Using night time data as a measure of gross domestic product in Sub-Saharan Africa
- Authors: Hamman, Nicolene
- Date: 2022-12
- Subjects: Data , Gross domestic product -- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral's theses , Thesis
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/59457 , vital:62119
- Description: Over the last decade, a bold move has been made by researchers to shift focus on improving and establishing accurate and reliable measures of economic activity across the globe. With an everchanging global economic landscape, unreliable GDP statistics and the lack thereof have held a nascent impact on formulating appropriate stabilization policies. This, in turn, have affected the affairs of nations, especially low income and developing ones. In an attempt to find alternative ways to measure economic activity, night time lights data have emerged in numerous empirical studies as a novel way of attempting to measure economic growth and development. Various studies have found this to be useful for countries that do not have statistical capabilities such as poor nations, while other studies have put forward arguments in favour of a possible non-linear relationship between GDP and night time lights data. Against this background, this study implores night time lights data extensively to establish whether it can serve as a possible measure of GDP in Sub-Saharan Africa between 1992 and 2012. Based on the results obtained from testing for a positive correlation between GDP and night time lights data in Sub-Saharan Africa, the study further aim to use night time lights data as a measure of GDP in the regressions against proxies of well-being, urbanization, and environmental degradation. The significance of the study relates to the fact that the estimation accuracy of GDP is positively influenced by spatial and radiation resolution of night time lights data. In addition, by taking a country-specific approach using more advanced econometric estimation techniques, this study improves on the empirical literature pertaining to African countries. All facets of pooled ordinary least squares (POLS), the pooled mean group estimators, as well as the wavelet coherence estimation techniques were the three approaches used to investigated correlations between night time lights data and economic activity. Overall findings indicate little evidence that night time lights data derived from the DMSP-OLS archive can serve as a strong measure of GDP in regressions across the Sub-Saharan African region. Recommendations and avenues for future research are outlined at the end of the study. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Business and Economics Science, School of Applied Accounting, 2022
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- Date Issued: 2022-12
Vacancy and unemployment analysis in South Africa
- Authors: Hamman, Nicolene
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Job vacancies -- South Africa , Unemployment -- South Africa Job hunting -- South Africa Labor supply -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/39621 , vital:35333
- Description: Ever since the transition post-1994, the South African economy have been faced with increasing unemployment rates, and an increasing labour force but not sufficient job opportunities to absorb these new entrants. Labour market conditions in South Africa can be considered tight after taking into account the high rates of unemployment and labour force participation. A unique empirical relationship surfaced within the macroeconomics context which had a significant impact on economic thinking. Beveridge (1944) postulated that there is a negative relationship between job vacancies and unemployment, and it is depicted by the Beveridge curve. This study therefore analysed the relationship between vacancies and unemployment in South Africa from 2008 to 2016. An autoregressive distributive lag (ARDL) model was employed to carry out the objectives of this study and the results suggested that there is a positive relationship between these two variables; which imply that the Beveridge curve theory does not apply to labour market of South Africa. This in turn suggests that labour demand and labour supply exists concurrently in this particular market. Thus, it is commendable for policy makers to have an in-depth introspection at the skills-supply, and the policies examining unemployment in South Africa to ensure that the unemployed fill the unfilled vacancies.
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- Date Issued: 2019