Regional environment creates a set of factors that can be called either stimulants or barriers to the development of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Local governments should remove barriers, transforming them into promoters. An important feature that has to meet both the national...

In a local economy, the citizens can react on local policy by exit. Exit induces a shift in the housing demand. The local policy may thus capitalize into the housing prices. However, the citizens encounter specific coordination problems on the housing market. Therefore, it may be asked how...

Do countries matter, especially compared to other aspects that affect the flexibility behaviours of companies? Many studies on the labour market assume that there are country differences, cross-national variances, and that it is a crucial factor in explaining the actual practices of the labour...

In the article, we review recent literature on fiscal sustainability with particular reference to problems that are specific to transition countries. While the original literature on fiscal sustainability is chiefly focused on industrial countries there are by now few works that have focused on...

This research shows the pay gap between public entities in Ecuador. We use the information of Annex Relation Unit of the Internal Revenue Service and the Civil Registry for 2008 and 2009. The study makes a Mincerian model and an analysis by quintiles to find and compare the wage gap between...

Using the recent Wage Structure Survey 2010, this article examines the public-private sector wage gaps in Spain across the whole earnings distribution and the incidence of the gender gap in both sectors of the economy. Firstly, we find that that there is positive wage premium to public sector...

We assess the effects from the industrial policy of growing state-controlled national champions on the Russian banking system, its concentration and competitiveness. Some light is shed on comparative financial performance of state-controlled banks versus other market participants. We also show...

The purpose of this note is to provide guidance to Bank staff on the sources of evidence available to inform the assessment of the governance rating and thereby reduce the scope for subjectivity of the annual CPA exercise. It is designed in particular for Country Economists responsible for the...

This article relies on statistical and empirical data to develop a classification of state-influenced banks. An estimate of such banks’ combined market share by July 1, 2009 is suggested. We identify 53 state-controlled banks in Russia, including state-owned banks and state-governed banks....