Unemployment Research Articles

Incorporating sustainability in the food supply chain: The development of a private standard of Nature Farming poultry production in Brazil

This article aims to communicate sustainability dimensions and attributes for poultry production throughout a supply chain by developing a Nature Farming (NF) system standard. Poultry production is relevant for food security and job creation, an important economic activity and a significant export item in Brazil. The NF poultry production system was implemented in the 90s as a pioneering initiative, opening space for differentiated products. However, certification of NF poultry products has yet to be established and implemented to reach consumers. The NF products are identified as organic on labels, which does not distinguish the method’s sustainability, and communication of specificities needs to be more efficient. We studied the process of establishing a private food standard with a sustainable approach, considering perceptions of the supply chaińs agents. The method was a case study of a poultry company that applies NF system. The qualitative research involved interviews with 27 company managers, 23 poultry producers, seven farm assistance technicians, 11 auditors, and 12 commercial managers. The results showed innovation by introducing a Nature Farming poultry standard comprising product attributes and sustainability criteria in the dimensions: environmental, economic, and social in conjunction with two significant dimensions, which are ethical and health. Our findings indicated that Nature Farming is a specific style of agriculture that is diverse from other currents of alternative agriculture. We proposed expressions and claims about the system’s quality attributes, aiming at the clarity of communication with consumers. We concluded that the developed standard might be the basis for certification of products. This work contributes to improving food supply chain management with differentiated and sustainable processes.

Exploratory Factor Analysis on Acceptance of Artificial Intelligence as Online Healthcare Product Sales Advisor Among Consumers of Guardian Pharmaceutical Outlets in Malaysia

Switching from human to artificial intelligence (AI) as online health sales advisors significantly impact sales. AI has been shown to influence customer purchases and adapt quickly to changes in online retail. While AI enhances efficiency and personalisation in sales, it also introduces ethical dilemmas, such as job loss and bias, alongside consumer scepticism about its accuracy and trustworthiness. Integrating AI into pharmacy practices demands a deep understanding of its effects on pharmacists’ roles, signaling a significant shift in healthcare delivery. This study aims to explore and confirm the seven Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 1 (UTAUT1) construct as a robust framework that can be utilized in the consumer acceptance of AI technologies in healthcare retail settings. The participants in the study were patrons of the Guardian Pharmacy in the Klang Valley region. The research team modified 46 questions from an earlier study, employing a dual translation method that involved translating the questionnaire from English to Malay and then back to English to better align with the demographics of the study group. The experts assessed and authenticated these revised statements to ensure their relevance and accuracy, focusing on content and appearance authenticity. The study analyzed and confirmed 103 responses using the exploratory factor analysis (EFA) technique. The EFA results indicated that each construct’s items were grouped into one component with factor loading higher than 0.6, with the total variance explained ranging from 69% to 90% and overall internal reliability of 0.944. This study enriches existing knowledge by validating the UTAUT1 framework as a robust framework in assessing consumer acceptance towards AI integration in healthcare sales, marking a significant shift in healthcare delivery and underscoring the need for a nuanced understanding of AI’s implications on pharmacists’ roles amidst ethical and consumer.

Entrepreneurship skills framework for fostering the employability of industrial technology students

<span lang="EN-US">The rising rate of youth unemployment and its attendant consequences on the general populace in Nigeria has assumed a frightening dimension. The academia and other relevant stakeholders have gradually come to realize that the possession of academic qualifications alone cannot guarantee a good quality job. Nigerian higher intuitions are now introducing entrepreneurship studies in their school curriculum without a clear framework. Research has shown that this does not guarantee total graduates unless we have an entrepreneurship skills framework that is functional and discipline-based. Noting that entrepreneurship is classified into two folds; entrepreneurship specific and entrepreneurship mindset, this study intends to develop an entrepreneurship skills framework that will promote the employability of the students of Electrical Technology in Colleges of Education in Nigeria. The survey research that employs the sequential exploratory mixed methods was used for the study. The population for this phase consists of entrepreneurs and academics in Nigeria. The use of the partial credit model in the Rasch analysis model guaranteed the consensus of the experts on each of the items being measured. The outcome of the study will contribute to the social-economic peace and sustainability in Nigeria and the body of knowledge in entrepreneurship regarding electrical technology.</span>

Developing learning and training within industry model to improve work readiness of vocational high school students

<span lang="EN-US">Unemployment is still a national priority that needs to be addressed. In 2022, vocational high schools in Indonesia had the highest open unemployment rate. The highest open unemployment rate is a result of vocational high school students’ insufficient work readiness. Therefore, this research aims to develop a learning and training within industry (LTWI) model, and to evaluate the model’s efficacy in increasing vocational high school students’ work readiness. The research employed a research and development (R&D) design by Richey and Klein with the phases of needs analysis, internal validation, and external validation. There were 12 teachers and 89 students from the automotive engineering department at Muhammadiyah 1 Pakem Vocational High School and 1 Puring Vocational High School, as well as six instructors from the automotive industry: GAS Auto Service, Automotive Jogjakarta Center (OJC), Bengkel Barokah, and RND Auto Service, participated in the research. Data collection strategies adopted were interviews, questionnaires, and performance tests. The data were descriptively evaluated, and the conclusions were drawn using a categorization formula. With an average score of 3.43, the LTWI model can be used to learn very well. With an average final score of 3.32, the efficacy of the LTWI learning model falls into the category of “very good”. The LTWI model can be applied effectively to learning in vocational high schools since it has a positive influence on students’ work readiness.</span>

Food waste and the EU target: effects on the agrifood systems’ sustainability

ABSTRACT The reduction of food losses and waste is part of the 2030 Agenda Sustainable Development Goals (target 12.3) and, consequently, is one of the EU’s political priority in the field of circular economy. In this framework, the target 12.3 of the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development stated, by 2030, a not quantified reduction in post-harvest losses and a halving of food waste at the retail and consumers levels; while the EU Commission has recently set the target, by 2030, of reducing by 10% food losses occurred at the stage of processing and manufacturing and by 30% food waste occurred at the stage of retail and consumption. Food losses and waste should primarily be considered an expression of inefficiency of agricultural production processes determining several environmental, social and economic impacts. The quantification of food losses and waste is still an unsolved problem so much so that, in EU; currently available data are only related to the period 2020–2021 and, in many cases, are based on estimates and are not uniform in individual Member States. This makes reliable predictions of results achievable by the European Union particularly difficult. The aim of this paper is to analyze whether the plan of losses and waste reduction established by the EU Commission is able to both ensure the achievement of 2030 Agenda target 12.3 and to make a contribution to improving the sustainability of agri-food systems. In doing so, in addition to Eurostat data on losses and waste, the EU-Commission projections and the latest results of recent studies on environmental, social and economic impact of food losses and waste in EU were used, including indicators on hidden costs of agrifood systems developed by FAO. What observed shows that the EU-Commission reduction plan, if implemented, should result in a reduction of losses and waste inadequate for complying with the recommendation given by the target 12.3. Furthermore, the EU-Commission’s decision not to provide for losses reduction at the agricultural stage should significantly limit environmental benefits, given that much of the negative environmental impacts (GHG, land and water use, etc.) are ascribable to this stage as are, according to FAO estimates, hidden environmental costs. Besides limiting environmental benefits, the EU-Commission reduction plan, focusing only on the food losses and waste reduction in the final stage of supply food chain, could lead to negative social and economic impacts caused by a decline in the demand, which will reduce supply, jobs losses and GDP reduction. The conclusion on this, is that the reduction of food losses and waste is an issue that cannot be addressed separated but needs to be included in a wider program of integrated and complementary measures as a whole clearly aimed at realizing forms of circular economy.

Impact of credit expansion and contraction on unemployment

PurposeWe investigate the impact of private credit expansion and contraction on the unemployment rate in Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) countries.Design/methodology/approachCredit expansion and contraction are measured using a three-level criterion. The fixed effect panel regression model was used to estimate the impact of private credit contraction and expansion on the unemployment rate in ECOWAS countries.FindingsPrivate credit contraction significantly increases the unemployment rate in ECOWAS countries. Private credit expansion does not have a significant effect on the unemployment rate. Real GDP growth has a significant negative effect on the unemployment rate which supports the prediction of the Okun’s Law while the inflation rate has a positive and insignificant effect on the rate of unemployment in ECOWAS countries which contradicts the prediction of the Phillips curve.Practical implicationsPolicymakers in ECOWAS countries need to be cautious when introducing policies that lead to private credit contraction as it could increase unemployment. Policymakers in ECOWAS countries should also find the “threshold” below which private credit contraction will worsen the unemployment rate and introduce policy measures to ensure that private credit contraction does not fall below the threshold.Originality/valueThe literature has not examined the factors leading to tight labor markets or unemployment in West African countries.Peer reviewThe peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-12-2023-0939.

Use of Metallic Mercury in Artisanal Gold Mining by Amalgamation: A Review of Temporal and Spatial Trends and Environmental Pollution

The introduction of mercury (Hg) into the environment by anthropogenic activities has resulted in negative implications for ecosystem functions and human health. Unlike the legacy of huge environmental pollution left by historic gold rushes in several developed countries, gold-rich nations in the developing world are currently witnessing what could qualify as a “new gold rush”, conducted primarily by small-scale mining operators and characterized by the use of metallic Hg (Hg0) in the amalgamation process to extract gold from crude ores. Once introduced into the environment, Hg0 can undergo biogeochemical transformations to produce Hg species such as methyl-Hg, with well-established adverse impacts on living organisms. This review summarizes published data on both historical and recent trends of the use of Hg0 in artisanal gold mining (AGM) on a global scale and emphasizes the impacts of AGM on the environment. To achieve this, we used citations from research conducted in North and South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and New Zealand, obtained from several search engines and databases. Our findings show that, in addition to the well-known environmental and human health adverse effects of gold mining with Hg0, gold extraction by the Hg amalgamation technique is boosting the economy in parts of Africa, South America, and Asia. Unfortunately, this appealing aspect of AGM may not be easily halted, pending the creation of alternative employment. Therefore, there is a clear need for the development of safe and affordable gold extraction and purification technologies. Ultimately, the growth of this specific economic sector should be regulated to help protect both the environment and human health. Information compiled in this review should help to (i) improve the mapping of AGM-impacted soil and aquatic systems on a global scale and (ii) stimulate discussions and research on how to take down current barriers to the development and implementation of safe AGM methods.

The impact of Medicaid expansion on state expenditures through the COVID-19 era.

To investigate the impact of Medicaid expansion on state expenditures through the end of 2022. We used data from the National Association of State Budget Officers (NASBO)'s State Expenditure Report, Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF)'s Medicaid expansion tracker, US Bureau of Labor Statistics data (BLS), US Bureau of Economic Analysis data (BEA), and Pandemic Response Accountability Committee Oversight (PRAC). We investigated spending per capita (by state population) across seven budget categories, including Medicaid spending, and four spending sources. We performed a difference-in-differences (DiD) analysis that compared within-state changes in spending over time in expansion and nonexpansion states to estimate the effect of Medicaid expansion on state budgets. We adjusted for annual state unemployment rate, annual state per capita personal income, and state spending of Coronavirus Relief Funds (CRF) from 2020 to 2022 and included state and year fixed effects. We linked annual state-level data on state-reported fiscal year expenditures from NASBO with state-level characteristics from BLS and BEA data and with CRF state spending from PRAC. Medicaid expansion was associated with an average increase of 21% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 16%-25%) in per capita Medicaid spending after Medicaid expansion among states that expanded prior to 2020. After inclusion of an interaction term to separate between the coronavirus disease (COVID) era (2020-2022) and the prior period following expansion (2015-2019), we found that although Medicaid expansion led to an average increase of 33% (95% CI: 21%-45%) in federal funding of state expenditures in the post-COVID years, it was not significantly associated with increased state spending. There was no evidence of crowding out of other state expenditure categories or a substantial impact on total state spending, even in the COVID-19 era. Increased federal expenditures may have shielded states from substantial budgetary impacts.

Redefining Japan’s Tourism: Post-COVID Challenges and Cultural Dynamics

The global tourism landscape has undergone considerable transformation owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has altered its dynamics and created new challenges. Previously, travel was linked to well-being, fostering social connections, and a sense of belonging. However, the pandemic has caused substantial disruptions, leading to job losses and changes in travel behavior. Japan, which was already grappling with overtourism pre-pandemic, faced challenges such as strained infrastructure and environmental impact. Post-pandemic challenges include issues regarding tourist etiquette and labor shortages within the industry. Japan’s deeply rooted mask-wearing culture, driven by social responsibility, may lead to social stigma if norms are ignored, thus affecting tourism. Owing to an aging population and unattractive job profiles, the industry faces labor shortages, which lead to difficulties in recruiting during peak seasons. Therefore, understanding these challenges is crucial for the recovery and revival of tourism in Japan. Strategies must align with evolving societal values and sustainable practices to address behavioral norms and labor shortages. Using tweet-derived data, this study revealed an unexpected increase in discussions regarding mask use, highlighting Japan’s societal emphasis on harmony and consideration of others. This study highlights the challenges faced by tourists and industry professionals, particularly regarding foreign visitors’ comprehension of Japanese cultural norms. The results emphasize the critical factors affecting post-pandemic tourism in Japan, with the aim of exploring cultural influences on sustainable tourism in subsequent research. This endeavor aligns with the vision of the United Nations World Tourism Organization to reconstruct the industry and ensure equitable benefits for all stakeholders.

Effect of Macroeconomic indicators on Financial Inclusion: A Study of EAGLES Economies

The effect of macroeconomic variables on financial inclusion in EAGLES economies is examined in this study. The Eagles economy, comprising nine nations—Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, South Korea, Mexico, Taiwan, and Turkey—is the foundation of the analysis. The data was examined from the other eight prefectures because Taiwan's data isn't available from 1992 to 2022. The findings demonstrate that the connection between financial inclusion and GDP is very weak—nearly zero—and linear. There is a very slight negative link between exchange rates and financial inclusion. Additionally, there is a very modest negative link between interest rates and financial inclusion. Interest rates and financial inclusion have a very weakly negative association. A very slight positive linear association is suggested between the inflation rate and financial inclusion. There is a slight positive link between financial inclusion and the unemployment rate.

Many children, many blessings: Reinterpreting Psalm 127:5 in the Nigerian context

The idea of “many children, many blessings” in Ps 127:5 resonates with African traditional belief systems. However, in contemporary Nigeria, modernisation has introduced inescapable variables that make large families undesirable. In spite of this, many Nigerians still produce many children, apparently relying on the traditional belief that God determines one’s number of children, and possibly also on Ps 127:5. Applying the historical-critical and descriptive methods, the article assessed the relevance of Ps 127:5 in contemporary Nigeria and found that the text reflects the ancient Israelite context wherein parents depended on the number of their children in socio-economic terms, a situation which also resonates with the premodern African context. The modern Nigerian context, however, brought about changes in the pattern of parent-child interdependence such that now even peasant parents have to send their children to school and do all the manual work alone. In view of the high rate of unemployment, even many university graduates still have to depend on their parents. With this transition, large families come with implications such as hunger, poor health, and inadequate or lack of Western education for the children. Moreover, raising large families now has to contend with global issues such as overpopulation and family planning. To this end, a pastoral application of Ps 127:5 in Nigeria now has to respond to issues that come with large families.

Unveiling the patterns: exploring social and clinical characteristics of frequent mental health visits to the emergency department-a comprehensive systematic review.

Frequent presenters (FPs) are a group of individuals who visit the hospital emergency department (ED) frequently for urgent care. Many among the group present with the main diagnosis of mental health conditions. This group of individual tend to use ED resources disproportionally and significantly affects overall healthcare outcomes. No previous reviews have examined the profiles of FPs with mental health conditions. This study aims to identify the key socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of patients who frequently present to ED with a mental health primary diagnosis by performing a comprehensive systematic review of the existing literature. PRISMA guideline was used. PubMed, PsycINFO, Scopus and Web of Science (WOS) were searched in May 2023. A manual search on the reference list of included articles was conducted at the same time. Covidence was used to perform extraction and screening, which were completed independently by two authors. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were defined. The abstracts of 3341 non-duplicate articles were screened, with 40 full texts assessed for eligibility. 20 studies were included from 2004 to 2022 conducted in 6 countries with a total patient number of 25,688 (52% male, 48% female, mean age 40.7years old). 27% were unemployed, 20% married, 41% homeless, and 17% had tertiary or above education. 44% had a history of substance abuse or alcohol dependence. The top 3 diagnoses are found to be anxiety disorders (44%), depressive disorders (39%) schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders (33%). On average, FPs are middle-aged and equally prevalent in both genders. Current data lacks representation for gender-diverse groups. They are significantly associated with high rates of unemployment, homelessness, lower than average education level, and being single. Anxiety disorder, depressive disorder, and schizophrenia spectrum disorders are the most common clinical diagnoses associated with the group.

Barriers and the potential for changes and benefits from the implementation of Industry 4.0 solutions in enterprises

Abstract The implementation of Industry 4.0 solutions in Polish enterprises entails both certain barriers and significant potential for changes and numerous benefits. These barriers may result from the costs of implementation of new technologies, the need to adapt employees to new skills and concerns about data security. However, by overcoming these difficulties, companies can benefit from the enormous potential for changes such as increasing production efficiency, optimizing logistics processes or improving product quality. Moreover, the use of Industry 4.0 technologies can contribute to increased innovation, increased competitiveness on the global market and the creation of new jobs. As a result, the benefits of implementing these solutions support Polish enterprises to actively engage in digital transformation, despite the barriers they encounter. The objective of this article is to confront the benefits and potential for changes resulting from the implementation of modern technologies with the barriers that limit this process. The statistical assessment of the differences between the barrier assessment values and the assessment of benefits from the use of technology, as well as between the barrier assessment values and the assessment of the potential for changes, was based on the non-parametric Mann-Whitney U test. The study covered representatives of 236 enterprises who mainly held managerial positions at various levels of management staff or persons designated by them who were responsible for research and development activities in the surveyed entities. As a result, it was indicated that the level of involvement in technological transformation among Polish enterprises is moderate. Almost 67% of all the surveyed entrepreneurs can characterize specific Industry 4.0 solutions. Among them, only approximately 6% can be defined as highly digital companies that already have partially digitized operational processes. Moreover, enterprises see more potential benefits and potential changes from the introduction of Industry 4.0 solutions than barriers to their implementation. This study is dedicated to both authors dealing with Industry 4.0 issues and entrepreneurs implementing modern technologies in their companies.

The Principle of Fiduciary Duty in Single-Member Limited Liability Company

Limited Liability Company in Indonesia has a conceptual expansion since the Job Creation Law has enacted. There are two types of Limited Liability Company currently, capital partnership limited liability company and single-member limited liability company. One of the most significant changes to the concept of limited liability company is related to its organs. Single-member limited liability company consists of director who also serve as shareholder. The expansion concept raises questions regarding the application of fiduciary duty to single-member limited liability company. This research uses conceptual and statute approach. The conclusion from this research is that in single-member limited liability company, there is only director who also become shareholder, thus there is no supervisory function by the board of commissioner. Secondly, the director in single-member limited liability company still has the obligation to carry out the responsibilities with the principle of fiduciary duty.

Business Network Analysis of Gurilem Crackers MSMEs In Cililin Sub-District, West Bandung Regency

In order to mitigate the elevated unemployment rate in Indonesia, the community must investigate other business prospects, such as small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), exemplified by Gurilem Crackers. Gurilem Crackers, a small and medium-sized enterprise (SME), possesses a robust and established infrastructure encompassing business networks, production methods, marketing strategies, and financial resources. These elements contribute to the improvement of firm productivity and market competitiveness. The data gathering method employed is descriptive qualitative, including interviews and observations. This study examines the business network, production processes, marketing tactics, and finances of Gurilem Crackers SME, which Mang Teten owns in the Bongas hamlet. The research findings suggest that Mang Teten's company utilizes business networking by collaborating with Gurilem cracker suppliers, employs essential production tools, relies exclusively on word of mouth for Gurilem Cracker marketing, and achieves a monthly profit of Rp—1,236,000.00 with a profit margin of 8.9%.

Literature Review : Strategies for Using Digital Marketing to Improve MSME Performance in Supporting SDGs Programs

The current global phenomenon shows a rapid increase in the adoption of digital technology, which has changed various aspects of life, including the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) sector. This study aims to examine effective digital marketing strategies to improve MSME performance in supporting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Program. The novelty of this research lies in a holistic approach that integrates various aspects of digital marketing, in the context of SDGs implementation. The urgency of this research is driven by the urgent need for MSMEs to remain competitive and relevant in the digital era, as well as the crucial role in the national economy and the achievement of SDGs goals. The method used in this study is Systematic Literature Review (SLR) by collecting relevant previous research through publish or perish Then analyze the article and crucify related to keywords. The results show that the use of appropriate digital marketing can help MSMEs contribute more effectively to the achievement of SDGs, especially in terms of poverty alleviation, job creation, and inclusive economic growth. The implications of this research emphasize the importance of policy support and continuous training for MSMEs in utilizing digital technology, as well as collaboration between the public and private sectors to accelerate the digital transformation of MSMEs.

CANONICAL CORRELATION ANALYSIS OF ECONOMIC GROWTH AND UNEMPLOYMENT RATE

The paper discusses the relationship between economic growth and the unemployment rate in Indonesia in each province in 2021. Both variables are considered as the dependent variable and there are 5 independent variables used in this research such as human index development, wage minimum region, poor citizens percentage, investment, and farmer rate value in each province. The method used to analyze is canonical correlation analysis, which is one of the dependent methods that are used for multivariate analysis. This method was used to determine which variable had the most significant relationship between dependent and independent variables, the data was taken from the Center of Statistics Bureau Indonesia in 2021. The result shows that among independent variables the human index development had the strongest relation it had 79%, while the correlation between the dependent and independent variable the unemployment rate gives the strongest influence it is 68%.

The distribution and abundance of woody invasive alien plants in small towns in Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

AbstractInvasive alien plants (IAPs) are rapidly increasing around the world, mainly due to land transformation, climate change, and urbanisation. Whilst urban areas are highly susceptible to invasion by IAPs, crucial information on the distribution and abundance of woody invaders in small towns is limited. Here, we determined the distribution and abundance of woody IAPs across different suburbs and land use types in 12 small towns in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. We enumerated 38 427 individual woody IAPs, and their abundance and distribution varied across surveyed towns. Although species such as Melia azedarach, Pinus elliotti, Jacaranda mimosifolia, Eucalyptus camaldulensis, and Ligustrum lucidum were the most distributed, species density varied across towns. More than half of the woody IAPs were identified in affluent (56%) suburbs compared to the townships (23%), Central business district (CBD) (16%), and low-income housing neighbourhoods (5%). There were significant differences in woody IAPs distribution across different land use types, with more than half (54%) found in the residential areas compared to road verges (32%) and public urban green spaces (14%). Some socio-economic and environmental predictors such as town population, mean temperature, unemployment rate, and Gross domestic product (GDP) showed significant and positive correlations with woody IAPs species richness and density. Our findings suggest an uneven spatial distribution and diversity of woody IAPs across the different small towns, suburbs, and land use types in the region. It is recommended that small towns in South Africa need financial and human resources support to effectively manage IAPs.

Impact of the COVID-19 vaccinations on economic outcomes and mental health services in the U.S

The development of vaccines has long been viewed as a critical public health tool to raise immunity against the COVID-19 virus and to reopen economic activities globally. Against this background, this study examines the impact of COVID-19 vaccinations on economic outcomes and mental health services in the U.S. We employed the Household Pulse Survey covering 549, 950 and 57, 892 vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals, respectively. For the causal analysis, we control the differences between the vaccinated and unvaccinated groups using propensity score matching (PSM) and augmented inverse probability weighting (AIPW) methods. Economic outcomes include whether individuals work on-site, telework or work from home, in-store shopping, job loss, or food sufficient. We also consider whether individuals experience mental health distress and receive mental health services as a potential outcome. The empirical results show that the probability of working on-site, in-store shopping, food sufficiency, and using mental health services are significantly higher among the recipients of the COVID-19 vaccines than non-recipients. We also find that the likelihood of teleworking and job loss decreased significantly among the recipients of the COVID-19 vaccine compared to non-recipients. The magnitude of the estimated impact across race and ethnic groups is mixed, which shows that vaccination effects are heterogeneous across the races/ethnic groups in the sample.

SPATIALLY INFORMED INSIGHTS: MODELING PERCENTAGE POVERTY IN EAST JAVA PROVINCE USING SEM WITH SPATIAL WEIGHT VARIATIONS

The East Java Province stands as one of Indonesia's regions grappling with a notably elevated poverty rate, accounting for 11.32% of the populace. A strategic approach employed to comprehend and redress this issue involves the application of spatial analysis, wherein spatial factors are intricately integrated into the modeling and cartographic representation of poverty data. The primary objective of this research is to discern the principal determinants influencing the incidence of poverty in East Java Province, employing data reflective of the population's poverty percentages within the province for the year 2021. The study incorporates six pivotal variables, namely: the population poverty rate, open unemployment rate, labor force participation rate, average years of schooling, adjusted per capita expenditure, and the gross regional domestic product (GRDP), predicated on adjusted expenditure. Diverse weighting schemes are applied based on both distance (1) and contiguity (2). The optimal predictive model utilized is the Spatial Error Model (SEM) incorporating a Distance Band Weighing (DBW) mechanism with a designated maximum distance ( ) of 75000 meters. Outcomes indicate that the variable wielding the most substantial influence on the poverty percentage in East Java Province is the average years of schooling. Specifically, an increase in the pursuit of formal education manifests as a negative correlate to the poverty percentage, implying an inverse relationship. Moreover, the SEM model adheres to the requisite assumptions, encompassing (1) the normality of residuals, (2) homogeneity of residuals, and (3) non-spatial autocorrelation of residuals. Comparative analyses reveal that the SEM model utilizing DBW yields diminished values for MAE, MSE, RMSE, AIC, and MAPE in comparison to its linear regression counterpart. Furthermore, the pseudo- values obtained from the SEM surpass those derived from the linear regression model. Rigorous likelihood ratio tests underscore substantial disparities between the SEM and linear regression models, with the former proving more efficient and markedly enhancing the model's explanatory prowess concerning variations in the dataset.