Iwona Markowicz

Methods of statistical description. An analysis of socio-economic phenomena in European countries In modern times, it is impossible to imagine any society, field of science, or economy without access to data on socio-economic phenomena. IT development facilitates both the collection of data and their availability. However, conclusions can only be drawn through the analysis of these data with the use of quantitative methods. Statistical methods are the backbone of data analysis. Statistics is recognised as a method of extracting information from data. This book provides an overview of the methods applied in the search for statistical regularities in socio-economic phenomena in European countries. The authors point to methods for analysing one- and two-dimensional statistical data. They explain how survey methods should be chosen depending on the type of statistical series, characteristics and the purpose of the analysis. All descriptive parameters and functions are determined for the sample source data. Moreover, the manner of their interpretation is specified. The book is the result of cooperation between authors representing the University of Szczecin (Institute of Economics and Finance; Poland) and the University of Helsinki (Ruralia Institute; Finland).

One of the sustainable development goals (SDG7) is to ensure access to clean and affordable energy, which is related to most other SDGs and plays a crucial role in economic development and human well-being. The aim of the article is to identify factors that enhance and delay one of the most crucial goals of sustainable development, SDG7. The study’s originality lies in the spatiotemporal approach to analysing the impact of selected factors on the development of green energy and increasing its availability. Three groups of potential SDG7 determining factors have been identified: ecological, social and economic. The proposed approach and the use of sensitivity analysis to variables weighting and ranking constructions of EU countries is an innovative aspect of the work and fills the gap in research on SDG7. The study showed that Denmark and Sweden occupy leading positions in the rankings based on the extent of SDG7 implementation. In contrast, Bulgaria, Cyprus and Lithuania occupied one of the last positions. The results of panel-data model estimations showed that in each estimated model, the same “indispensable variables” significantly affect the implementation of SDG7. Among these variables, only the unemployment rate significantly negatively impacted the SDG7 execution.

The paper attempts to present the issue of excise taxation of goods - plastic greases. The specificity of the product such as plastic greases and the gap in existing tax regulations will be explained. Excise tax and the method of calculating it will be discussed. The dynamics of the volume of imports of goods to Poland will be presented and problems related to separating the volume of imports of plastic greases will be indicated. The paper will propose an attempt to identify the lubricants in question by CN codes (EU "Combined Nomenclature" - tariff and statistical nomenclature for goods). The volume of import of plastic greases will be assessed against the background of imports of other lubricants and fuel products.

This research paper delves into the captivating realm of sustainable development, specifically focusing on assessing the degree of implementation of sustainable development goal 7 (SDG7) and its intricate relationship with social, economic and ecological factors within European Union (EU) countries. By comprehensively unravelling the interplay between SDG7 and these multifaceted factors, this study provides invaluable insights into the ongoing sustainable energy revolution within the EU. To verify the research hypotheses, composite indicators (CI) were estimated for SDG7 and selected groups of indicators, employing a methodology grounded in sensitivity analysis. Our findings notably highlight the distinct significance of ecological factors in driving the development of clean energy systems. In contrast, the data did not support our hypothesis, which posited a significant relationship between economic factors and the implementation of SDG7. This evolving perspective underscores the growing recognition of the fundamental role that ecological factors play in shaping our sustainable energy future. Consequently, as we prioritise preserving and conserving our environment, the need to balance economic prosperity with environmental well‐being becomes increasingly evident.

W artykule podjęto próbę oceny wpływu wybranych czynników (wiek, płeć, wykształcenie i staż pracy osób bezrobotnych) na czas trwania bezrobocia rejestrowanego w Szczecinie w latach 2011-2023. W badaniu wykorzystano metody analizy przeżycia, w tym model przyspieszonej porażki. Analiza danych w kolejnych latach posłużyła ocenie czy wzorce wychodzenia z bezrobocia do pracy ulegały zmianom. Cel ten osiągnięto poprzez weryfikację hipotez badawczych. Założono, że przyjęte w badaniu zmienne mają wpływ na czas trwania bezrobocia oraz że wpływ ten nie był jednakowy w całym okresie badawczym.

Many studies point to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the socio-economic situation of countries and, consequently, on the achievement of sustainable development goals. Although termed a health crisis, the pandemic has also had an impact on the labour market. The imposed restrictions caused companies to close or reduce their operations. Employees switched to remote work, but also often lost their jobs temporarily or permanently. However, the impact of the pandemic on the labour market is not so obvious. This is indicated by our research and that of other researchers. In this paper, we used individual data on the unemployed registered at the labour office in Szczecin (Poland) and were thus able to apply survival analysis methods. These methods allowed us to assess changes in the duration of unemployment and the intensity of taking up work for individual cohorts (unemployed people deregistered in a given quarter). The results indicate, on the one hand, the problems in the labour market during the pandemic and, on the other hand, the adapted reaction of the unemployed to the situation and the acceleration of the decision to accept an offered job.

The crisis caused by the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic had an impact on the economic situation worldwide, including the stock exchange quotations. The aim of the research is to assess the reaction to crisis situations of share prices of companies listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange (Poland) belonging to three main macrosectors: Industry, Finance and Services. The main part of the analysis concerns the market reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic during its first wave. The study utilises the survival analysis methods, which allowed for an assessment and comparison of the situation of the three macrosectors. The duration of the decline in share prices and the recovery time were analysed. The intensity and probability of the decline and subsequent increase in share prices were also examined. The Kaplan–Meier estimator, Cox regression model and logit model were used in the study. The pandemic shocks differed significantly from shocks caused by economic crises in the past. We showed that the differences for macro-sector share price declines were statistically insignificant. For price increases, the Finance macrosector differed from the other macrosectors. The probability, intensity and odds of an increase in share prices of companies belonging to this macrosector were lower than for the other macrosectors. In addition, we compared the obtained results with the results of previous studies conducted for the period of the financial crisis in 2008–2009 and the bear market in 2011. We pointed out the differences between the crisis caused by the pandemic and the other crises.

International trade allows for wider access to goods and services in domestic markets. It contributes to socio-economic development, and it is an important factor in raising living standards. The aim of the study is to provide a duration analysis of trade relationships of Polish enterprises on the intra-community market and determine the influence of selected factors on the length of time the relationships last. We employ survival analysis methods to study the duration of Polish enterprises on the intra-community market (the case of 87 CN chapter—vehicles and parts and accessories thereof), separately for intra-community supplies (ICS) and intra-community acquisitions (ICA). Our research covers trade relationships at a level close to individual transactions—the data unit relates to a specific domestic company, a specific product group (combined nomenclature heading), a specific direction of the transaction (ICS/ICA) and exchange with a specific country. Differences in duration curves for ICS and ICA are statistically significant, and export (ICS) relationships are more durable over time than import relationships (ICA). The most durable relationships of Polish enterprises are with business partners from countries such as the United Kingdom, France, Sweden, Spain, Portugal and the Czech Republic.

Research background: Transactions in international trade of goods are recorded in two sources, on the side of the seller's country and on the side of the buyer's country. The confrontation of such data makes it possible to measure their quality. An inconsistency between the data is called mirror data asymmetry. Purpose of the article: The aim of the paper is to adapt the methods developed by the Authors to study mirror data asymmetry to commodity group markets examination. The quality of data on trade within specific commodity groups (CN chapters) in intra-Community trade was compared. The data were aggregated by country. The indicators used allow for the indication of commodity groups with high mirror data compatibility and those with data asymmetry between intra-Community supplies (ICS) and acquisitions (ICA). Moreover, the commodity groups for which the value-based and quantity-based approaches give different results have been identified. Methods: Based on the literature on the subject and their own research, the Authors have developed a group of methods for studying the asymmetry of mirror data. The proposed indicator formulas are based on various data aggregation approaches. The research used data on intra-Community supplies and acquisitions of goods broken down into 97 chapters of the Combined Nomenclature (CN). Differences between the ICS and ICA in particular commodity groups were aggregated for all pairs of EU countries. The data comes from the Comext database, provided by Eurostat. Findings & value added: The results of the analysis are rankings of the Combined Nomenclature (CN) chapters by the quality of data on ICS and ICA. Lists of CN chapters have been created for discrepancies both in value and weight of goods. Thus, areas of necessary intensification of the work of public statistics services to improve data reliability were identified.