Reduction Of Unemployment Research Articles

Efficacy of growth-led unemployment reduction hypothesis in India using Okun’s law

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine whether increased labour productivity could reduce the impact of output growth on the unemployment rate in India over the period 1991–2019 through Okun’s law and its expanded form.Design/methodology/approachThe study uses Okun’s law and its expanded form, with the inclusion of labour productivity in the actual model. Further, the relationship between output growth, unemployment rate, and labour productivity is analysed by using the gap model, the difference model, the dynamic model, the error correction model (ECM), and the vector autoregressive (VAR) approach.FindingsThe empirical results from the applied models do not confirm an inverse relationship between output growth and the unemployment rate with an unexpected positive sign of Okun’s coefficient. The evidence of preference for more capital-intensive techniques in the Indian economy is also strongly supported by the results of the expanded form of Okun’s law with a statistically significant positive coefficient of GDP and labour productivity.Originality/valueThe study examined the proposed relationship using Okun’s law and its expanded form, which had not been employed in earlier studies in the context of India. The authors also show that a high economic growth rate is a necessary but not sufficient condition to solve the chronic and structural unemployment problem in India.

Effectiveness of pre-employment card policy on employment transition during covid-19: evidence from Indonesian dual labor market

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly disrupted employment markets globally and nationally, posing unique challenges to Indonesia’s labor force. In response, the Indonesian government launched the Pre-Employment Card (PEC) as part of the National Economic Recovery (PEN) initiative to mitigate rising unemployment and facilitate transitions to sustainable employment. This study examines the effectiveness of Indonesia’s Pre-Employment Card (PEC) policy in facilitating employment transitions during the COVID-19 pandemic. The effectiveness of the PEC policy is measured through key indicators such as labor absorption rates, reduction in unemployment, and the likelihood of securing formal employment over informal alternatives. This study introduces a novel perspective by employing a dual labor market approach, which highlights the distinct roles and interactions of formal and informal sectors in Indonesia’s labor market. Specifically, it examines how the presence of informality affects job transitions and the effectiveness of the Pre-Employment Card (PEC) policy in facilitating movement toward formal sector employment. To analyze employment transitions, this research employs a multinomial logit model, selected for its ability to estimate the probability of multiple, categorical employment outcomes, making it especially suitable for evaluating the diverse pathways individuals might take from unemployment to formal or informal employment, and from informal to formal sectors. The findings reveal that the PEC policy significantly increases the likelihood of unemployed individuals securing formal sector jobs rather than informal ones, with participants who completed the initial PEC training showing a 30% higher probability of transitioning to formal employment compared to those without PEC support. Additionally, the policy supports transitions within the labor market by facilitating movement from the informal to the formal sector, with an observed 25% increase in formal employment uptake among informal workers participating in PEC. These results underscore the PEC policy’s effectiveness in promoting formal employment pathways, contributing to workforce stabilization amid economic recovery efforts.

КОНЦЕПТУАЛЬНІ ЗАСАДИ ФОРМУВАННЯ ІНКЛЮЗИВНОГО РИНКУ ПРАЦІ В УКРАЇНІ

Introduction. In the conditions of war, Ukraine faces numerous challenges that affect the socio-economic situation and the functioning of the labor market. At the same time, the formation of an inclusive labor market, which is able to provide equal opportunities for all citizens, including vulnerable groups of the population, which will contribute to social cohesion and economic stability of the country, becomes particularly relevant. This requires the formation of conceptual approaches to the creation of an inclusive labor market in Ukraine, taking into account the peculiarities of wartime and the challenges facing the country. The purpose of the article. The purpose of the study is to determine the conceptual foundations of the formation of an inclusive labor market in Ukraine in wartime conditions based on the identification of the main challenges for attracting vulnerable population groups to the labor market and the development of ways to overcome them in order to ensure the social and economic stability of the state. Methods. The research methodology is based on a comprehensive approach, which includes the analysis of scientific literature, regulatory and legal framework and statistical data. The research uses methods of comparative analysis to determine barriers in the labor market, a systematic approach to determine the conceptual foundations of inclusiveness, and a method of logical generalization to determine practical ways to solve the identified problems. Results. The article identifies the need for the formation of an inclusive labor market in Ukraine in the conditions of war, when socio-economic instability affects access to employment for various population groups. The main barriers to the participation of vulnerable population groups in the labor market, including veterans, internally displaced persons, people with disabilities, youth and women, have been identified. The analysis of the modern legal framework showed that there is currently a shortage of state support tools for their employment. The importance of cooperation between the state, business and the public sector to create equal employment opportunities has been proven. Conceptual approaches to the formation of an inclusive labor market are defined: implementation of professional retraining programs, development of social entrepreneurship and adaptation of workplaces. The need for the formation of a state policy aimed at ensuring equal access to the labor market for all population groups and strengthening the economic stability of Ukraine has been proven. Conclusions. The importance of the formation of an inclusive labor market in Ukraine as a key element of socio-economic stability in the conditions of war has been proven. The proposed conceptual principles ensure the expansion of opportunities for vulnerable population groups, the reduction of unemployment and the increase of social cohesion.

The impact of tourism management on the increase of economic competitiveness

Nowadays the tourism sector is gaining ground and making a significant contribution to the economic development of a country. Tourism management, whose major objective is to develop tourism through the planning, organization and managing all the activities within this sector, greatly influences the economic course. The purpose of this research is to highlight the impact of tourism management on increasing national economic competitiveness. It also presented the evolution of the tourism sector in the Republic of Moldova in the last four-five years, its contribution to the Gross Domestic Product. Among the most relevant deductions are the significant contribution of the tourism sector to job creation and unemployment reduction. The 70% increase in the average gross monthly wage in 2018–2023, with a 26% increase in 2021–2022, highlights a notable recovery of the sector after the pandemic crisis. At the same time, spending by non-resident tourists increased palpably, strengthening Moldova's attractiveness as a tourist destination, which contributed to a 7% increase in national GDP in 2023. At global level, tourism contributed 9.1% to world GDP in 2023, and Moldova has followed this trend. Also, in 2022, exports of travel services brought a surplus in the balance of trade in services, including as a result of the influx of refugees from Ukraine in the context of the war in the region. In contrast, domestic tourism experienced a decline in 2023, with Moldovans increasingly opting to travel abroad, reflecting a return to pre-pandemic normality and a diversification of tourism preferences. These results demonstrate that effective tourism management contributes directly to the development and strengthening of Moldova's competitive economy. The methodology used in this research consists in the study and analysis of the literature, the analysis and systematization of statistical data and the elaboration of graphs. The originality lies in presenting and analyzing the impact of tourism management on the growth of economic competitiveness.

Factors restraining youth involvement in fish farming business: Case study of Kamuthanga Village, Kenya

Fish farming serves as one of the important strategies for reducing unemployment and improving the standard of living for many households. However, in many African countries, including Kenya, a large number of young people tend to pursue administrative and white-collar jobs, resulting in a noticeable lack of youth participation in the fish farming sector. This trend underscores the challenge of attracting youth to agricultural enterprises like fish farming, despite its promising opportunities. This study explored the factors limiting youth participation in the fish farming business, targeting some individuals aged 18-35 in Kamuthanga village. The research follows a qualitative case study approach, with twenty-six (26) individuals interviewed. The study is grounded in the anthropological entrepreneurship theory, utilizing triangulation to ensure a holistic understanding. In-depth interviews and key informant interviews were employed to capture perceptions regarding barriers to youth involvement. The data was gathered through focus group discussions and in-depth interviews and analyzed using Qualitative Data Analysis (QDA) Miner Lite software. Data organization, coding, and theme development were conducted systematically to align with the study’s objectives. The findings revealed several challenges hindering youth involvement in fish farming, including the semi-arid conditions of Kamuthanga village, which lead to water scarcity; limited access to capital; insufficient technical knowledge; inadequate support structures; and some cultural barriers. These findings shed light on the critical factors that must be addressed to foster greater youth involvement in fish farming and ultimately unlock its potential for economic development and unemployment reduction in Kamuthanga village.

Providing a framework to optimize the sustainable construction material supply chain with the possibility of horizontal transfers

The application of Supply Chain Management (SCM) principles has gained considerable attention across various industries to enhance operational efficiency and business performance. In the construction sector, SCM can guide managers in strategic planning and foster collaboration with suppliers, leading to more effective project execution. Despite its importance, limited research has focused on designing sustainable supply chains for construction materials under uncertain conditions. This study aims to bridge this gap by introducing a robust optimization framework that incorporates sustainable development criteria, specifically the minimization of harmful environmental effects and the reduction of worker unemployment. Additionally, the research introduces an innovative concept of horizontal transfers between downstream members, which not only reduces supply deficiencies but also indirectly increases profitability for these members. This article is a part of a Doctoral dissertation. It follows a two-step approach. First, suppliers of construction materials are ranked based on sustainable development criteria using a multi-criteria decision-making method. The best-ranked supplier is then integrated into a mathematical model for optimizing the supply chain design. Given the NP-hard nature of the problem, the CPLEX 12.1 solver with the epsilon constraint method is used to solve small-scale models. For larger-scale problems, three meta-heuristic algorithms are developed: multi-objective ant-lion, multi-objective gray wolf, and multi-objective dragonfly. The results show that while both the ant-lion and gray wolf algorithms deliver comparable average performance, the gray wolf algorithm excels in terms of solution time, making it more effective for real-time problem-solving. This makes the gray wolf algorithm the most efficient choice for addressing large-scale, multi-objective supply chain challenges. This research introduces a novel framework for designing sustainable construction supply chains under uncertain conditions. By focusing on criteria such as minimizing harmful environmental effects and reducing worker unemployment, this study addresses key aspects of sustainable development. Additionally, the innovative horizontal transfer mechanism and the insights into algorithmic performance provide valuable contributions to the field, especially for real-world applications in the construction industry.

Employment and Unemployment as A Subject of State Regulation of The Labor Market in Azerbaijan

Annotation: The level of employment and unemployment are important macroeconomic indicators in order to characterize the effect of the economic policy implemented in the Republic of Azerbaijan and the degree of economic development of the country. The high level of unemployment in the economy causes various complications, which negatively affects the state of socio-economic progress. It is appropriate to consider a number of directions in the field of state regulation of employment and unemployment. These are the regulation of the demand and development for workplaces, the implementation of a successful state policy in the field of education, vocational training and personnel retraining. In the study of the scientific basis of employment issues, it is selected due to the importance of maintaining the continuity of workplaces and regulating its market relations based on the relevance of objective development laws. In this field, it is also worth noting the need for specialization. Measures in the field of policy regulation in the direction of employment and unemployment mostly act as efficiency indicators of the state's social policy as well. Implementation of various projects, representation of people from relevant classes in those projects and other necessary issues carry the strategic essence of employment-oriented social policy. The paper clarifies various issues regarding employment and unemployment in the Republic of Azerbaijan and deals with the state regulation in this direction. In the study, the approach to both problems on the current national economic priorities is more concrete and systematic. The creation of industrial parks and districts in different regions of the country will have a positive effect on the reduction of unemployment and, in parallel, on the preservation of the increasing dynamics of employment indicators. If we take into account the prospects of the territories freed from occupation in recent years, we can say that substantial results will be achieved based on the reforms and strategies carried out in the future. As it is known, state programs for the development of regions are adopted continuously and gradually in Azerbaijan. The implementation of these programs in stages will allow the establishment of production enterprises and the creation of new jobs. This, in turn, will lead to a decrease in the level of unemployment and further increase in employment opportunities.

An Exploration on Success and Failure of Cooperatives and Microfinance

Cooperatives and microfinances are regarded as a vehicle of development. The history of cooperatives and microfinance development is relatively short which dates back to the 1970s. With the assistance of cooperatives and microfinances, households can expand opportunities for income generation. Small size of loan, group savings, small-scale entrepreneurs, diversified utilization and simple and flexible terms and conditions on credit are the determining characteristics of microfinance and cooperatives. Basically this study is based on the review of past studies and research documents and has tried to collect detail information regarding the history, success and failure of microfinance and cooperatives. It covers the information of advanced countries as well as developing countries like Nepal. In course of research, the study found that cooperatives and microfinance have contributed too many households including backward people, women and marginalized groups. It has assisted to poverty eradication, inequality reduction, women empowerment, unemployment reduction which all result to economic development. These outcomes lead to the success of cooperatives and microfinance whereas public policy issues, fraud of the management team, lack of accountability, unproductive use of cooperatives and microfinance lead towards its failure. On the basis of the findings, it can be concluded that there is rapidly expanding number and size of cooperatives and microfinance institutions in many parts of the world, and in course of time these are moving towards commercial sector rather than being oriented to backward people.

Impact of Micro and SME Financing on Financial Performance

This research aims to examine the relation between the access to finance by Micro/Small businesses in term of volume and number on creating new employment opportunities and hence positively impacting the country financial performance.Based on empirical literature, the model expressed the relationship of Micro and SME Financing on Financial Performance, is obviously discussed and delicately examined. Consequently, the conceptual, linkage, and research assumed four hypotheses tested the relationship between the Financed amount to micro and small enterprises and the reduction in unemployment; the financed amount to micro and small enterprises and the different economic sectors; the number of financed micro and small enterprises and the reduction in unemployment and finally the number of financed micro and small enterprises and the different economic sectors. The study gathers secondary data by obtaining all pertinent and necessary data from Egypt’s “Accountability state authority” Micro Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency. The dataset contains several significant variables, such as the number of projects, the amount of finance disbursed in the correspondent year, the number of the firm (Micro and Small), the sector classifications (animal production, industrial, commercial, liberal profession, and service), the year of observation (2008–2023), and employment statistics. This study provides empirical evidence for the positive impact of Micro / Medium financing on employment in SMEs, albeit with varying effects across different enterprise types and sectors. The findings suggest that both the amount of financing and the number of projects funded play roles in job creation, though the magnitude of these effects appears to be small. This underscores the need for targeted and efficient micro / medium financing strategies that consider the specific characteristics of different business types and industries. Keywords: MSME, Financial Performance, Finance, Economic Growth, Economic Development, Egypt, Developing Countries

A Method for Analyzing Maintenance Decisions Based on the Discrete Markov Chain

Production systems are stopped due to malfunctions such as rotting equipment, imbalance of rotating parts, and high vibration, which leads to loss of customers, reduction of market share and unemployment of personnel. In this research, using the absorbing Markov process, a mathematical model is formulated to analyze the maintenance policy of the production process, through which one of the four states of new, old, or failure due to deterioration or sudden failure can be allocated to the machine. It is assumed that the machine changes from one state to another with different probabilities, which are determined using a discrete Markov chain. The different maintenance policies can be analyzed to minimize the average production cost. The mathematical model is obtained using discrete Markov chain equations, and the optimal maintenance and repair policy can be analyzed by considering all types of costs, including maintenance, production, and failure costs, so that the average cost of the production process can be minimized.

FORMATION OF HYBRID ORGANIC AGRI-FOOD SYSTEMS BASED ON CONSORTIUMS

The article discusses the hypothesis of combining small and large producers of organic food into associations and consortiums, where each business entity will receive certain advantages. In the course of the study, the author took into account the features of the types and experience of state support for existing organic agro-food systems, the main beneficiaries of the progressive development of these systems. The study is based on the synthesis of types of modern, traditional and mixed organic agro-food systems, which made it possible to identify the possibility of forming a new type of system — ​hybrid organic agri-food systems. The results of the study showed that cooperatives and associations can become the most acceptable forms of hybrid systems at the initial stage of their formation. The addition of an agro-industrial holding to the system will allow the formation of consortiums, which are proposed to be considered as the main form of hybrid organic agri-food systems and a mechanism for scaling them up to create export sectors based on small and medium-­sized businesses. In order to identify the interests of the main beneficiaries of the consortiums, the stakeholder analysis method was used, which shows that it is the state that is the main recipient of the positive effects from the development of hybrid organic agro-food systems. These effects include: preservation of natural capital, reduction of unemployment in rural areas, slowing down the rate of rural migration, involvement in the circulation of unused land, strengthening the health of the nation and increasing farmers’ incomes. At the same time, a necessary condition for the formation and scaling of organic consortiums are state support measures that can be aimed at stimulating the interaction of business entities and protecting the interests of small farmers.

Analyzing the impact of artificial intelligence on operational efficiency in wastewater treatment: a comprehensive neutrosophic AHP-based SWOT analysis.

The escalating global challenges of population growth, climate crisis, and resource depletion have intensified water scarcity, emphasizing the critical role of wastewater treatment (WWT) in environmental preservation. While discharging untreated wastewater poses extinction risks to various species, effective WWT operations are indispensable for ecosystem continuity and sustainable water sources. Recognizing the complexity of WWT management, this study delves into the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in strategic planning and decision-making within the WWT domain. Through a comprehensive SWOT analysis, this study evaluates the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats associated with AI integration in WWT processes. Utilizing the SWOT analysis framework, key criteria are identified, and their importance weights are assessed via the interval-valued neutrosophic analytical hierarchy process (IVN-AHP). According to analysis, the strengths in WWT are crucial, but potential opportunities and threats should not be ignored. The results of the study highlight several key findings regarding the integration of AI in WWT processes. While concerns about the reduction in human resources and potential unemployment, as well as the activation time and high energy consumption of AI systems, are identified as significant challenges, the study underscores the success of AI in data analytics as a strong aspect. Specifically, advanced data analysis techniques and the ability to proactively prevent problems emerge as important strengths of AI in WWT. WWT operators and practitioners are encouraged to prioritize the adoption of advanced data analysis techniques and proactive problem-solving strategies to maximize the effectiveness of AI integration in WWT processes.

Utilizing Local Economic Development As a Technique for Development to Combat Poverty and Unemployment: A Case Study of Polokwane Municipality, South Africa

For many countries throughout the world, unemployment, poverty, and inequality are the biggest problems. These also apply to South Africa. In essence, local economic development (LED) is an ongoing procedure that is spearheaded by local stakeholders, particularly the local government, and built upon local efforts to stimulate the local economy and provide employment in a given area. Using the Polokwane municipality as a case study, the study aims to examine the contribution of local economic development in the reduction of unemployment in South Africa. The research also aims to ascertain how much Polokwane Municipality's local economic development organizations aid to the reduction of poverty. To obtain a thorough understanding of the subject matter, the study will employ a qualitative research approach and involve participants from various municipal levels who are involved in local economic development, such as agencies, municipal officials, and beneficiaries. The study followed a qualitative research methodology, which is a type of social science research that collects and works with non-numerical data and that seeks to interpret meaning from these data that help us understand social life through the study of targeted populations or places, and it employed theme analysis to find, arrange, and present themes and their sub-themes surfaced from study interviews. The research produced suggestions for using local economic development to reduce poverty and provide jobs.

External Financial Flows and Domestic Credit Volatility Effect on Industrialization in Selected African Countries

Countries all over the world focus on industrialization as a foundation for rapid economic development and unemployment reduction. Without stable external and domestic finance, we cannot achieve this goal. Financial volatility has an impact on a country’s industrialization process. The aim of this study is to determine how external and domestic credit volatility affect industrialization in Africa. Data for some selected countries for 1992–2020 was used. The author used the Prais-Winsten regression method with Panel Corrected Standard Errors (PCSE) to estimate and analyze the model. Descriptive and quantitative methods of analysis were also used to analyze the long-balanced panel data set for the 17 selected African countries with available data. The results showed a combination of positive and negative effects of financial volatility on industrialization in Africa. The study concludes that domestic credit volatility has adversely affected industrialization in Africa and recommends the development of financial institutions on the continent through recapitalization, skilled manpower development and innovative development of different financial instruments.

Effect of Chinese outward FDI on youth unemployment in sub-Saharan Africa.

This paper investigates the effect of Chinese outward foreign direct investment (FDI) on youth unemployment in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) by using a modified labour demand model to identify the investment sources that are helpful for reducing youth unemployment in the region. The model is applied to a panel of 42 countries for the period 2003-2021 using random-effect, and generalized method of moment (GMM) estimators for robustness check. Our results suggest that Chinese FDI has direct short-term reducing effect on youth unemployment in SSA. The direction of China's capital investment to infrastructure development and other labour-intensive activities leads to immediate reduction in youth unemployment. However, overtime, due to absence of linkages with domestic firms, and thus lack of demand effects, Chinese FDI becomes insignificant for employment creation. Our results also indicate that Other FDI does not lead to significant reduction in youth unemployment both currently and overtime. Our analysis gives partial support to the argument that the impact of Chinese FDI may differ from those of developed countries. Finally, we could not find evidence that the effect of FDI on employment depends on host country human capital and institutional quality. Several specifications of the empirical model are tested, and explanations are provided for the results. Policy implications are highlighted, especially the need to attract more job absorbing FDI and improve domestic absorptive capacity.

Evaluating Community Welfare Effects of the Tourism Development on Geopark Caldera Toba

Tourism is one of the economic support systems that encourage economic growth in Indonesia. Indonesia as a country with good tourist attractions has enormous potential in creating jobs. The greater the employment opportunities, the lower the unemployment rate. The purpose of this study was to analyze whether tourism development has a positive and significant effect on economic activity to improve Community Welfare in the Lake Toba area. With variables consisting of 3 elements Variables consisting of indicators, namely: independent variables of tourism development (X) with indicators: policy (X1), institutions (X2), human resources (X3), facilities and infrastructure (X4), budget (X5), environment (X6), security (X7), social (X8), culture (X9), tourist attractions (X10), investment (X11), licensing (X12), promotion (X13), system (X14), tourists (X15). intervening variables/variables between economic impacts (Z) with indicators: economic growth (Z1), income (Z2), equity (Z3), poverty reduction (Z4), unemployment reduction (Z5). The dependent variable is community welfare (Y) with indicators: income equality (Y1), health (Y2), education (Y3), information (Y4), consumption expenditure (Y5). While the research method model used is the SmartPLS approach The number of samples is 351. Karo Regency, Simalungun Regency, North Tapanuli Regency, Pakpak Bharat Regency, Dairi Regency, Humbang Hasundutan Regency, Toba Regency, Samosir Regency. Economic impact has a positive but insignificant effect on community welfare. The results of the research on the analysis of the economic impact of integrated tourism development in the Lake Toba area on the welfare of the Lake Toba area community in North Sumatra Province can contribute to local government, central government, business people, tourists and the community. local government and central government can review policies or decisions that are less effective in increasing community income.

Governance quality and the labor market in the MENA region post-Arab Spring

PurposeThis paper aims to investigate the impact of governance quality on total unemployment in general and female unemployment in particular in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, comparing the post-Arab Spring period to the pre-Arab Spring era.Design/methodology/approachA fixed-effects model was used to analyze data from 15 MENA countries from 2002 to 2019.FindingsOur results generally indicate that following the Arab Spring, an enhancement in governance quality is linked with a reduction in unemployment in the MENA region, specifically in the Levant and GCC regions, with this reducing effect being stronger for female unemployment compared to total unemployment. Yet, this trend does not hold in North Africa, where government improvements do not result in better employment.Originality/valueThis study uniquely uncovers the different effects of governance quality on unemployment across sub-regions and sheds light on its significant implications on female unemployment. The findings offer valuable insights for policymakers interested in the relationship between governance quality and economic outcomes in the region.Peer reviewThe peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-12-2022-0826

Evaluasi Dampak Pembangunan Pembangkit Listrik Tenaga Sampah Benowo Oleh Kolaborasi Pemerintah - Swasta dalam Lingkungan Masyarakat Kelurahan Sumberrejo Kecamatan Pakal Kota Surabaya

The impact of a policy can occur outside the wishes of the policy formulator or commonly called unexpected impacts. PLTSA Benowo is the result of collaboration between the Surabaya City Government and PT Sumber Organik and is equipped with gasification power plant technology which is regulated in PERPRES No. 35 of 2018. This PLTSA policy is a form of handling the national waste problem, such as eliminating waste and providing socio-economic benefits in the vicinity. The purpose of this study was to analyze and describe how the evaluation of the impact that occurred from the PLTSA development policy on the community of Sumberrejo Village, Pakal District, Surabaya City. The research method in this study uses descriptive qualitative methods, for data collection through observation, documentation, and observation. The results of this study show 3 indicators including Individual Impact shows the positive impact of PLTSa for the Community economically, while the negative impact shows that it is not disturbed from the remaining emissions from the waste combustion process released by PLTSa Benowo. Community Impact The positive impact shows that it affects the increase in the economy of the wider community of Sumberrejo Village, while the negative impact is that the community feels an increase in air pollution that disturbs the comfort of the community due to air pollution from PLTSa Benowo. Social System Impact The positive impact shows a change in the social system in the community because there is an increase in economic structure and a reduction in unemployment, while the negative impact shows there is an indication of social inequality such as feelings of envy from people who do not get economic benefits from PLTSa to people who get economic benefits from PLTSa Benowo.

Analyzing the Impact: The Role of MSME Growth in Reducing Unemployment Amidst High Levels of Poverty

This study employs a quantitative research method to examine the impact of the number of MSMEs and poverty rates on unemployment rates in Indonesia from 2011 to 2022, utilizing data from the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS Indonesia) and Bank Indonesia. The analysis reveals a significant relationship between the increase in MSMEs, poverty index fluctuations, and unemployment rate changes during this period. The findings demonstrate a strong correlation between the growth of MSMEs and a reduction in unemployment, whereas the relationship between poverty levels and unemployment rates is weak. This suggests that the expansion of MSMEs is an effective strategy for reducing unemployment and improving economic conditions. The study aims to enhance understanding of the factors influencing unemployment and the challenges policymakers face, providing valuable insights for efforts to combat unemployment. Additionally, the dataset used may benefit other studies addressing unemployment issues in Indonesia and similar regions. The results confirm the crucial role of MSME development in lowering unemployment rates, highlighting its potential as a viable policy approach for economic improvement.

World Bank-Assisted Community-Based Development Project for High-Value Crop Production: Failures and Successes

The government of Punjab has recently implemented a World-Bank-assisted community-based development project for the enhancement of farm productivity in water deficit areas of the Punjab province for 11 years. This paper describes a case study from the Faisalabad division, wherein drip irrigation in conjunction with tunnel technology has improved crop and water productivity of fruits, vegetables and cash crops, optimizing farm incomes. Not only crop yields were optimized, but also there were savings on water (30-45%) and other inputs, reduced incidence of pests and diseases (15-20%), early spring production by 35 days and higher quality of produce, which substantially increased farm incomes (19-41%) along with some environmental benefits. A conservative estimate showed a reduction in unemployment by 5% in project areas. Despite these impressive achievements, a post-project survey showed that 93% of beneficiary farmers abandoned drip irrigation systems, soon after project closure. It emphasized that in the Thal area, only a 4% system rolled back, suggesting the better suitability of the high-efficiency irrigation system for water conservation and productivity enhancement in sandy areas. Post-project farmer-participatory rural appraisal (PRA) shows that drip irrigation was rolled back due to multiple constraints. For example, unsuitable/inefficient design, clogging of drippers/drip lines, non-availability of spare parts, poor response of troubleshooters and top-down approach of the project, prompting better planning and implementation, in the future, for similar projects.