Growth and employment: comparative performance, convergences and co-movements

As well-known, starting from the EU White Paper on growth, competitiveness and employment (1993), and continuing with the launch of the European Employment Strategy (1997) and the Lisbon Strategy (2000), two crucial objectives indicated by the European level emerged: (i) the increase of the GDP growth rates and (ii) the improvement of the employment intensity of growth. The aim of the paper is to discuss and investigate the compared performance, convergence and relationship of the following real variables: per-capita GDP (level and growth) and employment rate (level and growth). In the last decades an increasing part of the theoretical and empirical economic literature has been dedicated to the real convergence process. In order to better investigate the more recent period, in this paper we first present a brief review of the theoretical and empirical literature on real convergence (Section 2) and of the relationship between growth and (un)employment (Section 3). In Section 4, using Eurostat (regio) database for the period 1995-2003, a compared investigation of the (levels and changes in) per capita GDP and employment rates in EU-25 countries is followed by a convergence analysis for European aggregations (EU-25, EU-15, EMU-12 and 8-new-EU-members) at the following two (statistical) regional level: Nuts I (?- and Lowess ?-convergence) and Nuts II (?-, absolute and conditional ?-convergence). Besides, a preliminary comparative analysis for EU-15 countries has been dedicated to the co-movements between GDP and employment, and the employment intensity of growth, during the same period 1995-2003. Some of the main results of the paper highlighted (i) a high heterogeneity in European performance (in terms of GDP level, GDP growth, employment level and employment changes), (ii) the existence of complex “club convergence/divergence” across EU countries and regions, (iii) remarkable differences in the correlation between GDP growth and employment changes, and in the employment intensity of growth.GDP growth, employment, convergence, comparative performance

Employment and policies in Europe: a regional perspective

The aim of the paper is to compare the employment performance at different levels of “regional” (dis)aggregation and to analyse the effectiveness of the European Employment Strategy in favouring net job creation and employment performance convergence. In the first part, the (quantitative) differences in “regional” labour market performances are highlighted and briefly discussed. In particular, using the main employment indicators, we compare the United States and the European Union, Mediterranean and non-Mediterranean EU countries, “old” and “new” EU members, the Italian macro-Regions, Regions, Provinces and, finally, some local labour systems. In the second part, the characteristics (method, instruments and final goals) and effectiveness of the European Employment Strategy (a complex “open method of co-ordination” of employment policies) are briefly analysed.Multi-level policies, Regional employment performance.

Model-based clustering for populations of networks

Until recently obtaining data on populations of networks was typically rare. However, with the advancement of automatic monitoring devices and the growing social and scientific interest in networks, such data has become more widely available. From sociological experiments involving cognitive social structures to fMRI scans revealing large-scale brain networks of groups of patients, there is a growing awareness that we urgently need tools to analyse populations of networks and particularly to model the variation between networks due to covariates. We propose a model-based clustering method based on mixtures of generalized linear (mixed) models that can be employed to describe the joint distribution of a populations of networks in a parsimonious manner and to identify subpopulations of networks that share certain topological properties of interest (degree distribution, community structure, effect of covariates on the presence of an edge, etc.). Maximum likelihood estimation for the proposed model can be efficiently carried out with an implementation of the EM algorithm. We assess the performance of this method on simulated data and conclude with an example application on advice networks in a small business.Comment: The final (published) version of the article can be downloaded for free (Open Access) from the editor's website (click on the DOI link below

Composite materials research in support of supersonic propulsion systems

Two engine components, fan blades and exhaust systems, were selected for composite materials development efforts in support of the supersonic cruise aircraft research (SCAR) engine program. The materials selected were boron/aluminum for fan blades and silicon carbide/superalloy sheet for the exhaust system. The current status of the research into applying these two composite materials to SCAR engines is reviewed

Metal matrix composites for aircraft propulsion systems

Studies of advanced aircraft propulsion systems have indicated that performance gains and operating costs are possible through the application of metal matrix composites. Compressor fan blades and turbine blades have been identified as components with high payoff potential as a result of these studies. This paper will present the current status of development of five candidate materials for such applications. Boron fiber/aluminum, boron fiber/titanium, and silicon carbide fiber/titanium composites are considered for lightweight compressor fan blades. Directionally solidified eutectic superalloy and tungsten wire/superalloy composites are considered for application to turbine blades for use temperatures to 1100 C (2000 F)

Review of status and potential of tungsten-wire: Superalloy composites for advanced gas turbine engine blades

The current status of development of refractory-wire-superalloy composites and the potential for their application to turbine blades in land-based power generation and advanced aircraft engines are reviewed. The data indicate that refractory-wire-superalloy composites have application as turbine blades at temperatures of 2200 F and above