Authors: ZORIN
Abstract

The population with disabilities constitutes the largest minority group in the labour market, facing social and organizational barriers. The ambiguous nature of employment support provisions and the lack of unified vocational activation systems hinder their economic participation. This study reviews existing literature and examines the effectiveness of support programmes, and discusses the employment challenges faced by disabled individuals. The research emphasizes the need for coordinated national guidelines and highlights disparities across Central and Eastern European countries. The objective of this study was to analyze the economic activity of individuals with disabilities in micro, small, medium, and large enterprises in Poland. The study was conducted using the CAWI method (computer assisted web interview). The questionnaires were sent and completed online. The study found that individuals with severe disabilities may face greater challenges in accessing resources to support their own sole proprietorship (8.33%) in the labour market, compared to entrepreneurs with moderate (66.67%) and light (25%) disabilities. Furthermore, only 2.56% of individuals with physical disabilities are employed in micro-enterprises, with 32.08% being professionally inactive. This study identifies significant factors that contribute to the active participation of disabled individuals in the workforce, particularly in the Wielkopolska region, which was chosen as a case study. The results of the survey indicate a preference for enterprises without a high proportion of disabled employees. The factors influencing disabled individuals’ participation in the workforce include age, education, and professional activity. The improvement of the systém should take into account company size, disability level, job assessment tools, and the use of job coaches. Incentives should not be based on disability status. The findings from this study have the capacity to inform about changes in SME job…

Keywords: Activity instruments, disabled people, labour market, work environment, workplaces

Authors: RAFTAR , SAFALI
Abstract

Energy is crucial for economic progress worldwide, regardless of a country’s development status. However, the negative impacts of traditional energy sources have prompted global policymakers to reconsider fossil fuel consumption patterns. In addition to these harmful effects, regional conflicts such as the Russia-Ukraine war and tensions involving Israel, Palestine, and Iran are contributing to instability in the global energy market, which in turn affects general market stability. Consequently, global leaders are focusing on country-specific energy policies that prioritize the transition to renewable energy sources in future energy strategies. To ensure the widespread and cost-effective use of solar photovoltaic energy, many countries, including those in the European Union and beyond, are increasingly utilizing renewable energy auction techniques. Thus, the primary focus of this study is to evaluate the impact of a competitive auction technique on the expansion of solar PV generation and the potential reduction (or stabilization) of Brent crude oil prices (i.e., West Texas intermediate oil price). This is particularly relevant given the shifting investment trends in the renewable energy sector, with a specific emphasis on seven open and dynamic economies within the EU. To conduct this analysis, the authors employed a panel vector autoregression (VAR) model, utilizing annual data spanning from 2000 to 2021. The result indicates that the competitive auction value for solar PV accelerates the generation of solar PV in the selected EU countries and the countries are likely to decrease their reliance on fossil fuel-based sources for electricity generation. Because, the auction price is becoming competitive to the Brent crude oil price. Further, the investment in the solar PV sector is not sufficient yet.

Keywords: Auction value, funds, panel VAR model, photovoltaic, West Texas intermediate oil price

Authors: DR. VINAY
Abstract

Foreign direct investments (FDIs) and trade within global value chains (GVC) have been considered one of the most important vehicles of economic development and competitiveness, especially for countries in transition. The countries of Central and Eastern Europe are competing to attract not only high amounts of FDI inflows but they also put emphasis on the FDIs’ sectoral structure. FDI inflows into advanced industries can represent the basis of technological development that will lead to the creation of a greater number of high-skill jobs and a higher level of innovation, thereby influencing the reduction of the economic gap in relation to developer countries. This study aims to explore the importance of FDI inward stock for GVC participation in the advanced manufacturing industries in eleven EU member states that transferred to market economies in the 1990s and attracted vast amounts of FDI inflows since then. The dynamic panel data analysis results indicate the importance of FDI inward stock in the manufacturing industry for the GVC participation in advanced manufacturing industries across this set of countries while also stressing the important implications of manufacturing share in GDP changes for these industries’ backward GVC participation. The findings confirm a positive association between attracting FDI in the manufacturing sector and GVC integration in advanced manufacturing industries.- Such FDI targeting can be a vehicle for internationalization and development of high-tech and knowledge-based industries.

Keywords: Foreign direct investment, global value chains, Central and Eastern Europe, advanced industries, manufacturing