scholarly journals Economic stress of people 50 + in European countries in the Covid-19 pandemic–do country policies matter?

Author(s):  
Agnieszka Chłoń-Domińczak ◽  
Dorota Holzer-Żelażewska

AbstractThe Covid-19 pandemic caused lockdown of economies, which in turn led to the worsening of the economic situation of many households. During the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic governments undertook various measures to support economies and societies, including jobs protection along with financial support provision to people who suffered financial loss during the economic crisis. We analyse the economic situation of older Europeans, depending on their socio-economic status as well as country of residence characteristics, including economic and labour market changes during the first phase of the pandemic, the strictness of government policies but also the country development level using the Human Development Index. We use the results of the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), including the SHARE Corona Telephone Survey, which was conducted during the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. Our results indicate that individual characteristics have a higher impact on individual economic stress, compared to country characteristics. However, country’s response to the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic, but also the overall level of development influences the economic situation and ability to cope with the economic risks people aged 50 and over face. People in more developed countries have smaller difficulties in making ends meet, while the economic crisis and more stringent policies reduce chances to receive financial support and increase economic risks.

ECONOMICS ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 9-27
Author(s):  
Zoran Lukić ◽  
Dragan Petrović ◽  
Rankica Marelj

Summary Small and medium enterprises comprise an optimal unity with large enterprises. Such approach provides an effective long-term economic structure. In the EU, the number of employees and added value of SMEs grew until 2008, followed by a stagnant trend during the crisis in the EU. As early as 2010, the added value started recovering, while a number of companies and employees stagnated. As for BiH, SMEs revenues dropped in the period from 2008 to 2009, followed by their recovery and growth, while the investments maintained constant decline to the end of the observed period. Macroeconomic indicators do not indicate a radical change of trends from 2008 to 2011. In that period, the EU recorded significant oscillations. Correlation analysis for BiH has shown an interconnection between GDP and industrial production, with SMEs revenues. The ratio of investments and SMEs revenues does not indicate the existence of a correlation. The economic crisis and instability of BiH affect the poor economic situation. BiH underutilizes EU funds for SME development. The EU Programme for SMEs and job creation has failed to demonstrate significant results in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Balkan region. The economic crisis and instability affect the economic situation in BiH. Stimulus of creating new and expansion of existing SMEs is a prerequisite for economic recovery of the country in times of crisis and in the periods of economic prosperity.


2020 ◽  
Vol 23 (9) ◽  
pp. 1040-1063
Author(s):  
E.A. Nepochatenko ◽  
E.T. Prokopchuk ◽  
B.S. Guzar

Subject. The article considers financial regulation through the use of tax mechanisms. Objectives. The aim of the study is to evaluate European and Ukrainian practices of fiscal incentives for farming through fiscal instruments with VAT playing the key role. Methods. In the study we employed economic and statistical research methods, like monographic, comparison, scientific generalization. Results. Based on the analysis of VAT implementation on farmers in developed countries in Europe we substantiated the conclusion about its focus on simplifying the tax procedures and eliminating the negative impact on operations of economic entities. Special tax treatment (including VAT collection) is mainly used to streamline tax relations, taking into account the specifics of farming, rather than to improve the financial support to farms. We revealed that in the Ukrainian practice its main task is financial support to agricultural production. Conclusions and Relevance. The experience of developed European countries on the use of special tax regimes and taxation procedures should serve as a model for Ukraine. Financial incentives for agricultural production development should be directly supported by the State, and special tax treatment and tax administration should be focused on streamlining tax relations in the region, based on the practice of developed European countries such as UK, Germany, Italy and France.


2006 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 383-418 ◽  
Author(s):  
BEATRICE MORING

The aim of this article is to explore the economic status and the quality of life of widows in the Nordic past, based on the evidence contained in retirement contracts. Analysis of these contracts also shows the ways in which, and when, land and the authority invested in the headship of the household were transferred between generations in the Nordic countryside. After the early eighteenth century, retirement contracts became more detailed but these should be viewed not as a sign of tension between the retirees and their successors but as a family insurance strategy designed to protect the interests of younger siblings of the heir and his or her old parents, particularly if there was a danger of the property being acquired by a non-relative. Both the retirement contracts made by couples and those made by a widow alone generally guaranteed them an adequate standard of living in retirement. Widows were assured of an adequately heated room of their own, more generous provision of food than was available to many families, clothing and the right to continue to work, for example at spinning and milking, but to be excused heavy labour. However, when the land was to be retained by the family, in many cases there was no intention of establishing a separate household.


Author(s):  
Zhifei He ◽  
Zhaohui Cheng ◽  
Ghose Bishwajit ◽  
Dongsheng Zou

Socioeconomic status has shown to be associated with subjective health, well-being, satisfaction with overall life and estimation of happiness. The body of research concerning the question of whether higher economic status leads to better health and well-being are mostly from developed countries. The present study was therefore conducted among women in Nepal with an aim to investigate whether household wealth status is associated with satisfaction about (1) self-reported health, (2) happiness, and (3) life overall. Methods: Subjects were 5226 Nepalese women aged between 15 and 24 years. Cross-sectional data were extracted from round 5 of the Nepal Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (NMICS), conducted in 2014, and analyzed using chi-square tests of association, bivariate and multivariable regression methods. Results: Wealth status was significantly associated with satisfaction about health, estimation of happiness and satisfaction. Compared with women in the poorest households, the odds of positive estimation about overall happiness were respectively 30% higher for poorer (p < 0.0001; 95% CI = 1.653–3.190), 80% higher for middle (p = 0.001; 95% CI = 1.294–2.522), 64% higher for richer (p = 0.006; 95% CI = 1.155–2.326), and 40% higher for richest households. The odds of reporting satisfaction about life were respectively 97% higher for poorer (p < 0.0001; 95% CI = 1.680–2.317), 41% higher for middle (p < 0.0001; 95% CI = 1.165–1.715), 62% higher for richer (p < 0.0001; 95% CI = 1.313–2.003), and 31% higher for richest households (p = 0.043; 95% CI = 1.008–1.700). Conclusion: Our results conclude that women in households with lower wealth status report poorer subjective health, quality of life and happiness. However, the findings need to be interpreted in light of the existing sociocultural conditions mediating the role of household wealth status on women’s lives.


2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 372-386
Author(s):  
David Jakinda Otieno ◽  

Fair trade is an important ethical concern in the food value chains of developed countries. However, there is a dearth of empirical insights into consumer preferences for this critical aspect in the domestic markets of developing countries. The current study analysed consumer willingness to pay (WTP) for fair-trade attributes in the goat meat value chain in Nairobi, Kenya. Choice experiment data from 270 randomly sampled consumers was analysed using the random parameter logit (RPL) model. The results show that 56% of the consumers were aware of the fair-trade concept and 64% of them were willing to pay for fair-trade-compliant practices. Specifically, consumers were willing to pay a premium of 62% to prevent child labour, 45% to support provision of medical insurance for workers in the meat value chain, 40% for direct purchase from producers, 39% for fair-trade labelling and 30% to support disabled people as part of corporate social responsibility


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
QIAN WANG

The research field of consumer behavior is not a new one. In fact, many researchers have conducted surveys and experiments in this field. Also, the topic on how advertisement influences consumer perceptions has been explored. It is obvious that culture background and social economic status are different between developed countries and developing countries. This can vary consumers’ perception and behaviors. Non-profit advertisement will influence consumer’s perception and behavior on the basis of cultural background. Thus, it will also be extremely crucial for non-profit advertisements to study cultural differences to learn more about consumers. This study focuses on cultural background, aiming to find the differences on how different non-profit advertisement between China and U.S., and provide useful strategies to plan non-profit advertisements.


Author(s):  
Santosh D. Patil ◽  
Ravindranath A. Bhovi

Background: Nutritional anaemia is defined as a condition in which the haemoglobin content of the blood is lower than normal as a result of deficiency of one or more essential nutrients. Anaemia is the late manifestation of deficiency of nutrient(s) needed for haemoglobin synthesis. The prevalence of anaemia in developing countries is estimated to be 43% and that of developed countries is 9%. Anaemia is estimated to contribute to more than 115000 maternal deaths and 591000 prenatal deaths globally per year. The objectives of the present study were to determine the prevalence of anaemia among the pregnant women and lactating mothers and to explore the associated factors with anaemia.Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted among pregnant and lactating women in Ukkali a rural field practice area Shri B. M. Patil Medical College, Vijayapur. Criteria for inclusion were pregnant women- current pregnancy of more than 6 months and lactating mother with child aged up to 6 months of age. Estimation of haemoglobin was carried by standard Sahlis pipette method. Anaemia was classified according to WHO grading criteria.Results: The maximum number of pregnant women (85.71%) in the age group of 35-49 years was anaemic followed by those who were in the age group of 20-34 years (61.54%). Prevalence of anaemia was 72 % in women of less than 20 years, whereas it was as high as 80% among lactating women of 35-49 years age group.Conclusions: Anaemia continues to be a problem with the existing health care resources. Socio-economic status, literacy of women and awareness related to health concerns are the major determinants that contribute to the problem of anaemia.


2010 ◽  
Vol 30 (5) ◽  
pp. 879-896 ◽  
Author(s):  
TENZIN WANGMO

ABSTRACTUsing interview data from 30 Tibetan elders living in India and Switzerland, the paper explores the support they received, their perception of intergenerational relationships, and their acceptance of different levels of intergenerational exchange. All of the sample had aged in either India or Switzerland and so provide excellent comparison groups, from respectively a developing and a developed country, by which to study changing filial piety with time, context and socio-economic conditions. With limited resources in old age, most of the participants in India needed financial support. Among them, parents with many children and children in developed countries received better financial support and collective care than those with one child or all children living in India. In contrast, the participants in Switzerland were entitled to state old-age benefits, and so required mainly affirmation and emotional support. A consequence of living in a developed nation was dissatisfaction when the children adopted western values and the family's cultural continuity was threatened. The findings support two recommendations: in developing countries, the provision of old-age benefits to ensure a minimum level of financial security and independence among older adults; and in developed countries, the promotion of a mutual understanding of filial piety among different generations of older refugees and immigrants to help ameliorate intergenerational differences.


2007 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 16-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesco Amaddeo ◽  
Julia Jones

AbstractAmartya Sen, who received the Nobel Prize for Economics, has demonstrated that the incidence of deprivation, in terms ofcapability, can be surprisingly high even in the most developed countries of the world. The study of socio-economic inequalities, in relation to the utilisation of health services, is a priority for epidemiological research. Socio-economic status (SES) has no universal definition. Within the international research literature, SES has been related to social class, social position, occupational status, educational attainment, income, wealth and standard of living. Existing research studies have shown that people from a more deprived social background, with a lower SES, are more likely to have a higher psychiatric morbidity. Many studies show that SES influences psychiatric services utilization, however the real factors linking SES and mental health services utilisation remain unclear. In this editorial we discuss what is currently known about the relationship between SES and the use of mental health services. We also make an argument for why we believe there is still much to uncover in this field, to understand fully how individuals are influenced by their personal socio-economic status, or the neighbourhood in which they live, in terms of their use of mental health services. Further research in this area will help clarify what interventions are required to provide greater equality in access to mental health services.


Author(s):  
Opeyemi Idowu Aluko

Poverty is no longer fashionable even in the less developed countries of the world. The world has deemed poverty-ridden regions of the world as ‘anathema', forbidden, and ignoble. At the same time ways to get out of the menace are regularly strategised over a period of time. The developed countries of the world had been able to nip poverty to the bud significantly, but the developing countries still have a lot to do so as to overcome the menace. Poverty in the developing countries operates in a cycle of repetitions. This makes it difficult to curtail. How can poverty be reduced in the developing countries? This study reveals the reason while poverty has become a domestic phenomenon in developing countries and the way forward. The theory on poverty is evaluated alongside the present economic situation in Africa. The cycle of poverty, which includes the social cycle of poverty (SCP), political cycle of poverty (PCP), and the economic cycle of poverty (ECP), are examined. This study analyses the strategies to break the cycle of poverty in Africa and other developing countries.


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