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The skill requirements of the circular economy

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  • Buyukyazici, Duygu
  • Quatraro, Francesco

Abstract

In response to global challenges related to resource scarcity and environmental concerns, the circular economy (CE) has emerged as a transformative model focused on resource efficiency and waste reduction. As the discourse around the CE intensifies, understanding the skill requirements of the CE becomes imperative for effective policy-making, workforce development, and regional competitiveness. This paper addresses the scarcity of quantitative methods on this aspect and proposes a conceptual and empirical framework to identify, analyse, and monitor the skill requirements of the CE through a comprehensive and reproducible approach based on relative skill advantage, skill relatedness, and skill complexity measures. Accordingly, it identifies the essential and complementary skills within the CE by constructing unique skill spaces and documents their regional variation.

Suggested Citation

  • Buyukyazici, Duygu & Quatraro, Francesco, 2025. "The skill requirements of the circular economy," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 232(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecolec:v:232:y:2025:i:c:s0921800925000424
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2025.108559
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    Cited by:

    1. Duygu Buyukyazici & Eva Coll-Martinez, 2024. "Skills Composition of the Cultural and Creative Industries and Regional Specialisation Opportunities," Papers in Evolutionary Economic Geography (PEEG) 2421, Utrecht University, Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Group Economic Geography, revised Jul 2024.
    2. Duygu Buyukyazici & Olivier Brossard & Ron Boschma, 2025. "Circular Economy Transition of European Regions: The Role of Regulative, Normative, and Cultural-Cognitive Institutions," Papers in Evolutionary Economic Geography (PEEG) 2513, Utrecht University, Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Group Economic Geography, revised May 2025.
    3. Giuseppe, Pernagallo & Quatraro, Francesco & Rubichi, Eleonora, 2025. "Mining a circularity index from non-financial reporting: the Italian case," Department of Economics and Statistics Cognetti de Martiis LEI & BRICK - Laboratory of Economics of Innovation "Franco Momigliano", Bureau of Research in Innovation, Complexity and Knowledge, Collegio 202503, University of Turin.
    4. Katarzyna Kowalska & Marzena Jankowska-Mihułowicz, 2025. "Cooperation of Manufacturing Companies with Business-to-Business Stakeholders in Poland in the Field of Circular Activities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(17), pages 1-24, August.

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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes
    • E24 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Employment; Unemployment; Wages; Intergenerational Income Distribution; Aggregate Human Capital; Aggregate Labor Productivity
    • Q01 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - General - - - Sustainable Development
    • Q50 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - General
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity

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