Economic Development Quarterly

Economic Development Quarterly (EDQ) is seeking research manuscript proposals for a special issue on the impact of an aging workforce and population on regional economic development. The regional impact of the aging workforce and general population has received considerable attention in the popular media. While fast-growing regions are competing for young, educated adults, other communities, particularly in rural areas, are facing declines in their overall workforce and increases in the demand for services for their older residents. In addition, the never-ending advancement of technology requires the retraining of older workers, many of whom face the real possibility of being “structurally unemployed.”

EDQ would like to encourage researchers to further our understanding of the economic development implications of the demographic shifts on states and local areas by soliciting research proposals for a special issue of the journal. EDQ is the premiere applied academic journal publishing research on domestic U.S. economic and workforce development issues. Its mission is to promote research supporting the formulation of evidence-based economic development and workforce development policy, programs, and practice in the United States.

Purpose and Process

The call for paper proposals is the first step in the process of compiling high-quality research for the special issue. Senior authors of selected proposals will be invited to attend a two-day research workshop at the Upjohn Institute in Kalamazoo, MI to present their research questions, data sources, analytical methodology, preliminary results, and potential policy implications on this topic and receive feedback from other invited senior authors and outside experts. As the second step, authors will be given time to prepare their final manuscript on their chosen topic, which (once submitted) will be required to go through the journal’s peer review process for inclusion in the special issue.

Possible Topics

EDQ is seeking research proposals that will probe the fundamental questions related to the regional impact of the aging workforce and general population. Possible research areas could include:

How does the demand for older workers vary by region and to what extent does this variation explain differences in regional economic development?
Are individuals, in all age groups, less mobile than before and how is that impacting local economies?
What education and training policies and programs seem to be effective in increasing the labor participation rate of older/aging workers?
How are current employment policies impacting (positively or negatively) older/aging workers?
What would be the characteristics of an economic development initiative targeted toward older workers?
What industries are more likely to create employment opportunities and good wages for older/aging workers?
What is the impact of business-incentive economic development policies on an aging workforce?
Are there regional policies that can promote or enhance retirement persons back into productive employment? What are the implications of those policies?
9. Are there regional policies that can promote or enhance gradual retirement options, such as phased retirement, bridge employment, and reentry?
10. What role does workplace flexibility play in promoting economic development at the regional level, with an emphasis on older workers?

Of course, many other topics related to the general theme of the special issue may be offered.

Submission Guidelines

Interested authors should submit paper proposals not exceeding three pages, double-spaced, describing the proposed research, data, and methodology. The proposed research must address key issues and suggest policy implications that inform U.S. regional/state economic development practices. Authors must also submit a current curriculum vitae.

Submitted paper proposals should not have been previously published nor be currently under consideration for publication elsewhere.

Timeline

Paper proposals must be emailed to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by MARCH 1, 2019.

EDQ editors Timothy Bartik and George Erickcek will select authors based on their proposal submissions to participate in a two-day research workshop at the W.E. Upjohn Institute in Kalamazoo, Michigan, on May 9-10, 2019, where they will present their research questions, data sources, analytical methodology, preliminary results, and potential policy implications and receive feedback from invited discussants. A full paper is NOT expected at the May conference. We understand that the findings will be preliminary and encourage authors to revise their manuscripts as they receive constructive feedback from invited discussants. The senior author of the paper is expected to present at the workshop. Lodging will be paid for selected authors and transportation for selected authors will be reimbursed.

Authors will then be asked to submit their completed papers to EDQ no later than December 1, 2019. Papers will be required to go through the journal’s peer review process for inclusion in the special issue.

Paper proposals due by March 1, 2019
Selected authors notified by March 15, 2019
Workshop held on May 9-10, 2019
Completed research papers submitted to EDQ no later than December 1, 2019
Target release of EDQ special issue is November 2020 (but may be published online in advance)
Sponsors

The workshop is sponsored by the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research, a private, nonprofit, nonpartisan, independent research organization devoted to investigating the causes and effects of unemployment (www.upjohn.org). The Institute houses EDQ, which is published by Sage Publications, and both are committed to advancing applied research on economic development and workforce development that can inform policy and improve practices on those key topics.

https://journals.sagepub.com/pb-assets/cmscontent/EDQ/Call%20for%20Papers-Aging.pdf