Evaluating the risk of unemployment: Comparison between the two most populated Greek regions with the entire country

Stavros Rodokanakis
University of Bath

Irini Moustaki
London School of Economics and Political 
Science

Abstract :
The basic aim of this paper is to investigate the impact that educational level of individuals and participation in training programmes (apprenticeship, intra-firm training, continuing vocational training, popular training) have on their job prospects in the two most populated Greek regions, Attica and Central Macedonia, during the implementation of the first Community Support Framework  CSF (1989-1993). We also research the differences between the two regions under study and the entire country. More specifically, we  research what are the social and demographic characteristics that increase the chances of someone in the examined population finding a job, how those chances change (if they do) after the introduction of training courses and, also, whether University graduates, in contrast to most of the rest of the EU member states, face greater difficulties in finding a job than non-University graduates, as a series of studies or aggregate  statistics for Greece conclude. We use individual anonymised records (micro-data) of the Labour Force Survey (LFS) for both employed and unemployed at both national and NUTS-2 level. The findings of the logit model show that although concerning education the picture is mixed, the more trained a person did not improve his position in the labour market during the examined period.  read more

 

Keywords: Cross-sectional models, Labour economics policies, Human capital, Skills, Regional, urban  and rural analyses.

Some Problems of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises in Albanian Holiday Hotels

Evis Kushi
Xhuvani University, Elbasan,
Albania

Enkela Caca
Eqrem Cabej University, Gjirokaster
Albania

Abstract:
This paper provides an analysis of the main characteristics of MSMEs in this sector and identifies the existing problems using data from 83 holiday hotels during summer 2006 in Durres region, which is the major sun-and-beach segment in Albania. The results of the survey are in line with the general economic situation in Albania which is characterised by the dominance of micro and small-sized enterprises, mainly family businesses. More specifically, the majority of the holiday hotels in the sample (82 per cent) are micro and small hotels and only four per cent are big hotels. One of the main problems arising from this situation is that hotels of this size match only the demand of individual clients or small groups of tourists and are generally not able to work with big tourist groups organised in package tours by the western operators. Finally, this paper provides interesting recommendations for policy makers, public authorities and hotel managers in order to identify the priorities for the development of the holiday hotels sector and tourism in Albania. read more
 
Key words: MSMEs, holiday hotels sector, survey.

Some Supplementary Regional Economic Effects of a Premier League Soccer Club: Theoretical and empirical Considerations beyond Regional Multiplier Analysis

Rudiger Hamm 
Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences

Abstract:

Using a well-known German soccer club  Borussia Monchengladbach  as an example the present article deals with some supplemaentary regional economic effects of soccer clubs. Theoretica considerations suggest that such effects appear, because soccer clubs can raise a citys awareness level itself and can result in a psychic income and improve its image, can be a relevant location factor by accruing to the inhabitants of the city. All these effects are not only of direct interest for regional economic development, but they can indirectly increase the number of firms settling in the region and/or the level of regional tourism. These theoretical considerations are empirically tested by different methodological approaches  survey of households, survey of experts and media presence analysis. The empirical analysis shows that Borussia Monchengladbach releases an impulse to its location city that noticeably exceeds normal demand-side effects. This impulse  is connected with  the mentioned theoretical aspects. Though all attempts to quantifiy the supplementary effects can only give a rough impression of its true dimension of these effects, it can be stated that the supplementary effects of a sport club (or a major sporting event) are at least as important as demand-side effects normally are are. read more