The labor force, physical capital, and energy sources are key economic drivers that enhance the output levels of developing economies. Despite their significance, the impact of these factors on agricultural and industrial output in Pakistan remains underexplored. This study aims to address this gap by examining the effects of the labor force, physical capital, and energy consumption—including electricity, oil, and gas—on agricultural and industrial output. Additionally, we explore the combined effects of electricity and oil consumption on these sectors. Based on unit root test results, which indicate that the variables as either I(0) or I(1), the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) technique is selected. This method is particularly effective for handling mixed integration orders and provides robust estimates in small sample sizes, allowing for a thorough examination of both short- and long-run dynamics. Using annual time-series data from Pakistan for the period 1990–2022, the empirical results reveal that higher levels of the labor force, physical capital, electricity consumption, oil consumption, and gas consumption significantly increase agricultural and industrial output in both the short and long run. Furthermore, the findings reveal that the combined effect of electricity and oil consumption has a stronger impact on agricultural and industrial output compared to their individual effects. These results are further validated using alternative econometric techniques such as DOLS and FMOLS. To enhance Pakistan’s agricultural and industrial performance, policies should prioritize investment in human capital and physical capital development, ensure reliable and efficient energy supplies, and promote integrated energy management strategies. These steps are crucial for fostering sustainable economic growth and productivity in both sectors.

The labor force is a crucial factor in conducting economic activities, especially in labor-surplus countries like Pakistan. In this study, we explore the impact of labor force participation (LF) on economic growth (EG), with an emphasis on how this impact depends on the levels of health and education expenditures. We analyze time series data from Pakistan spanning from 1980 to 2022, using ARDL (Autoregressive Distributed Lag), ECM (Error Correction Model) and Granger causality techniques for empirical analysis. The ARDL results indicate that LF significantly boosts EG, both in the short and long run. Furthermore, the estimations reveal that better facilities for health and education strengthen the positive effects of LF on EG. This suggests a complementary relationship between health, education, and LF in driving EG. Moreover, our findings highlight the temporal significance of health and education: Health plays a more crucial role in the short run, while education’s impact is more substantial in the long run. Furthermore, the Granger causality results indicate that LF, health, and education significantly contribute to EG. It is advisable for the government to prioritize investments in the health and education sectors. This approach can empower individuals to actively and effectively participate in economic activities, eventually contributing to the overall economic output of the nation.

There is a growing concern about inappropriate waste disposal and its negative impact on human health and the environment. The objective of this study is to understand household waste segregation intention considering psychological, institutional, and situational factors simultaneously. Insights into the motivations of household waste segregation drivers may assist in a better knowledge of how to pursue the most efficient and effective initiatives. For this purpose, data from a representative sample comprising 849 households is obtained from the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi (Pakistan). The empirical analysis employs a Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) approach, showing that policy instruments have significant direct and indirect impacts on households’ segregation intentions. The results highlight that government policy instruments strengthen personal and perceived norms for waste segregation intentions, resulting in an external intervention that would encourage intrinsic motivation. Therefore, policy actions become the main entry point for initiating waste segregation behavior. Public policy must continue to emphasize waste segregation since it may help resource recovery. This is imperative because the environment is a shared resource, and its conservation increases social welfare.

Economic growth, although being a major quest of all the economies, is not an automatic phenomenon. Among its determinants, structural change in the form of reallocation of labour from low to high productivity sectors is of crucial importance. In view of the remarkable growth performance and unprecedented structural change of Asia in the last couple of decades, this paper empirically investigated the case of 20 selected Asian countries. By employing the data spanning from 1991 to 2018, the study shows three main results. First, by employing Shift Share Analysis framework, it reaffirms the findings of previous literature that structural change contributes to the aggregate productivity growth. Second, by utilizing Generalized Methods of Moments technique, the results find it to be an important booster of growth. Third, the results are reliable and consistent with alternative measures of structural change like Norm of Absolute Values and Modified Lilien Index. Taken together, these findings suggest that the governments in Asia (other regions like Africa and Latin America may alike) must chalk out policies for structural change promotion.