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Open research questions in Unemployment and Economic Growth

38 unresolved questions extracted from the limitations and future-work sections of 1,520 Unemployment and Economic Growth papers in our library. Each links back to the study that raised it.

What the literature leaves open

  • Future research should address these limitations by developing more nu- anced measures of EPL that reflect not only the content of legislation but also the degree of its enforcement and the extent of informality in labour markets.

    Employment protection legislation and macroeconomic outcomes: channels of influence · 2026 · DOI

  • Promoting youth self-employment requires a comprehensive policy approach that integrates individual capability development with supportive social and institutional frameworks. Policy responses should move beyond narrow, skills-based strategies and instead reinforce the broader socio-political ecosystem that shapes youth economic participation. To this end, market-relevant vocational and entrepreneurship training should be expanded and paired with practical delivery, business management, and mentorship to convert intention into enterprise. Simultaneously, stronger youth associations, cooperatives, and mentorship networks can enhance information flows, peer learning, and collective bargaining power, reinforcing social-capital effects. Moreover, easing infrastructure constraints through youth-focused business hubs, shared workspaces, and incubation centers would lower entry barriers, particularly in rapidly urbanizing contexts such as Hosanna City. Finally, these measures will have limited traction without complementary institutional reforms, including simplifying administrative procedures, strengthening regulatory transparency, and scaling youth-centered finance (including accessible microfinance and start-up support) are essential to reduce uncertainty and expand opportunity. Collectively, aligning micro-level enablers with macro-level reforms can create a coherent ecosystem that enables young people to move from vulnerability to productive economic participation, advancing inclusive urban development and sustainable growth in Ethiopia. Erkie et al.

    The role of socio-political factors in shaping youth self-employment in Hosanna City, Ethiopia · 2026 · DOI

  • Although this study provides valuable empirical insights into the socio-political determi- nants of youth self-employment in Hosanna City, several limitations should be acknowl- edged. First, the research is confined to a single urban setting. While Hosanna City represents a context marked by rapid urbanization and significant youth labor market pressures, its institutional, economic, and political characteristics may not reflect those of other Ethiopian cities or rural areas. Accordingly, the findings should be interpreted with caution beyond the study context. Future research employing comparative designs across diverse urban and rural settings would strengthen external validity and offer a more comprehensive understanding of youth employment dynamics in Ethiopia. Sec- ond, the cross-sectional design restricts causal inference, as the data capture associa- tions at one point in time. Longitudinal studies are needed to examine the direction and stability of these relationships and to better understand youth employment trajectories. Third, reliance on self-reported survey data may introduce recall and social desirability biases. Future research could enhance robustness through mixed-method approaches that combine quantitative data with qualitative interviews or administrative records. Erkie et al. Discover Global Society (2026) 4:73 Page 14 of 17 Finally, additional structural factors, such as digital infrastructure, entrepreneurial cul- ture, and macroeconomic conditions, were not incorporated into the present model. Expanding the analytical framework to include these dimensions would allow for a more comprehensive understanding of youth labor market participation. Addressing these limitations through longitudinal, comparative, and mixed-method research designs would strengthen the robustness, generalizability, and theoretical depth of future studies on youth self-employment.

    The role of socio-political factors in shaping youth self-employment in Hosanna City, Ethiopia · 2026 · DOI

  • In this article, two Bayesian-based models, SSVREBB and SSVRHBB, were utilised to model and forecast the annual unemployment rates by gender across regions, and Malaysia’s states and federal territories. The effectiveness of these models was compared with 11 other singlestacked SVR-Bayesian-based and well-known models, ranked utilising the VIKOR-based Taguchi optimisation algorithm. The SSVREBB model outperformed the other proposed and benchmark models, demonstrating a superior fit for both male and female unemployment rates. The findings indicate that the proposed SSVREBB models are dynamic and robust, particularly when dealing with limited time series datasets that exhibit various nonlinear characteristics. These results reaffirm the limitations of traditional statistical and AI-based models, which struggle with datasets containing fewer than 30 observations, particularly in terms of addressing stationarity, nonlinearity, trend, and seasonality. These models serve as the benchmark for labor force market analysis in Malaysia, yielding insights for policymakers to address severe unemployment rates in regions such as LBN and SBH, especially among the female youth labor force. Improving education quality and addressing skills mismatches were identified as critical strategies. Additionally, promoting female labor force participation emerged as a means to reduce gender-based income inequality and poverty, aligning with the objectives of Malaysia’s 13MP and the MADANI Economy Framework, which aims to raise women’s labor market participation to 60%. These insights are not merely relevant to Malaysia but also offer guidance to global policymakers addressing gender-based labor market disparities. The approach aligns with key SDGs, including SDG1 (No Poverty), SDG4 (Quality Education), SDG5 (Gender Equality), and SDG8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth). Future research should focus on developing superior models to analyse underemployment rates and real wages, incorporating national GDP and economic activities. This study recommends designing automated algorithms to optimise α and β, and initial forecasting values for unemployment rates, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of the SSVREBB models. Furthermore, the application of these models to labor market datasets from other nations could validate their effectiveness and allow for the generalisation of insights across different contexts. By adapting the proposed models to specific nations or regional circumstances, policymakers worldwide can develop inclusive and effective economic policies. This article also proposes to extend the study by incorporating key determinants aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including environmental, economic, human, and social factors. This approach aims to develop multivariable and multivariate models that not merely validate the effectiveness of the proposed single-stacked AI-Bayesian-based models but also assess the sensitivity of the models’ outcomes to variations in these key determinants. Such understanding will enhance the insights into how different factors influence the predictive performance and robustness of these models.

    Single-Stacked Support Vector Regression-Bayesian-Based Models for Unemployment Trend Analysis in Malaysia's Youth Labor Market · 2026 · DOI

  • The main problem of bonded warehouse is that custom controls over the warehouse are insufficient and ineffective. 6 PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS The number one constraint limiting the growth potential of the Bangladesh economy is insufficient capacity in infrastructure–power, transport and ports.

    Is Economic Growth Generating Fewer Jobs in Bangladesh? Evidence from Sectoral Growth Accounting · 2026 · DOI

  • The negative long-run coefficient of the Gini coefficient proves that growth strategies focusing solely on nominal GDP increase are insufficient without inclusive distribution mechanisms.

    Türkiye'de Sürdürülebilir Büyüme İçin Kapsayıcı Gelir Dağılımının Önemi: Bir Zaman Serisi Analizi · 2026 · DOI

  • The inadequacy of regional studies is also highlighted and recommended to be addressed: Similar studies, such as Fang & Lin (2015), emphasize that the effects of minimum wage policies on employment have not been adequately examined in the Chinese context.

    The Relationship between Minimum Wage and Economic Growth in BRICS Countries · 2026 · DOI

  • i. Promote vocational training, entrepreneurship support, and revival of local industries to curb youth unemployment. Reviving skill acquisition centres and investing in agribusiness can create sustainable jobs, while security-friendly business environments will attract investors. Evidence shows that practical skills reduce unemployment and youth restiveness. ii. Strengthen economic growth through improved infrastructure, stable electricity, and access to microcredit. Better roads and energy supply will boost small businesses, enhance productivity, and generate employment, thereby reducing crime linked to economic hardship. to address iii. Encourage multi-sectoral collaboration among leaders, and security agencies, community insecurity.

    Youth Unemployment and Economy of Insecurity in Owerri West Local Government Area, Imo State (2020-2025) · 2026 · DOI

  • expanding include centres, integrating entrepreneurship education, and improving monitoring systems. leads failure due and Government Neglect and Insecurity: Findings show that 94.4% of respondents believe government neglect of youth empowerment worsens insecurity. Only 3.5% disagreed. This reflects widespread perception of policy to weak political underfunding, implementation, interference. Studies (Adebayo, 2013; Nwogwugwu & Alao, 2020; Obi, 2017) confirm that neglect of youth policies increases unemployment and crime. Frustration-Aggression Hypothesis explains that deprivation to aggression, while social disorganization theory links weak institutions to crime. Thus, government neglect creates frustration, exclusion, youth empowerment, transparent governance, and inclusive policy design are essential to reduce insecurity. Across all findings, a consistent pattern emerges: youth unemployment is strongly linked to cultism, kidnapping, into crime, economic decline, and insecurity in Owerri West LGA (2020– 2025). The results align with major criminological and economic theories and emphasize the need for integrated responses combining employment creation, skills development, and effective governance. criminality.

    Youth Unemployment and Economy of Insecurity in Owerri West Local Government Area, Imo State (2020-2025) · 2026 · DOI

  • The evidence from seven performed panel cointegration tests provide the mixed results, while the Fully Modified and Dynamic OLS panel estimations indicate that FDI and unemployment are most likely not cointegrated.

    Impact of FDI on unemployment in transition countries: Panel cointegration approach · 2017 · DOI

  • The nature of the internationalisation-growth-inequality nexus is very complex; and therefore, not surprisingly, there is no consensus on whether increasing openness to trade leads to higher inequality or not – in fact, there is even no full understanding on the impact of the openness on the economic growth.

    Internationalisation, growth and pay inequality: a cointegration analysis for Turkey, 1970–2007 · 2012 · DOI

  • However, despite this policy prominence, the labour market impact of the training component of such programmes has not been studied systematically in South Africa, from either a theoretical or empirical basis, and this article attempts to provide an initial critique of the programme from both perspectives.

    A critical evaluation of training within the South African national public works programme · 2005 · DOI

  • Their excessive capital intensity thesis is based on Bruton's cross-sectional statistical study (1967), which made a number of simplified assumptions which should be examined in some detail.

    Manpower, Labor Absorption, and Employment in Colombia · 1976 · DOI

  • It remains to be shown that the Javanese were capable of making the appropriate demographic adjustments, i. In regions where food supplies are scarce, infant and child mortality, being so closely related to nutritional status, are relatively easily regulated within a certain range.

    Demand for labor and population growth in colonial Java · 1973 · DOI

  • losses Although research has been conducted on the relationship between international commerce and employment, it has not been extensively explored in the agricultural sector.

    Migration, land use, and trade in agricultural employment evidence from Türkiye’s economic transformation · 2026 · DOI

  • Comparative evidence from Vietnam, India and Indonesia demonstrates that education and training reforms alone are insufficient without coordinated industrial transformation and stronger labor-market governance.

    Educated youth unemployment and the structural disconnect between economic growth and tertiary expansion · 2026 · DOI

  • Because underemployment is a seriously under-researched topic in South Africa, this article investigates the extent of underemployment according to these two definitions, before examining whether the characteristics of the two groups of underemployed are significantly different.

    Underemployment in South Africa · 2017 · DOI

  • We also find mixed evidence that forces of international competition have generated pressures to adopt more capital-intensive techniques of production.

    Jobless growth in India: an investigation · 2015 · DOI

  • In spite of a growing body of literature investigating the determinants of youth unemployment, studies at sub-national level are still scarce, especially for Russian regions.

    Determinants of youth unemployment in Russian regions · 2012 · DOI

  • Relevance of undeclared work as a scientific issuebecomes evident through the fact that this phenomenon isinsufficiently investigated (no single concept is agreedupon), besides, it is difficult to estimate its extent inquantitative terms.

    Complex Research on Undeclared Work: Theoretical Aspects and Empirical Application in Lithuania · 2010 · DOI

  • However, some conflicting evidence remains if we look at the extensiveness and effectiveness of market-based economic institutions as these terms are defined by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

    The Index of Economic Freedom and Economic Growth in Transition Economies · 2002

  • Empirical tests of the 'unemployment push' hypothesis that unemployed workers start up new enterprises to a greater extent than employed workers to escape unemployment have produced contradictory results.

    Does Unemployment Affect the Number of Establishments? A Regional Analysis for US States · 2002 · DOI

  • Özselçuk provided some evidence that incumbents' electoral support was shaped by developments in macro-economic indicators, however, his analyses were technically deficient and his results were poorly documented.

    Macro Economic Determinants of Electoral Support for Incumbents in Turkey, 1950–1995 · 1997 · DOI

  • Although the population boom of the 1970s was tied closely to energy extraction, results are inconclusive regarding a possible “bust” during the 1980s as natural resource development declined.

    The Rural Turnaround in Wyoming: Implications for Community Development · 1988 · DOI

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38 open questions have been extracted from the limitations and future-work passages of 1,520 Unemployment and Economic Growth papers in our library. Each one below links back to the study that raised it, so you can read the original claim in context.

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