TY - RPRT T1 - The German Labor Market for Older Workers in Comparative Perspective Y1 - 2015 A1 - Heywood, John S. A1 - Uwe Jirjahn KW - ageism KW - deferred compensation KW - discrimination KW - Germany KW - older workers KW - productivity AB -

This paper focuses on the German labor market for older workers. It does so in comparison with other countries and with a unique focus on the role of employer incentives for retaining and hiring older workers. It argues that while employment of older German workers has improved due to changes in government policy, the labor market for older workers remains characterized by far less mobility and opportunity. While we recognize the potential explanations of reduced productivity and age discrimination, we review evidence pointing to the importance of life-cycle contracts. These contracts can be efficient but typically imply that older workers will have difficulty being re-hired into career jobs after separation. We suggest that attempts to reduce or eliminate such life-cycle contracts are likely to be counter-productive but suggest how other countries, particularly Japan, have dealt with this issue.

PB - University of Trier, Department of Economics, Research Papers in Economics No. 2/15 CY - Trier, Germany University of Trier, Department of Economics L2 - eng UR - https://www.uni-trier.de/fileadmin/fb4/prof/VWL/EWF/Research_Papers/2015-02.pdf ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Labor Market Regulations and Outcomes in Sweden: A Comparative Analysis of Recent Trends Y1 - 2015 A1 - Hulya Ulku A1 - Silvia Muzi KW - labor market regulations and flexibility KW - productivity KW - temporary employment KW - unemployment KW - wage determination AB -

This paper analyzes recent trends in Sweden’s labor market regulations in relation to comparator economies and examines the relationship between labor market regulations and outcomes. The paper finds that the Swedish labor market responded more rapidly to the recent global financial crisis than the majority of the European Union economies, which helped Sweden to recover quickly. Sweden’s hiring regulations are more flexible than those of many comparator economies, however, fixed-term contracts of short duration might have adverse consequences for the economy. In addition, Sweden’s regulations on work during the weekly holidays and mandatory paid annual leave are stricter than those of the majority of comparator economies. Moreover, among the economies of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Sweden has one of the largest differences in employment protection between permanent and temporary employees, which could lead to a segmented labor market, where insiders enjoy high job security and outsiders are largely marginalized. This could be cause for concern, given that Sweden has a higher share of involuntary temporary workers among youth and involuntary part-time workers than both the Nordic and European Union averages. While protecting employees is important, excessive protection, particularly if it differs across different types of employment contracts, has been shown to have adverse effects on welfare and economic performance.

PB - Development Economics Global Indicators Group CY - Washington, D.C. L2 - eng UR - http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2015/04/02/090224b082d2a86e/1_0/Rendered/PDF/Labor0market0r0sis0of0recent0trends.pdf ER - TY - JOUR T1 - China's “Labour Shortage” and Migrant Workers' Lack of Social Security JF - International Labour Review Y1 - 2014 A1 - Wang, Zhikai KW - China KW - labor shortage KW - productivity KW - rural migration KW - social security KW - workers’ rights AB -

Since 2004, the massive flow of surplus rural labour in China has dried up; indeed, the country's eastern coastal region is currently experiencing a “labour shortage”. This phenomenon, which is bound up with China's ongoing economic and social development, has arisen because migrant workers have little or no social security in China. Rather than a labour shortage, there is in fact still a huge rural labour surplus. If the system governing migrant workers' social security and labour rights were improved, this could ease the apparent labour shortage and solve firms' employment problems, thereby increasing productivity and supporting China's long-term economic growth.

VL - 153 L2 - eng CP - 4 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Class Power and China’s Productivity Miracle: Applying the Labor Extraction Model to China’s Industrial Sector, 1980-2007 JF - Review of Radical Political Economics Y1 - 2014 A1 - Piovani, Chiara KW - China KW - productivity KW - time-series KW - wage share AB -

This paper aims to assess the relationship between industrial productivity and industrial wage share in China between 1980 and 2007, and to identify the determinants of the industrial wage share over the same period. The results suggest that the market reforms in China have led to a reduction of workers’ bargaining power, which in turn explains both the rapid productivity increase and the steady decline in the wage share observed since the beginning of the reforms. The results also suggest that privatization, labor market informalization, and retreat of the state from social provisioning are key factors explaining the decline in the wage share. The current Chinese model of development, however, is unsustainable for economic, social, and environmental reasons, and a sustainable model of development is likely to require a more egalitarian income distribution.

VL - 46 L2 - eng CP - 3 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Who Do Unions Target? Unionization over the Life-Cycle of U.S. Businesses (IZA Discussion Paper No. 8416) Y1 - 2014 A1 - Emin Dinlersoz A1 - Jeremy Greenwood A1 - Henry Hyat KW - Bayesian learning KW - diffusion of unionization KW - productivity KW - union certification election KW - union organizing KW - unionization AB -

What type of businesses do unions target for organizing? A dynamic model of the union organizing process is constructed to answer this question. A union monitors establishments in an industry to learn about their productivity and decides which ones to organize and when. An establishment becomes unionized if the union targets it for organizing and wins the union certification election. The model predicts two main selection effects: unions secure elections in larger and more productive establishments early in their life-cycles, and among the establishments that experience an election, unions are more likely to win in smaller and less productive ones. These predictions find support in union certification election data for 1977-2007 matched with data on establishment characteristics. Other empirical regularities pertaining to union organizing are also documented.

PB - Institute for the Study of Labor CY - Bonn, Germany L2 - eng UR - http://ftp.iza.org/dp8416.pdf ER - TY - BOOK T1 - What Do Unions Do? A Twenty Year Perspective Y1 - 2007 A1 - Bennett, J. A1 - Kaufmann, B. KW - benefits KW - decline of unions KW - dispute resolution KW - economic theory KW - income inequality KW - job satisfaction KW - productivity KW - wages AB -

One of the best-known and most-quoted books ever written on labor unions is What Do Unions Do? by Richard Freeman and James Medoff. Published in 1984, the book proved to be a landmark because it provided the most comprehensive and statistically sophisticated empirical portrait of the economic and socio-political effects of unions, and a provocative conclusion that unions are on balance beneficial for the economy and society.

The present volume represents a twentieth-anniversary retrospective and evaluation of What Do Unions Do? The objectives are threefold: to evaluate and critique the theory, evidence, and conclusions of Freeman and Medoff; to provide a comprehensive update of the theoretical and empirical literature on unions since the publication of their book; and to offer a balanced assessment and critique of the effects of unions on the economy and society. Toward this end, internationally recognized representatives of labor and management cover the gamut of subjects related to unions.

Topics covered include the economic theory of unions; the history of economic thought on unions; the effect of unions on wages, benefits, capital investment, productivity, income inequality, dispute resolution, and job satisfaction; the performance of unions in an international perspective; the reasons for the decline of unions; and the future of unions. The volume concludes with a chapter by Richard Freeman in which he assesses the arguments and evidence presented in the other chapters and presents his evaluation of how What Do Unions Do? stands up in the light of twenty years of additional experience and research. This highly readable volume is a state-of-the-art survey by internationally recognized experts on the effects and future of labor unions. It will be the benchmark for years to come. (publisher's statement)

PB - Transaction Publishers CY - New Brunswick, NJ L2 - eng ER - TY - BOOK T1 - What Do Unions Do? Y1 - 1984 A1 - R. Freeman A1 - J.L. Medoff KW - collective bargaining KW - economic inequality KW - organizing KW - productivity KW - unionization KW - work force KW - workplace AB -

Argues that unions play a beneficial role in improving the workplace, increasing productivity, reducing economic inequality, and stabilizing the work force

PB - Basic Books CY - New York SN - 0465091334 L2 - eng ER -