Journal of Economic and Social Measurement - Volume 41, issue 4

Authors: Barth, Nini | Cappelen, Ådne | Skjerpen, Terje | Todsen, Steinar | Åbyholm, Thom

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: This paper presents results from a survey of Norwegian firms on their perception of expected economic service life of various fixed capital assets as well as their assessment of depreciation profiles. An econometric analysis for two types of capital assets, where second hand markets and prices are available, shows that expected service life for Machinery and equipment for mining and manufacturing is estimated to be between 9 and 10 years. For Tools, instruments, furnishings etc. the expected service life is estimated to be 8 years. These results are in line with a descriptive analysis of the survey and they are …also quite similar to those found in the existing literature. Results from this study have been used in a revision of the Norwegian national accounts. Show more

Keywords: Depreciation, capital stock, service lives, survey

DOI: 10.3233/JEM-160435

Citation: Journal of Economic and Social Measurement, vol. 41, no. 4, pp. 329-369, 2016

Authors: Fernandes, Cristina | Crespo, Nuno | Simoes, Nadia

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: With data for Portugal we propose an index of housing comfort based on the Household Budget Survey. This index covers housing and durable goods grouped in two dimensions: basic comfort and complementary comfort. Taking this index as starting point we make two contributions. First we quantify the phenomena of poverty, richness, and inequality in housing comfort. Second, using an ordered probit model, we evaluate the determinants of housing comfort in Portugal. The results show significant rates of poverty (12.41%) and richness (22.03%). The evidence sustains that the differences between households derive mainly from complementary comfort and to a lesser extent …from basic comfort items. Inequality in housing comfort, measured by the Gini coefficient, stands at 0.1263. The econometric study reveals that the region of residence of the household and the educational level and labor market state of the household reference person are among the most critical determinant factors of housing comfort. Show more

Keywords: Wealth, Portugal, poverty, richness, inequality, housing comfort

DOI: 10.3233/JEM-170437

Citation: Journal of Economic and Social Measurement, vol. 41, no. 4, pp. 371-394, 2016

Authors: Berger, Melissa | Schaffner, Sandra

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: The European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC) is a rotational panel provided by Eurostat that covers variables with a high potential for comparative European labor market and social research. Unfortunately, its current availability limits its potential research applications. This research note describes these shortcomings of the current data provision. Furthermore, we make two contributions for a better exploitation of these data sets: First, we develop a method for combining the different waves in order to increase the number of usable observations; and second, we indicate how monthly data on income and hourly pay can be derived.

Keywords: EU-SILC, sampling weights, income, Europe, data quality, panel data

DOI: 10.3233/JEM-160434

Citation: Journal of Economic and Social Measurement, vol. 41, no. 4, pp. 395-416, 2016

Authors: Cohen, Steven B. | Cohen, Joel W. | Stagnitti, Marie N. | Lefkowitz, Doris C.

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Recent changes in the provision and organization of health care initiated by the Affordable Care Act have led to concerns about how these changes interact with the medical provider organizational characteristics to affect access, use, and expenditures for care. To examine the impact on individuals' use of care and costs, linked information is needed on both the characteristics of the medical providers' organizations and the individuals receiving care. There is currently no nationally representative data source that provides this essential information. Consequently, a Medical Organizations Survey (MOS) has been added as a component of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) …to address this limitation. The MEPS-MOS will obtain essential data on provider organizational characteristics, policies, and treatment protocols for a nationally representative sample of physicians providing care to MEPS participants. This paper describes the survey and sample design of the MEPS-MOS, survey content and precision targets and its analytical focus. This addition will substantially enhance the analytic capacity of the MEPS by facilitating assessments of how provider organizational structures and policies impact on health care utilization and expenditures, health status, patient safety and the health outcomes of individuals. Show more

Keywords: Physician survey, medical organizations, MEPS

DOI: 10.3233/JEM-170436

Citation: Journal of Economic and Social Measurement, vol. 41, no. 4, pp. 417-432, 2016

Article Type: Other

Citation: Journal of Economic and Social Measurement, vol. 41, no. 4, pp. 433-435, 2016