Suchergebnisse

The rapid aging of Japan's population and workforce has prompted proposals by key political and economic actors to advocate for immigration, though public sentiment has generally been opposed to immigration. Japan has therefore undertaken social policies to mobilize seniors and women as workers and establish gender equality in employment. These measures have sought to reduce the rising costs faced by Japan's pension system and mitigate the long-term decline of the country's fertility rate. The author examines the efficacy of these social policies in the context of Japan's deregulation of labor markets and the expansion of flexible and low-wage employment arrangements. Although the proportion of nonregular employment has grown since the late 1980s, it has not created gains in productivity, though it has increased economic disparities. These outcomes suggest that the importation of unskilled immigrants as a (similarly) cheap source of labor would not be an adequate solution.

Between 2009 and 2018, the total fertility rate fell in most European countries. In 2018, fertility was below the replacement level throughout Europe. Net migration was positive for two-thirds of European countries. This paper illustrates the implications for long-run population growth of observed net migration-fertilitymortality combinations in 20 European countries over the 2009–18 period by comparing the observed net migration to a zero population growth-related 'replacement level' for net migration. The results show that in several northern and north-western European countries, the net migration level has been consistently above this replacement level: if the net migration level and fertility and mortality rates remain constant, the population would increase. However, the findings also indicate that in all of the eastern European countries covered, the net migration level has been consistently below the net migration replacement level. The results further show that in Finland, Norway and Switzerland, the long-run implications of having constant fertility-mortality-net migration levels change from leading to population growth to leading to population decline. The opposite pattern is observed in Germany. The feasibility of preventing long-run population decreases through changes in net migration levels is discussed in light of the results.

The shrinking population during the break-down, adaptation and recovery phase in Estonian social and political development enforces municipal competition among the municipalities. Competition for inhabitants is embedded in regional competition showing horizontal and vertical competition relations. Inhabitants' competition prevails indirectly through municipal business promotion competition and directly through competition for inhabitants. The competition shows three phases. A phase concerns zoning and long-term planning; a second one refers to negotiations with settlement firms and short-term actions to attract inhabitants followed by a phase of revisions of zoning and measures. The oligopolistic industrial zoning model of business promotion policy points to the consequences of horizontal municipal competition also on population. Vertical influences on business promotion policy demonstrate a game-theoretic example of intergovernmental intervention from higher government on zoning. The negotiation phase in business promotion policy is modelled by a bilateral monopoly model between a municipality and a settlement firm. Horizontal regional competition highlights the implications on inhabitants' competition. An oligopoly model of direct inhabitant competition concerns the zoning in particular for housing. Furthermore, a model of public enterprise service and fee formation and of horizontal public firm competition shows inhabitants' competition in the second phase. Forms of inhabitant competition concerning suburbanisation and using public debt, revenues such as taxes, fees and expenditures are mentioned. Finally, follows a discussion of possible instruments to regulate inhabitant competition.

This article analyses the first results of the latest census of population taken in 2002. For the first time, the census was not taken on the whole territory of the FR of Yugoslavia. The Census 2002 was taken after a year long delay, and for the first time, it wasn't conducted in the entire country. It was postponed in Montenegro for another year. So far, a census conducting was not planned in Kosovo and Metohija.According to the first results of the Census 2002, 5454950 persons lived in Central Serbia, and 2024487 in Vojvodina. At the same time, a total of 328795 inhabitants of Central Serbia and 67148 inhabitants of Vojvodina were at 'temporary' work/stay abroad. Compared to the previous census (1991), the population (in the country) of Central Serbia was decreased by 127,7 thousand or -2,3%, while the population of Vojvodina increased by 58,1 thousand or 3,0%. The number of persons 'temporary' abroad, compared to 1991, was significantly increased in Central Serbia (102,5 thousand or 45,3%) and Vojvodina (19,6 thousand or 41,3%). The total population (in country and abroad) of Central Serbia was 5783745, and in Vojvodina 2091635. In the intercensual period, the population of Central Serbia decreased by 25,2 thousand, and it increased by 77,7 thousand in Vojvodina. These dynamics are contrary to the dynamics in the previous intercensual period (1981-1991), when the number of inhabitants of Central Serbia was increased (114,4 thousand, 91,6 out of which was in the country) and of Vojvodina was decreased (by 20,9 thousand, 2,8 out of which was in the country).The second part of the article analyses the population dynamics of municipalities and settlements. In the intercensual period of 1991-2002, three quarters of municipalities (120 out of 161) and four fifths of settlements (3835 out 4705), there was a negative population growth rate. As a rule, these are municipalities and settlements with a relatively large share of refugees and IDPs.