decompositions based on data from the employment and unemployment survey for the five main cities of Ecuador.  The applied methodology is based on reweighting techniques together with estimates of recentered influence function (RIF) models. Among the main findings, they show that the salary differences were justified by the characteristics of the individuals and by the productive structure. In addition, it is shown that Guayaquil is the city with the largest wage gap in the formal labor market, while in Cuenca, the largest differences in wage are registered in informal workers. The key factors that mainly explain the salary gap are: education, the size of the company and the branch of activity. This evidence shows the great job insecurity that exists in the different territories of Ecuador, highlighting the need for greater productive convergence driven by labor reforms that promote access to formal work and encourage private investment.Keywords: Wage difference, inequality, labor market, decomposition methods.