Energy Consumption for Space Heating: A Discrete–Continuous Approach

Energy demand for space heating is estimated using a discrete–continuous choice model which focuses on the relationship between the choice of heating equipment and energy consumption. The model is estimated on Norwegian micro data, and the two stages of the model are estimated simultaneously. The capital cost and the operating cost of the heating systems are both found to have a significant impact on the choice of heating system. Furthermore, the results show that household characteristics are important variables in residential energy models. Energy price elasticities and income elasticities are also estimated.     

The value of a statistical life in Chile

In this article, we estimated the value of a statistical life and the value of a statistical injury (VSI) for Chilean workers using a combination of data from the year 2006 from the Chilean National Socio-Economic Survey, which provides workers’ characteristics, and annual statistics from the Chilean Safety Association, which provide labor accident risk data. We estimated a hedonic log-wage equation taking into account of selection bias and endogeneity. The estimated value of a statistical life was US$4,625,958, which increased by almost a factor three after correcting for endogeneity (US$12,826,520). On the other hand, the estimated VSI was US$30,840. The uncorrected results were lower than the values reported by other authors for various developed countries, but greater than those estimated using indirect approaches for Chile.     

Correcting NDP for SO2 and NOx Emissions: Implementation of a Theoretical Model in Practice

The theoretical and the practical studies in the field of environmental accounting are often two separate lines of work. In this study, we develop an optimal control theory model for adjusting NDP for the effects of SO₂ and NO_x emissions, and subsequently insert empirically estimated values. The model includes correction entries for the effects on welfare, real capital, health and the quality and quantity of renewable natural resources. In the empirical valuation study, production losses were estimated with dose-response functions. Recreational and other welfare values were estimated by the contingent valuation (CV) method. Effects on capital depreciation are also included. For comparison, abatement costs and environmental protection expenditures for reducing sulfur and nitrogen emissions were estimated. The theoretical model was then utilized to calculate the adjustment to NDP in a consistent manner. The estimated damage value of sulfur is close to the Swedish sulfur tax.     

Real Estate Market Policy and Household Demand for Housing

This paper used an estimated mixed multinomial logit model of household housing demand to examine the impact of four housing market‐related policies on a stated preference survey sample. The estimated demand probability function suggested that household choice behaviour does show huge heterogeneity. The estimated results were then employed to examine the effects of the policies. We estimated the potential disequilibrium between demand and supply under the construction‐size‐limitation policy, demonstrated that the efficient movers' subsidy increases along with the household income, and simulated the changes in housing demand when tax policy is changed. We demonstrate the potential usefulness of our modelling framework in assisting policy‐making decisions. Our model also partially explains the failures and controversies of the latest real‐estate intervention policies in China.     

Cost Structure and Capacity Utilisation in Multi-product Industries: An Application to the Basque Trawl Industry

To empirically study production structure and the capacity level at which vessels are harvesting, a short-run translog cost function is estimated. From the estimated parameters, two capacity utilisation measures are calculated (ray returns to scale and a dual capacity utilisation measure). Both capacity utilisation measures suggest that there is excess capacity in the Basque trawler fleet. These measures are also estimated annually and they indicate the same conclusion. The Basque trawler fleet can therefore gain from increased production levels.     

Stability of the money demand function in Asian developing countries

Previous studies that estimated the money demand function in Asian developing countries either employed traditional estimation techniques or recently popularized cointegration technique. While the first group suffers from ‘spurious regression’ problems, the second group interpreted their finding of cointegration as a sign of stability of estimated parameters. This study, after incorporating the CUSUM and CUSUMSQ tests into cointegration analysis, shows that in some Asian countries even though real M1 or M2 monetary aggregates are cointegrated with their determinants, the estimated parameters are unstable.     

我国基于总收益形式与超额收益形式估计的证券贝塔比较分析

经过简化的基于总收益形式的指数模型被经常用来估计证券贝塔,但这个模型没有理论依据。由于我国无风险利率的方差与市场收益的方差变动比较起来非常小,短期无风险利率的实际变动对贝塔估计值影响很小,因此,从“预测”的角度看,用总收益形式的单指数模型估计贝塔值可以完全替代具有理论基础的超额收益形式的单指数模型估计的贝塔。     

废旧手机产生量测算方法比较研究

分别采用市场供给模型、时间梯度模型和消费使用模型对2005～2010年我国大陆废旧手机的产生量进行了测算和比较。结果显示,不同模型测算结果之间存在较大差异,市场供给模型和时间梯度模型的测算结果比较接近,均远小于消费使用模型测算的结果,三种模型测算的2010年我国大陆废旧手机产生量分别为1.47亿、1.34亿和4.30亿部。总体上看,我国大陆废旧手机的产生量巨大且快速增长,但要准确测算还需要加强对模型活动数据和参数的调查和分析。     

A panel study of labour supply and taxes in Denmark

The labour supply of Danish married couples is estimated on a longitudinal sample of about 3000 Danish couples observed over the period 1980–86. The influence of the progressive tax system and the effect of the unemployment insurance system are evaluated. The definition of unemployment in labour-supply functions is discussed, and two separate models are estimated where unemployment is considered either completely voluntary or completely involuntary. The wage elasticity and the supply effects of tax reduction are estimated to be positive, but numerically small for both men and women.     

Omitted variables in equations relating prices to money

This paper considers some of the conditions under which an estimated ‘reduced form’ equation relating retail prices solely to past values of sterling M3 would provide a reliable guide to the past relationship between these two variables. The equation does not appear to be biased by innovations in real output. However, when overseas variables are included in the reduced form the estimated relationship between money an prices chages significantly. This suggests that the estimated parameters in a price equation based on money alone suffer form omitted variable bias.     

Estimating the Heckscher–Ohlin model: Inverting the inverse matrix

This paper estimates the Heckscher–Ohlin model with annual US data from 1949 to 2006 for outputs of manufactures and services with inputs of fixed capital assets and the labor force. Difference equation and error correction regressions provide estimated coefficients for the comparative static system. Tariffs on manufactures primarily raise the capital return in the estimated Stolper–Samuelson results. Factor price equalization does not hold for labor and capital. Inverting the estimated system inverse matrix provides evidence on production. The suggestions are capital biased production of manufactures, strong substitution of capital for labor, and strong labor substitution in manufactures.     

Implications of consumer heterogeneity in time-series estimates of US money demand

The money demand function has traditionally been estimated with income and interest rates, typically employing quite lengthy time series. Controversy, however, surrounds the importance of heterogeneous agents in monetary economics and throughout macroeconomics more generally. In particular, if proportions of agents with different traits (and hence, different money demands) are changing over time, ignoring those changes may bias estimated income and interest elasticities. This concern, as well as that of appropriate functional form, is explored here. Controlling for consumer heterogeneity has surprising effects on the estimated elasticities of traditional variables.     

SNAKE RIVER SALMON RECOVERY: QUANTIFYING THE COSTS

Economic costs are relevant to endangered species protection in both theory and practice. Recovering endangered Snake River salmon will require modifying public land use, restricting fishing and hatchery production, reducing water for agriculture, and altering the operation of hydroelectric dams. The economic costs are estimated to range from $246 million to $359 million per year. While the estimated cost is not matched by the estimated increased value of fishing, the nonuse value of salmon recovery may be very large. Better economic and biological information is needed to assure that decisions for salmon species protection are reasonably cost effective. ( JEL Q28, H43)     

Student demographics,school working conditions,and teacher mobility

I analyse how the inclusion of working condition data influences the estimated marginal effects of student demographics on teacher mobility. Using detailed administrative data on public schools, combined with unique data describing teachers’ perceptions of working conditions, I estimate a model characterizing the multinomial outcomes of teachers choosing to work at different schools. By comparing the estimated marginal effects of student characteristics with and without incorporating detailed working conditions, I find that excluding these additional data results in overestimating the effect of student characteristics on the probability a teacher moves to a different school, but has no influence on estimated effects for the probability of leaving teaching altogether.     

Extreme observations and non-normality in ARCH and GARCH

Most studies employing ARCH and GARCH models document the existence of severe excess kurtosis in the estimated residuals. This non-normality may be due to model misspecifications, structural changes, or outliers. We conduct simulation experiments to examine the impact of extreme observations on the estimated parameters and residuals in the ARCH models. Then, we propose an iterative algorithm to detect and correct for the non-normality generated by extreme observations and additive outliers. Results for the simulated data, US equity returns and $/£ exchange rates are presented. Correcting outliers dramatically reduces the non-normality and bias in the estimated coefficients for small samples.     

Estimating earnings trend using unobserved components framework

Regressions for predicting long-term stock returns often use moving averages of earnings as the earnings trend. We show that the earnings trend can be directly estimated using unobserved components models. The estimated trends improve the fit of predictive regressions.     

EFFECTS OF HEALTH AND CHRONIC DISEASES ON LABOUR FORCE PARTICIPATION OF OLDER WORKING‐AGE AUSTRALIANS*

This study examines the effects of general health and chronic diseases on the labour force participation of older working‐age Australians. To account for potential endogeneity of health status, a simultaneous equation model is estimated and chronic diseases are used as instrumental variables. The effects of chronic diseases on labour force participation are assessed indirectly using the parameters estimated from the simultaneous equation model. The results show that both health status and chronic diseases have significant effects on labour force participation. It also appears that the effects of chronic diseases are more accurately estimated from the simultaneous equation model than from a single equation labour force participation model.     

The demand for medical care services: evidence from Kuwait based on households’ out-of-pocket expenses

This article used a data set containing information on 1267 households from Kuwait to investigate the determinants of demand for medical care services by examining households’ out-of-pocket expenses. To deal with the problems associated with households’ health expenditure data, a two-part model (TPM) was estimated. Given Kuwait’s demographic composition, the model was estimated for full sample, nationals only and expatriates only. Prior to estimating the model, tests were conducted to select a transformation that reduces problems associated with heteroscedasticity and non-normality of the errors. In addition, tests were performed to determine if differences in the estimated coefficients across population groups were statistically significant.     

Rational exuberance at the mall: addiction to carrying a credit card balance

The Becker-Murphy model of rational addiction is tested with New Zealand credit card debt data. The results clearly favour the rational addiction model over the myopic, backward-looking model. The estimated short-run and long-run price elasticities are ?0.58 and ?2.32 respectively, and the estimated rate of time-preference is 6.7% per quarter.     

Married womens' tastes and the decision to participate in the labour market: results from a fixed effects model

In the paper, we report estimates from two logit models of Women's labour force participation. A model with out fixed effects, estimated from cross-sectional data-indicates a significant postive relation between work experience and particiption. We ask whether the relation is due to a causal influence extered by the former variable on the latter or to a common underlying variable: taste for market attachement. To answer this question. we present results from a fixed effects model estimated from panel data. In this model, the estimated coefficients of experience are insignificant, suggestion that a taste for market attachement underlies both experience and participation is the presence of preschool children.