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on South East Asia |
| By: | Sarah Cattan; Antonio Dalla-Zuanna; Jan Stuhler; Po Yin Wong |
| Abstract: | Standard intergenerational measures have been shown to understate the long-run persistence of socioeconomic advantages in developed countries. We study theoretically and empirically whether this pattern extends to less developed settings, using Indonesia as a case study. Using the Indonesian Family Life Survey (IFLS) and Census data, we study multigenerational correlations in education across three generations. Contrary to previous findings, we observe greater multigenerational mobility than parent-child correlations alone would suggest. We develop a theoretical framework to highlight two key factors influencing multigenerational dynamics in developing countries: (1) financial and credit constraints, and (2) cultural norms related to marital sorting. To confirm their relevance, we exploit regional variations in exposure to the 1997-98 Asian financial crisis and in marital customs. |
| Keywords: | intergenerational mobility, multigenerational persistence, education and financial constraints, Indonesia |
| JEL: | D1 I24 J24 J62 |
| Date: | 2026 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ces:ceswps:_12611 |
| By: | Takahiro Akita (IUJ Research Institute, International University of Japan); Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana (Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Padjadjaran) |
| Abstract: | Using provincial GDP by manufacturing sectors, this study examines how structural changes have affected interprovincial inequality in manufacturing GDP in Indonesia. Particularly, it investigates the impact of structural changes associated with the establishment of special economic zones (SEZs) and the COVID-19 pandemic. The center of manufacturing growth appears to have shifted from labor-intensive to capital-intensive sectors. Interprovincial inequality in manufacturing GDP declined slightly prior to the pandemic and stabilized afterward. However, disparity among the five regions - Sumatra, Java-Bali, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, and Eastern Indonesia - declined markedly, reducing its contribution to overall interprovincial inequality. This reduction became particularly pronounced in the late 2010s, when several SEZs became operational. However, it was accompanied by rising interprovincial inequality within Sumatra and Sulawesi, likely driven by the establishment of SEZs. Most manufacturing sectors were severely affected by the pandemic. The transport equipment sector was hit hardest, followed by the textiles and machinery sectors. However, overall interprovincial inequality remained largely unaffected. The manufacturing industry exhibits very high interprovincial inequality. With further development in the eastern parts of Indonesia, particularly Sulawesi and Eastern Indonesia, disparities among the five regions are likely to decline. However, if such development is enclave-type, concentrated in a few SEZs, it may lead to rising interprovincial inequality. To alleviate rising interprovincial inequality, it is imperative to promote labor-intensive sectors, particularly in the eastern parts of Indonesia, as they are inequality-reducing. Industrial infrastructure and supporting manufacturing activities must also be strengthened. |
| Keywords: | special economic zone, COVID-19 pandemic, interprovincial inequality, manufacturing industry, Indonesia |
| JEL: | O18 R12 |
| Date: | 2026–04 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iuj:wpaper:ems_2026_04 |
| By: | Atilano, Lesley Ann; Lee, Armand; Zabala, Cedrick; Moreno, Frede |
| Abstract: | Urban water governance in secondary cities in Southeast Asia faces persistent institutional fragmentation, regulatory overlap, and capacity constraints. This study examines the governance of urban water services in Zamboanga City, Philippines, through a multi-level institutional analysis. The research applies multi-level governance theory and the Institutional Analysis and Development framework to assess the interaction among national agencies, local government units, regulatory bodies, and the Zamboanga City Water District. The study uses documentary analysis, administrative data from 2018–2023, service performance indicators, and policy review. Results show that water service coverage reaches 48% of households, non-revenue water exceeds 39%, and tariff recovery remains insufficient for capital investment. National policy mandates conflict with local political authority, while regulatory enforcement lacks operational leverage. Institutional coordination remains weak across governance levels. The study contributes empirical evidence on urban water governance in Philippine cities and identifies institutional reforms that support accountability, financial sustainability, and service expansion. The findings inform water governance reform in decentralized contexts. |
| Keywords: | urban water governance; multi-level governance; institutional analysis; water utilities; Philippines |
| JEL: | G0 G00 H0 H3 H30 H40 H41 H7 H70 H79 H83 L0 L00 L5 L52 L8 L80 L88 M0 M1 M10 M11 O1 O10 O13 O38 Q0 Q00 Q01 Z0 Z00 |
| Date: | 2026 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:128271 |
| By: | Meng Yu Ngov; Pierre-Louis Vézina; Trang Thu Tran; Gaurav Nayyar |
| Abstract: | We document how foreign firms, inputs, and subsidies have shaped the development of Viet Nam's solar panel industry. We use firm-to-firm transaction data from Panjiva as well as firm-level data from the Vietnamese Enterprise Survey to trace solar panel value chains. We uncover three key findings: First, parts and components from subsidizing countries are 30% cheaper than alternatives. Those from China, which provides the majority of solar inputs to Vietnamese producers, are cheapest. Foreign subsidies may thus spill over across countries via value chains. Second, Chinese FDI firms dominate Viet Nam's solar industry, accounting for 75% of exports and 50% of jobs, while exporting solar panels that are 38% cheaper than those of other producers in Viet Nam. Third, local firms supplying parts and components to these Chinese FDI firms experience positive productivity gains. Our findings show how Viet Nam's solar boom emerged through deep integration into China's subsidized supply chains. |
| Keywords: | global value chains, green subsidies, FDI |
| JEL: | F14 F23 Q42 |
| Date: | 2025–12 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:crm:wpaper:25138 |
| By: | Bargain, Olivier (University of Bordeaux); Lo Bue, Maria (Trieste University); Palmisano, Flaviana (Sapienza University, Rome) |
| Abstract: | We propose a simple and flexible framework to assess relative intergenerational mobility. The approach defines a dynasty as a parent-child pair, measuring achievement by each individual's rank within their own generational outcome distribution, and mobility by the change in this rank across generations. This measure accommodates both continuous outcomes, such as potential earnings, and discrete or ordinal outcomes, such as education levels. It also allows for dominance characterizations (e.g., the relative progress made by women vs. men) consistent with social references over desirable mobility patterns. We apply the framework to Indonesia using long-panel data linking parents observed in 1993 to their children in 2014. Results show that a large share of the population escaped illiteracy - an instance of absolute mobility possibly driven by major education reforms. However, relative educational mobility was regressive, as dynasties from higher socio-economic backgrounds progressed faster. This pattern limited the overall progressivity of relative earnings mobility. Mobility in both education and potential earnings was markedly more favorable to women. |
| Keywords: | intergenerational mobility, education, earnings, social welfare, gender |
| JEL: | J6 J62 O12 I2 D6 |
| Date: | 2026–04 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp18550 |
| By: | G.L.D. Wickramasinghe (University of Moratuwa); Vathsala Wickramasinghe (University of Moratuwa) |
| Abstract: | The adaptation to climate change and the adoption of circular strategies are macrotrends that require business transformations. In response, profound changes are required to skill formation systems across the world. The present empirical research study is built on the discourse on education for sustainable development as well as institutionalist and constructivist lenses to investigate the role of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in meeting skill requirements for global sustainability agendas. The objectives of the study are to investigate a) modalities in use to mainstream sustainability into course offerings, i.e., training, upskilling, and reskilling with micro-credentials and credit transfers in learning pathways, b) the implementation of six Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into curricula, namely 'Quality Education', 'Decent Work and Economic Growth', 'Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure', 'Clean Water and Sanitation', 'Affordable and Clean Energy', and 'Climate Action', and c) the existence of partnerships for curricula development with reference to SDG17. By adopting the positivist research paradigm and an explanatory research design, a survey was conducted in 11 countries in South and Southeast Asia to which 761 TVET teachers responded. The findings show that SDGswere incorporated into new courses supporting vertical integration as well as SDGs were embedded into existing curricula supporting horizontal integration. The findings also offer a nuanced understanding of various modalities in use to mainstream sustainability into course offerings. The findings imply intricate challenges institutes face when implementing sustainability into curricula and emphasise the value of multi-stakeholder partnerships for curricula development. Partial η² values, reflecting variances as much as 6%, suggest the presence of significant differences between countries that can be attributed to a country's 'region' and 'annual growth rate of real gross domestic product per employed person'. This conveys that national and regional economic conditions impact on a country's skill formation systems. |
| Keywords: | curriculum design, Vocational education systems, sustainability integration, Education for sustainable development, Education for sustainability, Greening curriculum, inclusive and equitable education, competency-based education, lifelong learning systems, Higher education, skills for green jobs, industry 4.0 and sustainability, climate-responsive education, TVET policy reform, curriculum innovation, green skills development, reskilling strategies, workforce upskilling, Sustainability curriculum, Sustainable development goals |
| Date: | 2026 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05597177 |
| By: | Li, Runheng; Tang, Yao; Weng, Xi; Zhou, Li-An |
| Abstract: | This study investigates how the interaction of political accountability and local officials' career incentives shapes the market for Municipal Corporate Bonds (MCBs) in China, taking the 2017 local government debt personal responsibility rule as a quasi-natural experiment. We develop a stylized incomplete-information bargaining model to analyze how the rule reshapes the bargaining equilibrium by rendering officials' observable characteristics credible signals of bailout incentives. Using a dataset of prefecture-level MCBs from 2008 to 2020, we empirically test the model's predictions and focus on separating officials' incentive effects from their inherent ability. Our core findings show that post-announcement of the rule, each additional year of a local party secretary's remaining time to retirement, a proxy for bailout incentives, reduces MCB spreads by approximately 2.5 basis points and increases issuance volume by about 2.0%. These effects are significantly amplified in fiscally stressed cities. Notably, under the 2017 rule, cities led by party secretaries with stronger bailout incentives can expand MCB issuance, which is contrary to the rule's original intent to rein in local borrowing. |
| Keywords: | Municipal Corporate Bonds, personal responsibility rule, official career incentives, local government debt |
| JEL: | E62 G12 H74 P26 |
| Date: | 2026–04–08 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:128626 |
| By: | HAN, Yidan; SNG, Tuan-hwee |
| Abstract: | We revisit a long-held consensus that the number of county-level units in imperial China remained stable and consistently hovered around 1, 250 for two millennia. We argue that this consensus, traceable to G. W. Skinner 's influential introductory chapter in The City in Late Imperial China, focuses excessively on the county (xian), which exist ed throughout the imperial period, and overlooks other dynasty-specific types of field administration. During the Northern Song dynasty (960- 1127), alongside the predominantly rural counties, the state established various alternative types of field administration, most notably the towns (zhen), which administered urban households. Approximately 30% of the 1, 900 towns existing in the year 1084 were staffed by centrally-appointed bureaucrat s. These officials collect ed t axes, provided basic public services, interact ed with the population daily, and were directly account able to the prefect. Overlooking the existence of these towns means underestimating not only the scale of the Song field administration, but also its sophistication. Unlike later dynasties, the Song state differentiated between urban and rural settlements administratively, and its urban coverage was unsurpassed until the modern age. We trace the precocity of the Song system to institutional innovations during the two centuries of political fragmentation that preceded the Song dynasty. |
| Date: | 2026–03 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hit:hitcei:2025-02 |
| By: | Noronha, Ernesto; D'Cruz, Premilla; Shukla, Anurag |
| Abstract: | The global garment supply chain, which consists of a complex network of manufacturers, suppliers, retailers and workers located across nations was severely impacted by the pandemic. It encountered a demand shock, as cancellations of orders and decreased consumer spending resulted in substantial revenue losses. Given this, we were interested in understanding the effectiveness of the state mediated economy (SME) model where the state's capacity to intervene and support the economy is crucial. We found that the state in case of the garment sector did not infuse funds to support the suppliers in the garment GVC during the COVID-19 pandemic. This had far-reaching effects on employment, wage security, and workers' rights. In fact, the state reinforced the preservation of a low-wage regime through the non-enforcement of its own advisories. The sudden loss of jobs and income, along with severe restrictions on mobility due to the lockdown, plunged workers into an unprecedented crisis. |
| Keywords: | State mediated economy, global value chains, garments, India, COVID-19, workers |
| JEL: | J81 |
| Date: | 2026 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:ipewps:340185 |
| By: | OHASHI, Kazuhiko; WU, Hsiu; YAMAMOTO, Yohei |
| Abstract: | The electricity market is characterized by kinked supply and demand curves. However, how these features affect price dynamics in response to supply and demand shocks has not been fully explored. We use high-frequency data from the Japanese wholesale electricity market to investigate the impulse responses of electricity prices before and after the global energy crisis. Our results show that the price response to demand shocks declines, whereas the response to supply shocks increases during the crisis period. These patterns are consistent with an upward shift in a kinked supply curve and an inward shift in a kinked demand curve. A complementary structural vector autoregression analysis indicates that the persistent elevation in electricity prices has been driven by supply shocks, while demand shocks have partially offset this upward pressure. Overall, the results highlight the exposure of electricity prices to international fuel market conditions and underscore the roles of demand and supply shocks in electricity price dynamics. |
| Keywords: | Electricity prices, Wholesale electricity market, Supply and demand shocks, Energy crisis, LP-IV, SVAR |
| JEL: | C32 C36 L94 Q41 Q43 |
| Date: | 2026–04–18 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hit:hiasdp:hias-e-161 |