Population aging and public health expenditure mainly dedicated to older dependent persons present major challenges for the European Union (EU) Member States, with profound implications for their economies and labor markets. Sustainable economic development relies on a well-balanced workforce of young and older people. As this balance shifts in favor of older people, productivity tends to suffer, on the one hand, and the older group demands more from health services, on the other hand. These requisites tend to manifest differently within developed and developing EU countries. This research aimed to assess population aging impacts on labor market coordinates (employment rate, labor productivity), in the framework of several health dimensions (namely, health government expenditure, hospital services, healthy life years, perceived health) and other economic and social factors. The analytical approach consisted of applying structural equation models, Gaussian graphical models, and macroeconometric models (robust regression and panel corrected standard errors) to EU panel data for the years 1995–2017. The results show significant dissimilarities between developed and developing EU countries, suggesting the need for specific policies and strategies for the labor market integration of older people, jointly with public health expenditure, with implications for EU labor market performance.

Research background: The ageing phenomenon undermines the stability and equilibrium of the labour market and it affects the economic development of countries, as well as the welfare of older people aged over 65 years. Purpose of the article: Against this background, our research is conducted to assess the specific ways in which active ageing (measured through the active ageing index — AAI), correlated with other economic and labour market credentials, would impact the economic development of EU Member States. Methods: The research methodology consists of two econometric procedures, namely (i) cluster analysis performed on EU–28 countries to configure congruent groups according to similar features of the active ageing (measured through the Active Ageing Index — AAI) and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) levels, respectively (ii) panel data analysis, applied distinctly on two panels, EU–15 (old) and EU–13 (new), relying on four macro-econometric models (robust regression, panel corrected standard errors, spatial lag and spatial error), in order to test the direct influences of AAI and other economic and social selected variables on economic development. The analysis is made for the 2010–2018 lapse of time, by capturing all the available data for the AAI as reported by the European Commission. Findings & Value added: The results highlight important dissimilarities between the EU countries that require a rethinking of policies for the active ageing population support. Thereby, constant policy rethinking, adequate strategies, measures and tools for the active ageing population support become outlier keystones that entail a successful integration of the older people within all life dimensions.

This research examines several modellers of immigration flows deployed within the European Union (EU), as well as their economic consequences upon the most targeted ten migrant receiving countries. The paper's aim is to identify specific ways in which migrants can contribute to host countries' sustainable development through positive spillover upon natives, labour market performance, and the overall economic activity. A set of methods and macro-econometric models, based on country fixed effects, spatial analysis, and structural equations modelling, was applied on a balanced panel formed by ten EU host economies. We analysed distinctly the labour and humanitarian (asylum seekers) migration flows, considered throughout two separate time periods, namely 2000-2015 and 2000-2019 (2019 being the deadline for Brexit negotiations). The results highlight that the immigration flows were mainly shaped by labour market outcomes, while the primary positive immigration impact was induced upon the gross domestic product (GDP) per capita and employment levels, both for natives and the foreign population.

The paper's aim is to analyse the interdependency between the intellectual capital and the financial performance of biotechnological (biotech) companies in the pharmaceutical industry. The analysis was performed for 24 biotech companies in this branch considered during 2002-2014, based on several indicators available on the Thomson Reuters database. The financial performance was measured through the return on assets (ROA), return on equity (ROE) and the debt-to-equity ratio (DE). In order to capture the intellectual capital, the focus was on a designing a new indicator, proposed by the authors, respectively the efficiency of research and development expenditures (ECD), along with another proxy, previously attested by the literature and reflected through the market to-book ratio (MTB). The research methodology resides on applying the correlation method, robust regression, and structural equations modelling (SEM). The results reveal a significant negative relationship between ROA, ROE and MTB, which contradicts the literature and suggests that, for this particular type of companies, MTB isn't relevant to express the intellectual capital. MTB was positively correlated with DE. When we used the ECD, the results attested a strongly positive and significant relation with ROA and ROE, and a negative one with DE. Therefore, the applied tests confirm ECD as the most suitable indicator to appreciate the intellectual capital for the biotech companies in the pharmaceutical industry.

This paper empirically evidences the role played by board characteristics (skills, diversity, structure, independence) in supporting risk management disclosure and shaping the financial performance of European companies operating in the financial services sector. We exploit data selected from Thomson Reuters Eikon database in 2020 for the last fiscal year 2019 (FY0) on a longitudinal sample of 144 companies with the head offices in Europe (25 countries). Following an original empirical approach based on two modern financial econometric techniques, namely structural equation modelling (SEM) and network analysis through Gaussian graphical models (GGMs), the research endeavor outlines the decisive importance of an optimal board size, enhanced management skills, upward gender diversity (encompassed by women participation on board management), and structure (mainly a two-tier type, one management board, and a distinctive supervisory board) as fundamentals of risk management strategies, leading to improved financial achievements and a higher profitability for the analyzed companies.