Service Economies In Europe

This book is about the growth and the role of services in the overall growth of the European economy to develop an adequate framework for assessing the service sector and for making policy recommendations. It aims to take stock of the existing knowledge and gaps in producer services.

This book is about the growth and the role of services in the overall growth of the European economy to develop an adequate framework for assessing the service sector and for making policy recommendations. It aims to take stock of the existing knowledge and gaps in producer services.

Exploring the dimensions, available empirical evidence and associated policy implications, this book investigates the challenges facing the global economy, including employment, productivity, innovation and competitiveness. It is intended for researchers and policymakers, professionals in service firms, and students in international business.

Seminar paper from the year 2003 in the subject Business economics - General, grade: NN, Hamburg University of Ecomomy and Policy (-), course: Human Development, language: English, abstract: It is by now more than a decade ago that the formally centrally planned economies in Central and Eastern Europe have started to transform into market economies when the collapse of the Soviet system was confirmed in 1989. In fact, they constitute a unique historical example with a large set of economies undergoing this extremely drastic systemic change within a very short period of time. The adoption of a new model based on free market economy supports the rebuilding of one Europe which will benefit from high economic and social growth potential as well as political stability and security. One essential characteristic of a free market economy is a high proportion of services. Realizing this quality in the transition economies signifies a great challenge as their service sector was extremely underdeveloped in the planned economies. In this paper, the development of the service sector in the transition economies of Central and Eastern Europe are depicted on the background of the economic characteristics of their socialist past. In this portrayal, both domestic growth and international trade of services will be accounted for. Finally, it will be discussed in which way the service sector represents a strong impetus in the fight against unemployment and hence contributes to a sustainable development in the future.

This edited volume assesses from a variety of perspectives the policies introduced to support the development of household services across Europe. It highlights the impact of these costly policies on the creation of low quality jobs and on labour market dualisation, and questions their social and economic outcomes.

This book is about the growth and the role of services in the overall growth of the European economy to develop an adequate framework for assessing the service sector and for making policy recommendations. It aims to take stock of the existing knowledge and gaps in producer services.

Manufacturing-led development has provided the traditional model for creating jobs and prosperity. But in the past three decades the conventional pattern of structural transformation has changed, with the services sector growing faster than the manufacturing sector. This raises critical questions about the ability of developing economies to close productivity gaps with advanced economies and to create good jobs for more people. At Your Service? The Promise of Services-Led Development (www.worldbank.org/services-led-development) assesses the scope of a services-driven development model and policy directions that can maximize the model’s potential.