At the margin, these factors...

English translation: Though these factors may seem insignificant, yet they can weigh...

20:22 Apr 11, 2018
English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Bus/Financial - Investment / Securities / (Urgent) Financial article
English term or phrase: At the margin, these factors...
Context:

Higher degrees of inequality are also correlated with increased levels of societal mistrust, substandard educational outcomes, poor health and stress.
At the margin, these factors can weigh on productivity and thereby dampen a country’s economic trajectory.

I believe that here "at the margin" probably has a general meaning, perhaps "In addition", or "In turn" or "Moreover"??

However, I am not sure. I will very much appreciate your help, thanks in advance!
Rebeca Martín Lorenzo
Spain
Local time: 10:45
Selected answer:Though these factors may seem insignificant, yet they can weigh...
Explanation:
This is the first meaning that struck to my mind while reading, especially with the use of "weigh" after "margin", which I understood as "Though these factors may seem insignificant (at the margin), yet they have a weight (can affect) on productivity and thus slow down the country's economic trajectory."
Selected response from:

Hazem Zaki
Egypt
Local time: 11:45
Grading comment
Many thanks, now yours seems the most sensible answer to me
3 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
4 +1Though these factors may seem insignificant, yet they can weigh...
Hazem Zaki
4these factors can have a marginal influence/weigh marginally on
David Hollywood
Summary of reference entries provided
Dictionary
Henry Schroeder

Discussion entries: 14





  

Answers


1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
at the margin, these factors...
Though these factors may seem insignificant, yet they can weigh...


Explanation:
This is the first meaning that struck to my mind while reading, especially with the use of "weigh" after "margin", which I understood as "Though these factors may seem insignificant (at the margin), yet they have a weight (can affect) on productivity and thus slow down the country's economic trajectory."

Hazem Zaki
Egypt
Local time: 11:45
Native speaker of: Arabic
PRO pts in category: 3
Grading comment
Many thanks, now yours seems the most sensible answer to me

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Ahmed El-Sayed
9 hrs
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5 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
at the margin, these factors...
these factors can have a marginal influence/weigh marginally on


Explanation:
I would suggest

David Hollywood
Local time: 06:45
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 24
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Reference comments


51 mins peer agreement (net): +2
Reference: Dictionary

Reference information:
a limit in condition, capacity, etc., beyond or below which something ceases to exist, be desirable, or be possible:
the margin of endurance; the margin of sanity.

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Note added at 1 hr (2018-04-11 21:47:43 GMT)
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To be honest with you, I am not sure what the author is trying to say.

It might be "In extreme cases,..." which would make sense and is indirectly suggested by this reference.

At least in my world of English (in America) I am not familiar with the formulation in your sentence.


    Reference: http://www.dictionary.com/browse/margin
Henry Schroeder
United States
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
Note to reference poster
Asker: Dear Henry, thanks for your contribution. However I am not sure I get what you mean. Are you perhaps suggesting my sentence may mean that (these factors), even in small amounts -so to say- can weigh on productivity...?

Asker: Many thanks, Henry. I have found a translation in German which in English means precisely "On extreme cases", so I am going to base my translation on your suggestion. Have a nice day!


Peer comments on this reference comment (and responses from the reference poster)
agree  philgoddard: Yes, "in extreme cases", or "in the worst case".
1 hr
  -> Hi Philgoddard, Have you ever heard or seen this, however? I have to confess that this formulation is completely unfamiliar to me.
agree  NishantM
4 days
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