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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.

Turkey has suffered from different economic crises since 1990. However, the February 2001 crisis has been unprecedented in intensity and repercussions. Although many factors, both internal and external, may have contributed to their occurrences, the former owing to their inducing corruption and waste in the economy, seem to have fomented them more than the latter. Although Turkey has been getting transformed into a market economy since 1980, government intervention is still pervasive in its economy. Government still controls Central Bank, owns commercial banks, and operates public enterprises. It has liberalised market, currency, foreign trade and foreign direct investment (FDI), but still operates sectors like energy, sugar and tobacco. Such a level of state intervention had adverse implications for corruption, waste, effective reforms, etc. in the country. Further, since the transformation of the economy could not be accompanied by concomitant structural, legal and institutional reforms in 1990s, resources have constantly been misused over the years. Further still, groups owning bank, media and holding companies jointly have notoriously precipitated domestic financial crisis by stashing away the home deposits in their offshore branches. Finally, supporting agriculture and industry with politically-motivated credit for voting purposes has constantly been aggravating the drain of resources and thereby financial crises of the country. This paper attempts a critical examination of how such factors may have contributed to the occurrence and accentuation of economic crises suffered by Turkey over the last decade.

Purpose of the study: This study intends to examine the impact of various dimensions of women empowerment on multiple constituents of household poverty in the three cities (Lahore, Multan and, Rawalpindi) of province Punjab, Pakistan. Methodology: The primary data was gathered from a sample of 2400 married and employed females belonging to the three cities of Punjab, Pakistan. For analysis, the study develops its own all-embracing Women Empowerment and Household Poverty variables using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and examines the relationship between the empowerment of women and household poverty using structural equation modeling (SEM). Main Findings: The results show that women empowerment positively and significantly contributes towards household poverty reduction. Applications of this study: Since poverty is one of the greatest challenges that Pakistan is facing today, the need to change poor standards of living and inspiring women to contribute effectively to society through their active participation in the development process is the dire need of time. The results of the study suggest that in addition to targeting poverty directly, policies should be devised that eradicate poverty through the empowerment of women. Novelty/Originality of this study: The majority of the past studies have limited generalizability because they use already available surveys/published data, having limited dimensions/indicators of women empowerment and household poverty. Moreover, the past studies that have examined the phenomenon of women empowerment ignore its psychological dimensions. Therefore, because of minimal comprehensive investigation, the examination of the effect of the empowerment of women on household poverty remains a topic of interest for the researchers.

The purpose of this paper is to provide estimates of the changes in the cost of living for rural labourers during the period 1966/67 to 1973. It is well known that throughout this period, and particularly in the recent years, prices have been rising. The Central Statistical Office (CSO) publishes consumer price indices for urban workers, but no index for rural workers is available. Thus, it is not known whether inflation has affected rural and urban workers uniformly. If changes in the cost of living have been different, then separate price indexes must be used in estimating the real income levels of the two groups. As development policies in Pakistan are increasingly aimed at alleviating poverty in the rural sector, the need for a separate price index applicable to rural labourers becomes obvious.