https://ojs.umt.edu.pk/index.php/eer/issue/feed Empirical Economic Review 2025-10-08T10:44:55+00:00 Dr Hafeez-ur-Rehman [email protected] Open Journal Systems <p style="text-align: justify;">Empirical Economic Review (EER) is a multidisciplinary journal published by the Department of Economics and Statistics, Dr Hasan Murad School of Management (HSM), University of Management and Technology (UMT) Press, Lahore, Pakistan. EER brings forward the prevailing topics in the fields of economics, finance and public policy simulating a thought-provoking debate leading to an insight of theoretical and empirical research. Within this orientation, the journal provides a focus for theoretical, applied, interdisciplinary, history of thought, and methodological work with a strong emphasis on realistic analysis, the development of critical perspectives, the provision, and use of empirical evidence and construction of policy.</p> https://ojs.umt.edu.pk/index.php/eer/article/view/2110 Perceived Work Readiness among Graduates: A Case Study from Pakistan 2025-10-01T11:53:45+00:00 Shazia Ishaq [email protected] Zahid Asghar, Professor [email protected] <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;The current study aimed to examine graduates’ perceptions regarding their career readiness.<br>Moreover, it focused on gaps in digital literacy, technical skills, and labor market alignment. The<br>study collected data from 800 university students from all major provinces, such as Punjab,<br>Sindh, KPK, Baluchistan, Gilgit Baltistan (GB), and Kashmir. Using advanced methodologies,<br>such as correspondence analysis, factor analysis, and decision tree models, the results revealed<br>critical gaps in Artificial Intelligence (AI) awareness, practical competencies, and career<br>guidance among university students. It implied that Pakistan&amp;#39;s traditional education system is<br>unable to equip graduates for the technology-driven job market. The study recommended an<br>urgent need for educational reforms, emphasizing the integration of digital literacy,<br>entrepreneurship training, and enhanced career guidance.</p> 2025-06-30T00:00:00+00:00 ##submission.copyrightStatement## https://ojs.umt.edu.pk/index.php/eer/article/view/2213 Impact of Mansehra-Muzaffarabad-Mirpur (M3) Expressway on Tourism in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJ&amp;K) 2025-10-08T10:44:55+00:00 Surriya Khanum [email protected] Samina Sabir [email protected] <p>Roads serve as the major means of transportation for goods, services, and<br>mobility across Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJ&amp;amp;K), which also has<br>significant tourism potential. The construction of the M3 expressway<br>under China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is currently awaiting<br>government approval. Literature indicates that no study has examined the<br>impact of the CPEC project on tourism growth so far. Therefore, it is<br>essential to investigate its effect on tourist arrivals in AJ&amp;amp;K. The current<br>study aimed to explore residents’ perceptions regarding the impact of<br>constructing the Mansehra–Muzaffarabad–Mirpur (M3) expressway on<br>tourist inflow in AJ&amp;amp;K. Moreover, it assessed whether the M3 expressway<br>would improve connectivity in AJ&amp;amp;K. This research was motivated by the<br>existing gap in studies and the importance of understanding public opinion<br>on megaprojects. Furthermore, it helped in assessing local perspectives as<br>to how the construction of the M3 expressway influences tourist<br>movement and is valuable for policymakers to forecast the effects of new<br>road projects on tourism development in AJ&amp;amp;K. The study gathered<br>primary data from 200 local respondents across all three divisions of<br>AJ&amp;amp;K via a structured questionnaire, and the Binary Logit regression was<br>estimated using the Maximum Likelihood method. The findings suggested<br>that the construction of the M3 expressway under CPEC enhances<br>connectivity and boosts tourism in AJ&amp;K.</p> 2025-06-30T00:00:00+00:00 ##submission.copyrightStatement##