scholarly journals Industry 4.0, Legal Protection of the Employee and Intercultural Impact of Labour Migration

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 137-144
Author(s):  
Alex Kainz

Industry - Industry 4.0 [I4.0] is the main topic of discussions and proposals for innovative changes. In the last five years, inside industry sectors took place the intellectual clashes among digitisation, robotisation and automation. These concepts have been combined with performance, efficiency gains, steady economic growth, employment, labour migration, and increasing labour productivity in all managerial or economic forums. In particular, the European Union [EU] is one of the foremost leaders in improving workforce quality, given the increasing share of robotics and automation. The competitive pressure, beset on individual EU member states by countries with low-cost labour, is increased by assessing economic growth, increasing labour productivity, and setting social-law standards in the EU. On the other hand, increasing the automation of production plants leads to increased employment pressure and contributes to managed labour migration. This migration is mainly about the pressure on competencies, quality, number of employees and the negative development of the demographic curve in the EU. All this reflects the demand for more robust legal protection for workers in the field of social assistance and legal regulations generally linked to a rapid change in labour market conditions. The resulting mix will have a significant impact on the economy’s performance and competitiveness.

2014 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 387-406 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jana Hanclova ◽  
Petr Doucek ◽  
Jakub Fischer ◽  
Kristyna Vltavska

The paper examines economic growth in old and new member countries of the European Union (EU-15 and EU-12) during the years of 1994–2000 and 2001–2008 mainly due to changes in information and communication technology (ICT) capital development. The first group EU-15 is presented by old EU countries and the second group EU-12 is presented by new member countries that joined the EU in 2004–2007. The threefactor Cobb-Douglas production function is estimated through the panel general least squares method. The input factors that might influence the economic growth are labour, ICT capital services and non-ICT capital services. Since ICT capital growth data are not available for all selected economies, the groups of countries were reduced to EU-14 and EU-7. The estimated panel production functions confirmed that the average growth of GDP in the EU-7 countries was supported by the stable growth of labour quantity and ICT-capital and increasing total factor productivity. A short-term drop in non-ICT capital growth with follow-up stagnation was caused rather by lower labour productivity. The research discovered that the drop in GDP growth in the EU-14 countries was a result of the slower growth of non-ICT capital and total factor productivity and the stagnated growth of ICT capital with low elasticity, and showed that even the compensation of growth in labour quality did not prevent a decrease in total factor productivity and economic growth.


2018 ◽  
Vol 64 (1) ◽  
pp. 18-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreja Nekrep ◽  
Sebastjan Strašek ◽  
Darja Boršič

Abstract This paper focuses on investment in research and development as a factor of labour productivity and economic growth. Our analysis confirms the link between expenditure for research and development (expressed in % of GDP) and labour productivity (expressed in the number of hours worked) based on selected data for EU Member States in the period 1995-2013. A causal link between variables of the concave parabola was confirmed, and the value of expenditure for research and development (2.85% of EU GDP) maximising productivity (per hour of work) was determined based on the examined data. In accordance with these findings, EU’s target of reaching 3% of GDP spent on research and development to be achieved by 2020 seems in support of reaching maximum productivity in the EU.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 4507 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tévécia Ronzon ◽  
Stephan Piotrowski ◽  
Saulius Tamosiunas ◽  
Lara Dammer ◽  
Michael Carus ◽  
...  

The development of the bioeconomy—or the substitution of fossil-based materials and energy by bio-based solutions—is considered a strategic economic orientation by the European Commission and its Green Deal. This paper presents a methodology to monitor the contribution of the bioeconomy to jobs and growth within the European Union (EU) and its Member States. Classified as an ‘‘output-based’’ approach, the methodology relies on expert estimations of the biomass content of the bio-based materials produced in the EU and the subsequent calculation of ‘‘sectoral’’ bio-based shares by using Eurostat statistics on the production of manufactured goods (prom). Sectoral shares are applied to indicators of employment, and value added is reported in Eurostat–Structural business statistics. This paper updates the methodology and time series presented in 2018. The bioeconomy of the EU (post-Brexit composition) employed around 17.5 million people and generated €614 billion of value added in 2017. The study evidences structural differences between EU national bioeconomies, which become more pronounced over time, especially in terms of the level of apparent labour productivity of national bioeconomies. Finally, this paper describes cases of transition over the 2008–2017 period.


2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pedro Gutiérrez-Hernández ◽  
Ignacio Abásolo-Alessón

Abstract Background This study aims to analyse the relative importance of the health care sector (health care activities and services), its interrelations with the rest of productive activities, aggregate supply and demand, employment requirements and apparent labour productivity in the European Union (EU) economy as a whole, and in the economies of member countries. Methods The methodology used is based on input–output analysis. Data are extracted from National Accounts and, specifically, from the input–output framework for 2010. Data in national currencies are adjusted using as a conversion factor, specific purchasing power parities for health. Results In the EU, market production predominates in the provision of health care activities, which are financed mainly by public funding. However, there is significant variability among countries, and, in fact, non-market production predominates in most EU countries. The health care sector has direct backward and forward linkages lower than the average for all sectors of the economy and the average for the services sector. Thus, this sector is relatively independent of the rest of the productive structure in the EU. The health care activities industry is key because of its ability to generate value added and employment. Regarding apparent labour productivity, there are significant differences among EU countries, showing that productivity is positively related to the weight of market production in health care activities and negatively related to the number of hours worked per person employed. Conclusions Our results provide useful insights for health authorities in the EU, as they analyse the effect of health policies on macroeconomic indicators using an input–output framework, as well as comparing these effects with those in EU member countries. To the best of our knowledge, an analysis of the health care sector in the EU economy and the countries that integrate it using an input–output framework has not been undertaken. In addition, to compare health care expenditure between countries, data in national currencies have been adjusted using specific purchasing power parities for “health”, and not ones referring to the total economy (GDP), which is common practice in many previous studies.


2015 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 25-31
Author(s):  
Xénia Szanyi-Gyenes ◽  
György Mudri ◽  
Mária Bakosné Böröcz

The role of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) is unquestionable in the European economies, while financial opportunities are still inadequate for them. The more than 20 million SMEs play a significant role in European economic growth, innovation and job creation. According to the latest EC Annual Report , SMEs are accounting for 99% of all non-financial enterprises, employing 88.8 million people and generating almost EUR 3.7 tn in added value for our economy. Despite the fact that there is plenty of EU funding available for these SMEs, for certain reasons these funds hardly reach them. But we have to see that the EU supports SMEs by various way, e.g. by grants, regulatory changes, financial instrument, direct funds. On the other hand, SMEs and decision makers realised that the environmental sustainability has to be attached to the economic growth, therefore more and more tools are available for these enterprises. Over the last few years, public institutions, the market, the financial community and non-governmental associations have explicitly demanded that firms improve their environmental performance. One of the greatest opportunities might lay in the Climate- and Energy Strategy till 2030 as 20% of the EU budget is allocated to climate-related actions, however the easy access to finance is still a key question. Does the EU recognise the actual difficulties? Is there a systemic reason behind the absorption problems? Is the EU creating a more businessfriendly environment for SMEs, facilitating access to finance, stimulates the green and sustainable growth and improving access to new markets? The paper analyses the current European situation of the SMEs and the effectiveness of some new tools, which are specially targeting SMEs. JEL classification: Q18


Author(s):  
Michaela Staníčková ◽  
Lukáš Melecký

Regional development policies based on local potential triggers a shift in the economic structure of territories. Exogenous and endogenous factors determine potential of regional development and it is necessary to use different indicators and methods to its evaluation. For the paper purpose, it is required to define metropolitan and peripheral functions as well as urban areas in the form of geographic models, depicting their spatial distribution in the European Union (EU). Nowadays, regions are increasingly becoming the drivers of the economy. All regions possess development opportunities – however, use these options enough, and hence the competitiveness of regions must be efficient enough. The paper focuses on dividing the EU NUTS 2 regions based on geographic models of the European economy into efficient and inefficient ones and identifying an optimal benchmark for inefficient regions as a strategy for enhancing their economic structure to measure regional efforts and progress.


2020 ◽  
Vol 69 (2) ◽  
pp. 143-168
Author(s):  
Yaghoob Jafari ◽  
Hasan Dudu ◽  
Roberto Roson ◽  
Martina Sartori

In recent years, reducing food waste and loss has become a policy priority in the European Union, but little is known about impacts of related measures in the EU and beyond. This study informs the debate on food waste reduction through a quantitative analysis. It considers adjustment costs for reducing food waste in food processing industries and impacts on food availability, pressure on land and water and other environmental consequences. The results suggest that the leakage effects of global trade may offset almost all benefits of food waste reduction in the EU. We thus conclude that costly efforts to reduce food waste in the EU cannot be motivated by larger contributions to global food availability and environmental benefits. This highlights the need for global coordination of such policies and/or more targeted actions in the EU which focus on specific production chains, where losses can be reduced and environmental gains obtained at a relatively low cost.


2013 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 319
Author(s):  
MSc. Ngadhnjim Brovina ◽  
MSc. Adnan Hoxha

It is rather clear that it is mandatory to understand the potentials of growth for any economy to grow. With globalization taking place, countries in general, have intensified their political, economic and social integration. Kosovo, as the youngest state in Europe, is about to transform from a devastated economy into a developing one. It has not yet been able to tap on its natural resources and neither of its potentials for a faster economic growth. Its backbone economic sectors such as agriculture, textile, mining and metal sectors are still on their initial stages of revitalization, while the privatization of the public companies has not met its expectations.Whereas, Kosovo is doing a better job on, as its international presence and subjectivity of its political status (Independence) is strengthened. More and more countries are recognizing it as a sovereign country, while the recent initiation of the Stabilization and Association Agreement with the European Union, Kosovo is undergoing through its structural reforms and alliance with the EU standards and regulations.The future of Kosovo, like of any country, will depend on the way that its human, financial and natural resources are utilized. On this regard, this paper is an attempt to explore the potentials of the economic growth on different political contexts that Kosovo has and is expected to undergo.


Author(s):  
Jaroslav Vrchota ◽  
Monika Mařiková ◽  
Petr Řehoř ◽  
Ladislav Rolínek ◽  
Radek Toušek

Industry 4.0 is related to major changes, particularly in production. As such changes might have major implications for the labour market; the paper focuses on the assumptions of the human capital and its preparedness for Industry 4.0 in the Czech Republic. The findings are based on EUROSTAT, MEYS, OECD, ISCED, CZSO, and WEF. Based on such data, twelve indicators were selected and described in the results. Subsequently, the correlation analysis was carried out, using the data of the Czech Republic in order to estimate which indicators are related and thus to obtain a more detailed view of areas that need to be improved. The level of computer skills in the Czech Republic are increasing. Internet connection is around 80%. The share of technical workers in the Czech Republic is in the range of 30–40%. In terms of expenditure on education, the Czech Republic belongs to the countries of the eastern region. The number of graduates of technical professions managed to catch up with the development of the European Union (EU). In terms of employment in High-tech and Medium-high-tech areas, the Czech Republic is one of the leaders in the EU. Czech students have great potential in basic computer skills.


2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 45
Author(s):  
Marco Mazzeschi

<p>A worldwide shortage of about 38-40 million highly skilled workers is forecast by 2020. Many countries are implementing policies to attract workers with special skills and knowledge. What is the European Union doing to face this challenge? In 2009 the EU adopted the so called Blue Card Directive (n. 2009/50) to attract highly qualified workers from abroad, address labour and skills shortages and strengthen the EU’s competitiveness and economic growth. The Directive was implemented by most EU countries during 2012 but has proven to be insufficiently attractive and underused, with only a limited number of Blue Cards issued. For these reasons, the EU Commission has announced some proposed changes to the Blue Card Directive. The specific objectives are, amongst other things, to increase the numbers of third-country highly skilled workers immigrating to the EU and simplify and harmonise admission procedures for third-country highly skilled workers.</p><p>The article also outlines a summary of the current state of implementation of the Directive in the following countries: Italy, France, Spain, Germany, Poland, Hungary, Austria, Belgium and The Netherlands.</p>


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