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It has been suggested that homicides in Jamaica are partly driven by conflicts among criminals over funds coming from international lottery scams; most of these funds are channeled into the country via remittances. This study aims to determine the empirical relationship between remittances and homicides in Jamaica over the period 1985–2019.

The authors apply an error correction modelling framework while accounting for indicators of changes in socioeconomic conditions.

There are two. First, the authors find from impulse response analysis of the long-run dynamics that an increase in remittances is associated with an increase in homicides, and vice versa. Second, the authors find that there is bidirectional Granger causality between remittances and homicides in the short run.

Two important implications are that policies should be strengthened to channel remittances to productive and legal investment opportunities and that greater efforts may be needed to stem the flow of funds coming from international lottery scamming and other illegal activities.

This is the first study that examines the dynamic relationship between remittances and homicides in Jamaica from a robust statistical perspective.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of remittance inflows (remittances) on electricity consumption and electric power losses in Jamaica.

The authors use annual data from 1976 to 2014 and apply vector error correction modelling, Granger causality testing and impulse response analysis.

First, the authors find that there is co-integration between remittances and the energy variables, namely electricity consumption and electric power losses. Second, short-run Granger causality exists between the energy variables and remittances. This causality is bidirectional between the energy variables and positive changes in remittances, but it is unidirectional running from the energy variables to negative movements in remittances. Third, the authors find that in the long-run remittances have a negative relationship with electric power losses and a positive relationship with the consumption of electricity.

Findings from this paper will help to elucidate the relationship between electricity consumption, and electric power losses, and remittances.

The problem of electric power losses is acute in Jamaica and it is mostly due to theft. At the same time, Jamaica receives significant remittances. Social policy could have a role to encourage the use of remittances to help stem the theft of electricity.

This is the first study that examines the relationships between remittances, electricity consumption and electric power losses.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship among employment, real wage, and output growth in Canada.

Using quarterly data from 1994q2 to 2012q3, this paper employs a vector autoregressive framework while allowing for the derivation of output from its historical maximum over the sample period to affect future output, employment, and real wage growth dynamics.

There are three main findings: output growth is significant in predicting employment growth and vice versa; real wage growth neither Granger causes employment growth nor output growth, but employment growth Granger causes real wage growth; and non-linear dynamics, captured by the current depth regression (CDR) effect term, through the sign as well as the magnitude of output changes, are important in characterizing the evolution of the relationship among output, employment, and real wage growth.

The findings of this research have significant implications for policy makers. Output and employment growth are important in forecasting each other in Canada. In contrast to the mainstream theory, real growth is insignificant in explaining the future dynamics of employment in Canada. Policies need to be formulated to encourage the growth of employment to ensure sustain output growth.

This study examines empirically the real output, real wage, and employment link in Canada. This study uses the most recently revised GDP data arising from the 2012 Historical Revision of the Canadian System of National Accounts. The econometric methodology involves the standard vector autoregression (VAR) model to which the authors introduce non-linear dynamics through a term that controls for the deviation of output from its preceding historical maximum: the CDR effect.

The purpose of this study is to determine whether causal asymmetries exist between energy consumption and three dimensions of financial development in Jamaica.

The authors use the non-linear autoregressive distributed lag method to identify the long- and short-run associations between energy consumption and different measures of financial development in Jamaica for the period 1980 to 2018.

There are two central findings. First, cointegrating relationships run from the dimensions of financial development to energy consumption. Second, the authors find asymmetries in these relationships. In the long run, asymmetries are such that rising levels of financial development have a neutral impact on energy consumption. By contrast, falling levels of financial development in the long run are associated with increases in energy consumption. In the short run, the authors find evidence of asymmetries only in changes in the overall level of financial development on energy consumption.

One practical implication is that for Jamaica to avoid some of the potential negative environmental consequences resulting from the positive impact on energy consumption arising from falling levels of financial development, a strong financial development policy will be important.

There will be positive social impacts from financial development in the area of climate finance.

To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study on Jamaica that examines the financial development–energy nexus. Further, the authors use relatively new and comprehensive measures of financial development.