Xjenza Online Special Issue on Economics and Finance
Xjenza Online is proud to present another special edition this time dedicated to the multifaceted Maltese economy, featuring eight comprehensive articles that analyse various economic sectors using diverse methodologies, from econometric techniques to descriptive analysis. This edition delves into critical areas such as housing, education, inflation, competition regulation, the labour market, pensions, and the exchange rate of the domestic currency. An additional article provides an overarching discussion on the sustainability of the Maltese economy.
This edition includes an editorial with a focus on the Maltese economy penned by Prof. Lino Briguglio and co-authors.
The main articles are:
Xjenza Online is proud to present another special edition this time dedicated to the multifaceted Maltese economy, featuring eight comprehensive articles that analyse various economic sectors using diverse methodologies, from econometric techniques to descriptive analysis. This edition delves into critical areas such as housing, education, inflation, competition regulation, the labour market, pensions, and the exchange rate of the domestic currency. An additional article provides an overarching discussion on the sustainability of the Maltese economy.
This edition includes an editorial with a focus on the Maltese economy penned by Prof. Lino Briguglio and co-authors.
The main articles are:
- Retirement savings in Malta: Is there a role for workplace pensions? by Philip Von Brockdorff, Roberta Montebello, Iain Clacher, and Jonathan Spiteri. This is a study based on interviews with 164 trade union members, which highlights that trust in pension schemes is influenced by gender, income, and risk tolerance.
- The sustainable development implications of major economic changes in Malta between 2012 and 2021 by Lino Briguglio. This is an assessment of Malta's economic performance from 2012 to 2021 in comparison to other EU countries. The analysis reveals robust economic growth and social development but poor environmental and political governance.
- Estimating the Economic Impact of the Office for Competition on the Maltese Economy by Gilmour Camilleri, Ian P. Cassar, Melchior Vella, and Daniel Gravino. Their study underscores the importance of evaluating competition authorities' economic impacts to inform policy and operational decisions.
- Educational Attainment And Gender Gaps In The Maltese Labour Force by Tiziana Gauci. Gauci examines trends in educational attainment from 2010 to 2021 and their impact on gender gaps in the labour market. Despite improvements in education, significant gender disparities persist, influenced by parenthood obligations and study choices.
- Estimates Of The Exchange Rate Pass-Through To Consumer Prices In Malta by Glenn Abela and Noel Rapa. Abela and Rapa investigate how exchange rate changes affect consumer prices in Malta post-euro adoption. Their findings indicate that while exchange rate changes significantly impact goods prices, their effect on services prices is negligible.
- The Maltese Labour Market Through the Lens of the Beveridge Curve by Melchior Vella. The study analyses the Beveridge curve, highlighting improved labour market efficiency from 1998 to 2022. Despite high job vacancies, the study finds a high job-finding rate, suggesting effective labour market matching.
- House purchase affordability for first-time buyers in Malta by Brian Micallef. The findings show how the housing affordability index reveals a significant rise in property price-to-income ratios from 2000 to 2022.
- Further evidence on core inflation in Malta - A dynamic factor model approach by Reuben Ellul Dimech. This article highlights how the core inflation, excluding volatile items like food and energy, provides a better measure of underlying inflation trends. Post-March 2021 inflation in Malta was not transitory, indicating persistent inflationary pressures.
Xjenza Online is the science journal of the Malta Chamber of Scientists and is published in an electronic format. Xjenza Online is a peer-reviewed, free, open-access international journal. The journal encompasses research articles, original research reports, reviews, short communications and scientific commentaries in all fields of science. The first printed issue of the journal was published in 1996.
Contributions are still welcome for Xjenza Online Volume 12. Pre-submission and general editorial inquiries, as well as all correspondence, should be addressed to the Editor-in-Chief, Prof. Cristiana Sebu by email.
