REGIONAL EMPLOYEES PERCEPTIONS ON DECENT WORK AND ECONOMIC GROWTH: LABOUR MARKET OF ALBANIA AND KOSOVO

Filipos RUXHO

Professor Ass. Dr., Department of Business and Management, Universum College, Kosovo.

filip.ruxho@universum-ks.org

Christos Ap. LADIAS

Professor, Regional Science Inquiry Journal

ladias@rsijournal.eu

Ali TAFARSHIKU

Deputy Minister, Ministry of Regional Development of Kosovo.

ali.tafarshiku@rks-gov.net

Edib ABAZI

Professor Ass. Dr., Department of Law, Social and Political Studies, Universum College, Kosovo.

edib.abazi@universum-ks.org

Corresponding Author

Abstract

This research paper is a continuum of our previous research that aimed to identify key perceptions of targeted employees towards decent work and economic growth in labour market of Albania and Kosovo. The key components of SDG 8 – economic growth, basic living costs, equal treatment, safety and security at workplace, and integrity and wellbeing are measured. The questionnaire is used for the study purposes of the research.  The sample consists of 350 respondents. Findings reveal that there are alarming differences on perceptions of respondents in terms of decent work between two regional labour markets. The labour market in Albania suffers from weak treatment of employees at workplace; ensuring safe and secured working environment and low promotion of wellbeing and integrity of employees in workplace. The dimension of economic growth and basic living cost is of concern for both labour markets. Consequently, it is strongly recommended that both states address decent work in labour markets of Albania and Kosovo with priority. State instruments shall be enforced to closely cooperate with employee’s organizations and syndicates and work on elimination of core barriers that disable employees to feel equally treated at workplace, or safe and secured at workplace or having their integrity and wellbeing protected so that quality of working environment improves and involvement and productivity of employees grows.

Keywords: abour market, economic growth, decent work

JEL classification: J30, J40, R10, R11, R23, O10

 pp. 13-23

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A NETWORK-BASED ALGORITHM FOR COMPUTING KEYNESIAN INCOME MULTIPLIERS IN MULTIREGIONAL SYSTEMS

Dimitrios TSIOTAS

Assistant Professor, Department of Regional and Economic Development, School of Applied Economic and Social Sciences, Agricultural University of Athens, Amfissa 33100, Greece

tsiotas@aua.gr

Abstract

In the context of the Keynesian “multiplier effect” approach, regional economic growth and development are conceived as the result of changes in demand stimulating an iterative process of returns of income. Aiming to revisit this established regional economic model, promote multidisciplinary thinking, enjoy better supervision of computations and intuitive interpretation of the results, broaden the applicability of the model, and serve educational purposes in regional economics and development, this paper proposes an algorithm for computing Keynesian income multipliers in multiregional systems. Building on network connectivity, estimations of the regional shares of imports, marginal propensity to consume, and changes in demand, the proposed algorithm provides a framework for standardizing computations of the multiplier effect in multiregional systems. The algorithm is implemented in two theoretical scenarios, contributing to a deeper conceptualization of the computation of the Keynesian income multipliers, and an empirical case of the land interregional commuting network in Greece, providing insights into the developmental dynamics of the labor market (demand for employment) in Greece. Overall, the analysis highlights the symbiotic relationship between the multiplier effect and network structure in regional markets, promotes multidisciplinary thinking in regional science and economics, and provides a code of this network-based algorithm to motivate further research.

Keywords: regional markets, multiplier effect; export-base model; demand for employment; interregional commuting

JEL classification: R11, R15, R23, R41

 pp. 25-46

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DIGITALIZATION OF ECONOMY AND LIVING STANDARDS OF POPULATION IN RUSSIAN REGIONS

Nadezda Vasilievna SEDOVA

Dr. Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, Russia

nadseva@mail.ru

Lidia Sergeevna ARKHIPOVA

Ph.D. Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, Russia

Arkhipova.LS@rea.ru

Darya Mikhailovna MELNIKOVA

Ph.D. Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, Russia

Melnikova.D@rea.ru

Irina Fedorovna ALESHINA

Ph.D. Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, Russia

Aleshina.IF@rea.ru

Abstract

The study of territorial inequality in the modern economic space corroborates the relevance of the strategic goals of enhancing the living standards of the population amid digitalization of the economy. Despite the regional disparities in the social and economic development of the Russian regions, favorable factors for the responsiveness to digitalization in various economic and social spheres formed. They include the high quality of human capital, a relatively sufficient level of Internet access among population, modern infrastructure in a significant number of the regions, increased organizational costs for the introduction and use of digital technologies, etc. Therefore, the purpose of the research is to assess the indicators of digitalization in the regions, their territorial disparities and model the indicators of living standards as well as the use of information and communication technologies by the population and in organizations. The research features a typology of regions according to the main indicators of digitalization with the identification of the top regions, where capital territorial entities of the Russian Federation and the northern regions with a high household income, an economy dominated either by processing and knowledge-intensive industries, or with a raw-material focus, stand out. It has been noted that over the past fifteen years, interregional differentiation by digitalization indicators has been decreasing, however, problems persist in the eastern remote and underdeveloped regions in the south of the country. The research is of practical value in terms of economic and mathematical modeling of digitalization and internetization process in relation to living standards of the population.

Keywords: digitalization, region (RF subject), indicators, human capital, internetization, modeling

JEL classification: R23, J610

 pp. 47-65

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