COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the economies around the world and the economic fallout from preventive measures such as lockdown is enormous. It has massive repercussions for the sharing economy as well. This research paper empirically analyses the impact of lockdown restrictions on five major sectors of the sharing economy such as ride-hailing, accommodation, freelance work, entertainment and delivery services. To evaluate this impact, we employed the difference-in-difference estimation technique using the Google trends data for selected countries. Daily search data of 2019 and 2020 is reindexed to examine the change in search patterns that occurred after lockdown. The empirical results show that transportation and accommodation sectors are negatively impacted by COVID-19 related lockdown while the other sectors of the sharing economy such as freelance work, streaming services and online deliveries are seeing a surge in searches. The findings of this study provide vital insights into the economic disruptions caused by COVID-19 related lockdown. We have highlighted the sectors that are booming during pandemic thus the sharing economy platforms and government have opportunities to invest in these sectors to jump-start the economy. The recently unemployed gig workers can also be employed in these sectors to address the problem of unemployment.

This research is the earliest attempt to understand the impact of inflation and the interest rate on output growth in the context of Pakistan using the wavelet transformation approach. For this study, we used monthly data on inflation, the interest rate, and industrial production from January 1991 to May 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected economies around the world, especially in view of the measures taken by governmental authorities regarding enforced lockdowns and social distancing. Traditional studies empirically explored the relationship between these important macroeconomic variables only for the short run and long run. Firstly, we employed the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) cointegration test and two causality tests (Granger causality and Toda–Yamamoto) to check the cointegration properties and causal relationship among these variables, respectively. After confirming the long-run causality from the ARDL bound test, we decomposed the time series of growth, inflation, and the interest rate into different time scales using wavelet analysis which allows us to study the relationship among variables for the very short run, medium run, long run, and very long run. The continuous wavelet transform (CWT), the cross-wavelet transform (XWT), cross-wavelet coherence (WTC), and multi-scale Granger causality tests were used to investigate the co-movement and nature of the causality between inflation and growth and the interest rate and growth. The results of the wavelet and multi-scale Granger causality tests show that the causal relationship between these variables is not the same across all time horizons; rather, it is unidirectional in the short-run and medium-run but bi-directional in the long-run. Therefore, this study suggests that the central bank should try to maintain inflation and the interest rate at a low level in the short run and medium run instead of putting too much pressure on these variables in the long-run.

In a nutshell, if people trust the ECB, then its legitimacy as a supranational institution and the credibility of its monetary policy will be higher. 2 It can furthermore be argued that trust in the ECB and support for its policy could be enhanced by active communication (explaining its objectives, constraints, instruments and effects) with the European polities. A clear and transparent communication strategy is even needed more if the population's support for a central bank's policy declines, as it seems to be the case post-GFC, and not just in the Euro area. But, as Blinder et al. (2008) show, no consensus has shaped out on an optimal communication strategy of a central bank.Although some papers have attempted to check how ECB's communication is received by the markets, very few have been able to ascertain the width of the support for the ECB in the European population at large. It can certainly be affirmed that monetary policy impacts everyone's everyday life. Starting from such a premise, the study of attitudes and values is now recognised as an important source of information for economists, and the availability of the Eurobarometer survey data has put the European integration process under the magnifying glass (see, e.g., Gabel, 1998 or Nelsen andGuth, 2000). Concerning monetary issues in particular, G€ artner (1997), Hayo (1999) and Jonung (2004) examine the emergence of the euro as a currency and its popular support.But the trust of the Europeans in the ECB and its evolution over time has not yet been exhaustively explored. In fact, such a literature is only emerging. Moreover, research has mostly looked one-sidedly either at the typical macroeconomic (country level) indicators determining trust in a central bank, such as inflation, unemployment, real GDP growth and fiscal measures, or at the standard sociodemographic (individual level) determinants of central bank trust. By contrast, the present paper is among the first to examine micro-level sociodemographic factors from the Eurobarometer surveys jointly with alternative macroeconomic indicators of trust in the ECB over the whole span of the EMU across time (survey waves) and space (member countries). Our purpose with such an approach is to evaluate and compare the relative importance of these two major types of determinants of trust in the ECB, as well as to study their evolution as the EMU membership has been expanding. Kaltenthaler and Anderson (2001) analyse the support for a European monetary policy, but in a very early and short sample, 1994-97, that is when the single currency was not yet born. Hudson (2006) provides some evidence on trust in the ECB, showing that the usual sociodemographic variables are significant. However, the data used are for the year 2001 only. Banducci et al. (2009) examine the evolution of trust in the euro, analysing how Europeans have perceived the inflationary effects of the transition to the new currency. Kaltenthaler et al. (2010) have evaluated the distrust of the public opinion in the ECB. They find that the distru...

This study has attempted to investigate the consequences of CO2 emissions on infants’ health in Pakistan over the period of 1975 to 2013. Several economic factors have been employed in our analysis and the estimates show insignificant impact of CO2 emissions in affecting children mortality. Increasing health facilities lowers children mortality over a short period were also observed but the relationship inversed in the long-run. In short-run, urbanization appeared as a decreasing factor to children mortality. While income inequality remains inversely related with children mortality. Both poverty and fertility are found enhancing factors to children deaths. The poor sector of the economy seemed to observe higher children mortality due to inadequate health facilities and low standards of living. Overall, we have observed greater impact of economic factors in explaining children mortality than CO2 emissions in case of Pakistan. These issues have a significant impact on the representative industries in Pakistan, such as the cotton textile and traditional clothing industry (apparel manufacturing).

Quand les banquiers centraux sont-ils destitués ? Cet article montre que la probabilité de remplacement d’un gouverneur de banque centrale est positivement liée à la part du mandat déjà effectuée, aux crises bancaires et monétaires, aux élections, aux réformes des statuts des banques centrales, ainsi qu’à l’inflation. En outre, il est montré que les résultats dépendent de la régularité ou de l’irrégularité du remplacement, et de ce qu’il intervient avant ou après le terme de la durée légale du mandat. JEL Code: E58, G01, P48

TheCOVID-19 pandemic has brought rampant changes in skill needed in the labor market. It has accentuated technological disruption leaving millions in dire need of reskilling and upskilling. In this paper, we empirically analyze the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic related lockdown on the thrust of skills upgradation among people. By analyzing the Google trends data of 13 countries, we test the effect of the lockdown implementations on the urge to upgrade the skills through online searches for skills enhancement. Using difference-in-difference estimation approach, we found a substantial hike in the frequency of search terms related to skills upgradation. Our results suggest that people are utilizing the excess time, made available due to lockdowns, by exploring avenues to enhance their skills to accumulate human capital. The online educational platforms have been proven vital. The findings of this study establish the causal link between use of online education platforms and human capital development.

No abstract

This study examines public opinion in 15 European countries, on the proposal to establish an independent European Central Bank (ECB). Using data from Eurobarometer surveys for 1998 to 2000, which included a specific question on this issue, we show that inflation performance is not sufficient to explain people's preference for an independent central bank: personal characteristics and circumstances have a stronger impact, with gender, employment status, education level, income quartiles, and degree of information and civic concern showing particular relevance.