Energy and capital inputs: cornerstones of productivity growth in Mexico: 1965–2004

Gross domestic product per remunerated labor (GDP/L), known as the Mexican average productivity, grew very rapidly from 1965 to 1979; it increased at an average annual rate of 3.7%. But from 1979 through 2004, productivity stagnated with an average annual growth rate of only 0.19%. The hypothesis is that from 1965 through 1979, productivity increased rapidly because of concomitant growth in the utilized capital and energy per worker and the improvements in technology. After 1979, the productivity growth came to a standstill because of a slowdown in investment and stagnation in the utilized capital and energy per worker due to the sharply rising energy prices. The tool chosen to test this hypothesis is an aggregate Cobb-Douglas production function characterized by technical change embodied in the gross investment in new machinery and equipment. The estimation of this model shows energy as a cornerstone of productivity growth independent of capital and new technology.     

Strategic optimization for implementing the Jordanian National Water Master Plan

The Jordan National Water Master Plan integrates multiple efforts to address the national water shortage, but suffers problems in implementation. The systems analysis-based approach proposed here involves stakeholders in defining: study areas/issues, flow limits (based on infrastructural, sustainability and management reasons), and the optimization objective function. The approach includes using a newly developed computer optimization model to speed analysis of stakeholder proposals. The optimization model calculates multi-period water distribution and allocation strategies, minimizing unsatisfied demand or optimizing economic effect. Implementing the approach would identify opportunities for improving water supply, conveyance and demand management, and help investment planning and international negotiations. It is transferable to other countries.     

BIG‐BOX RETAILERS,RETAIL EMPLOYMENT,AND WAGES IN THE US

This paper examines the dynamic interrelationship between the presence of big‐box retailers and retail employment and wages in the United States at county level for 1986–2005 using panel vector autoregressions (Panel VAR). The Panel VAR approach addresses endogenous interactions among the variables in the system. In other words, this approach takes into account the fact that the presence of big‐box retailers can have an impact on retail employment and wages and at the same time, retail employment and wages can influence the presence of big‐box retailers. Results indicate that the presence of big‐box retailers has a positive effect on employment but a negative effect on wages. The effect on wages is relatively greater and is more prolonged than the effect on employment. Both employment and wages have an instant (first year) positive effect on the presence of big‐box retailers, which implies that big‐box stores are located in areas where the economy is growing.     

Auto-Regressive Neural-Network Models for Long Lead-Time Forecasting of Daily Flow

Water Resources Management - Accurate reservoir-inflow forecasting is especially important for optimizing operation of multi-propose reservoirs that provide hydropower generation, flood control,...