Labor market volatility in the meat processing sector

Digital transformation is the driving force of the present and near future. Scientific and technological advances make digital transformation change not only societies and businesses, but also entire national economies. This digital transformation is also referred to as the so-called fourth industrial revolution (Industry 4.0), which is in terms of technological progress directly follows previous industrial revolutions. All previous industrial revolutions influenced the labour market and changed the nature of the professions. That’s why the primary goal of this paper is to analyse the impact of Industry 4.0 on the labour market. In order to achieve this goal we have analysed the work of several authors and studies and enhanced it with the analysis of our own. Our own research was dedicated to answering the research question: Does the fourth industrial revolution have the same impact on employment in the same sectors of the national economies of the selected countries? In order to answer this question we used the correlation analysis to measure correlation coefficients between risk of job automation and employment in sectors of agriculture, services and industry in selected OECD countries. The main conclusions drawn from this paper are that risk of job automation in countries increases when their employment in sectors of agriculture and industry is relatively high and on the other hand this risk decreases when employment in sector of services is high.

This chapter explores the significance of energy efficiency in the meat and meat processing industry, discussing the obstacles and possibilities for decreasing energy usage while upholding product quality and safety. The meat industry is highly energy-intensive, particularly in the food processing sector. Significant energy consumption takes place during several stages, such as slaughtering, refrigeration, processing, and packing. This chapter examines methods for enhancing energy efficiency, such as developments in refrigeration technology, optimized processing procedures, and the integration of renewable energy sources. The text also explores the significance of energy management systems and automation in overseeing and diminishing energy consumption across different phases of meat processing. The chapter continues by providing a perspective on upcoming trends and advancements that have the potential to further improve energy efficiency in the meat processing industry.

Purpose of the research – To determine trends in employment and wages in the labor market of Kazakhstan, depending on the level of qualification.Methodology – The study was carried out by the desk method and consisted of two stages. At the first stage of the study, general indicators of employment and wages were analyzed, at the second - depending on the level of qualification. The source base was the statistical data of the Bureau of National Statistics of the Agency for Strategic Planning and Reforms of the Republic of Kazakhstan. A limitation of the study was the lack of data on employment by age and region, as well as the studied statistical data for a certain period of time. The main research methods were comparison, economic and statistical analysis, horizontal and vertical analysis.Originality / value of the research – The study of employment and wages is especially relevant in the post-pandemic period, since the pandemic and the acceleration of digital transformation associated with it had a noticeable impact on the labor market development. This study is aimed at filling a research gap in the study of employment and wages in Kazakhstan’s labor market, depending on the level of qualification.Findings - The following trends can be distinguished in the labor market of Kazakhstan: an increase in employment in the tertiary sector of the economy, an increase in employment in the sectors of highly qualified services, an increase in the share of highly qualified and highly educated employees in the total number of employees, an increase in employment among women, a decrease in employment in professions and specialties related to routine physical work and repetitive learning tasks, rapid wage growth for skilled workers, gender segregation, wage inequality, including gender.

The aim of this paper is to present the changes taking place in the labour market in the renewable energy sector in the period before the COVID-19 pandemic and to show the opportunities and threats for this sector as a result of the changes taking place. Therefore, the factors shaping employment in the renewable energy sector, global employment in the sector and the role of the value chain in shaping the local labour market were analysed on the ex-ample of photovoltaics. Basic methods of descriptive statistics were used for this purpose. A SWOT analysis for the renewable energy market in the context of COVID-19 considerations was also carried out.

The present paper draws on findings from an empirical study of migrant employment in the Austrian parcel logistics sector. It examines how the fragmentation of employment intersects with racialisation in the labour process, thereby hindering solidarity and resistance among workers and locking migrant workers into the lowest segments of the labour market. Theoretically, the contribution builds on the US debate on the ‘racialisation of labour’, which highlights the historical dimension of the (post-)colonial division of labour that continues to be reproduced within everyday labour processes. The central argument is that fragmented employment in the sector – through the division between core and peripheral workers and outsourcing via subcontractors – is sustained by the racialisation of migrants, as it establishes hierarchies within the labour process and perpetuates competition and exploitability. Furthermore, the concept of ‘racial management’ is expanded and differentiated by demonstrating how, in Austrian parcel logistics, not only low-level white ethnic ‘Austrian’ management, but also racialised fore(wo)men or subcontractors play a pivotal role in pitting differently racialised workers against one another.

The paper analyzes employment in Russia’s informal sector based on its spatial and dynamic characteristics. In recent years, the Russian labor market has been characterized by a steady growth of employment rates in the informal sector of the economy, high volatility and territorial differentiation of such employment, and its ambiguous effect on the gross value added and productivity. Given slowing economic growth and reduced productivity, this trend is by no means positive. The database for this study is based on Rosstat data from 83 Russian regions over the period between 2006 and 2020. The research explains the territorial and dynamic features of employment in the informal sector and classifies Russian regions by their employment situation in the informal sector of the economy. We hypothesize that the instability of the labor market is driven by higher rates of employment in the informal sector. To assess employment volatility in the informal sector, we identify the main trends of intersectoral labor mobility and evaluate their intensity. The results distinguish between regions with negative and positive effects. We also reveal problem regions experiencing the negative effects of intersectoral mobility and high or very high rates of employment in the informal sector. The findings can be used to diagnose and monitor regional labor markets, productivity dynamics, and changes in employment as well as to develop national employment programs to ensure the sustainable development of the labor market.

Employment and energy uncertainty

Статья посвящена анализу государственной политики занятости и анализу рынка труда в условиях пандемии на примере Якутии. Пандемия, вызванная COVID-19, стала причиной проявления неблагоприятных тенденций на рынке труда, включая снижение уровня реально располагаемых доходов, ростом уровня занятости, снижением уровня занятости в отраслях экономики. В статье проанализированы меры региональной политики и основные показатели рынка труда в Республике Саха (Якутия). Кризис на региональном рынке труда вызван не экономическими факторами, а вследствие локдауна, но благодаря мерам со стороны государства удалось удержать рынок занятости на определенном уровне, изменились формы занятости. Многие субъекты Российской Федерации, в том числе и субъект ДФО Якутия в период пандемии разработала меры поддержки и поддержала гибридные формы занятости. В целом в период пандемии меры государственной поддержки в сфере занятости характеризуются как активные, направленные на сохранение качества жизни населения регионов, в том числе и Саха (Якутии). The article is devoted to the analysis of state employment policy and the analysis of the labor market in pandemic conditions using the example of Yakutia. The pandemic caused by COVID-19 caused unfavourable trends in the labor market, including a decrease in the level of real disposable income, an increase in the level of employment, and a decrease in the level of employment in sectors of the economy. The article analyzes regional policy measures and the main indicators of the labor market in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). The crisis in the regional labor market is not caused by economic factors, but due to the lockdown, but thanks to measures by the state, it was possible to keep the employment market at a certain level, the forms of employment changed. Many subjects of the Russian Federation, including the subject of the Far Eastern Federal District Yakutia during the pandemic, developed support measures and supported hybrid forms of employment. In general, during the pandemic, measures of state support in the field of employment are described as active, aimed at preserving the quality of life of the population of the regions, including Sakha (Yakutia).

The economic crisis associated with the epidemiological situation in the other countries and in Russia in particular has a powerful impact on the level of employment now, and further, according to analysts, the situation will worsen. The unemployment rate is rising, along with the level of employment falling. The role of small business is not only to maintain balance in the labor market, create new jobs and absorb excess labor, but also to develop the economy and ensure the revenue of the state budget. However, to optimize their costs, employers go into the shadows. This problem has always existed; tax control measures have made it possible to solve it for the formal sector of the economy, though it still remains among small businesses. There is a need to develop, improve the efficiency of employment as well as research and optimization of precarious employment. The paper analyzes the category of “precarious employment” conducting a study of both employment and precarious employment in various businesses, identifies promising areas against precarization of employment. Proposals have been made to determine the category of precarious employment in small businesses, to increase the level of employment in certain sectors over the long term.

Real income, rising inflation and low levels of formal employment have a significant impact on consumers. This study has the objective to assess the impact of real income, inflation, productivity and low levels of employment on consumer in South Africa, which is a proxy for developing countries. This study is important due to the high levels of unemployment in South Africa and the fact that consumers are under immense pressure also due to rising inflation, low income levels, low levels of productivity and rising unemployment. The research is based on the Keynesian theoretical approach of aggregate demand where demand by consumers and other components of spending drives economic growth. A quantitative research methodology was utilized using quarterly time series data from 2000 to 2018. The study attempted to determine both the long and short-run relationship between the selected variables, using econometric models such as Johansen cointegration and ARDL models with consumer spending as dependent variable with real income, inflation, productivity and employment as independent variables. Results from the econometric analysis indicated long-run relationships between the variables. Results from a short-run perspective indicate that consumer spending in the short run is positively significant to employment, real income and inflation. Employment, both formal and informal employment should be facilitated and promoted by means of enabling environment policy development. Also, income levels for the lower income earners should be increased to enhance consumer spending and ultimately contributing to economic growth. It should also be a policy guideline to ensure growth in productivity is above growth in income.

The global trend is mass employment of the population in the informal sector of the economy. At the same time, only in economically developed countries of the world such workers have relatively good working conditions. At the current stage of development, Russia is among the group of actively economically developing countries of the world. Therefore, the improvement of the mechanism of state social protection of those employed in the informal sector of the economy remains an urgent relevant issue for our country, which, in turn, implies monitoring of the situation.The purpose of this study is to develop tools for such monitoring with the help of artificial intelligence (more precisely, modern machine learning methods). According to the results of cluster analysis carried out using the k-means method in the Python programming language, it was found that in modern Russia there is a high degree of differentiation of regions by the level of employment in the informal sector of the economy. At the same time, most of the subjects of the Russian Federation are characterised by the same situation as in economically developing countries of Eastern Europe (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Czech Republic). Four regions of Russia (from the North Caucasus Federal District) have an abnormally high level of employment in the informal sector of the economy comparable only with economically developing countries of Asia, Africa, North and South America. In the course of solving the classification problem using a modern machine learning method (LightGBM), the key factors affecting the level of employment in the informal sector of the economy of Russian regions were identified.According to the classification results, we can conclude that a cardinal change in the current situation is not expected in the future. Therefore, for modern Russia, it is necessary to improve the state social policy for a significant part of the regions.The results of the empirical study can be applied to improve the effectiveness of the state social policy of the Russian Federation. Thus, in particular, it will be possible to specify the amount of financial resources required for additional social support of the employed population of certain regions of our country.

The spread of informal employment is relevant for the labor market of the Russian Federation as a whole, and for its regions. The relevance of the research problem is associated with the lack of comparative data on the informal sector of the economy of the territories of the north and south of the Russian Federation. The reason for the growth of employment in the informal sector is associated with the devel-opment of the service sector and digitalization of the economy, increased competition in regional markets, which leads to the growth of flexible forms of employment. The purpose of the study is to assess the scale of employment in the informal sector in the northern and southern regions of Russia using a production approach. The work attempts to identify and assess the economic conditions affecting informal employment in the regions under consideration. The author examined three groups of conditions and selected indicators characterizing these conditions, which formed the basis for the analysis of employment dynamics in the informal sector. Panel data were collected on the basis of Rosstat information for recent years, maintaining comparability of data collection and processing methods. The study provides an assessment of employment in the informal sector for the regions of the south and north of the Russian Federation draws conclusions on the impact of the above groups of economic factors on employment in the informal sector in these regions. The relationship between per capita gross regional product and informal employment is revealed. The practical significance of the study lies in the fact that the results obtained may be in demand when assessing the processes of employment change during the development of strategies and programs for regional development. The prospects for further research are determined by a more in-depth analysis of the degree of influence of the current socio-economic situation on the level of employment in the regions.

Міжнародна співпраця, розбудова цифрової економіки і глобалізація ринків, у тому числі й ринку праці, стали причиною перерозподілу виробництв і трансформації сфери зайнятості. Національний ринок праці перебуває під впливом комбінованих тенденцій, які викликають неоднозначні ефекти для його інституційних суб’єктів. Держава стикається з низкою проблем, що гальмують формування такого ринку праці, який би відповідав сучасним економічним вимогам і соціальним викликам.Вивчено провали державного регулювання ринку праці та узагальнено їх за блоками; висвітлено за кожною групою (блоком) основні проблеми, вирішення яких визначатиме стратегічні напрями державної політики у сфері зайнятості. Використано такі методи дослідження, як системний аналіз, компаративний аналіз, структурно-функціональний аналіз, метод статистичних групувань, експертні оцінки тощо.Розглянуто систему провалів державного регулювання ринку праці. Її структуровано за узагальненими групами: інерційність розвитку і архаїчність структури зайнятості; атиповість адаптації ринку праці; диспропорційність попиту і пропозиції робочої сили; деструкція соціального діалогу на ринку праці; дохідна нерівність; низький рівень інфорсменту трудового законодавства. Для кожної групи, що характеризує провали державного регулювання ринку праці, визначено чинники формування, особливості прояву, можливі негативні наслідки й способи пом’якшення їх дії та шляхи виходу з них.Запропоновано напрями державної політики у сфері зайнятості, які формуватимуть унікальну можливість розпочати діяти по-новому, віддаючи пріоритет новим складовим, принципам, правилам взаємодії на ринку праці в умовах нестабільності та перманентної кризи. Підкреслено важливість цілепокладання стратегічного курсу державного регулювання відповідно до окреслених узагальнених груп, що визначає прояви дивергентності українського та європейського ринків праці.

ABSTRACTThe possible trade-off between employment and wages has characterised most of South Africa’s labour market debates, particularly with regards to decent wages versus unemployment. In this article we explore the relationship between labour market earnings and the level of employment among African birth cohorts using labour force data from 1997 to 2011. We find that the association between an increase in the proportion of unskilled employed in a birth cohort and earnings is mediated by the sector of employment. While some sectors exhibit the expected negative association, there is a robust positive relationship between the first two quartiles of the earnings distribution within birth cohorts and the proportion of the birth cohort who are employed in unskilled occupations in the manufacturing and trade sectors. Because a range of market forces determine this relationship, further research is needed to unpack the reasons for such varied outcomes in order to better inform the debates on labour market interventions like the proposed National Minimum Wage and to appreciate the potential impact of such policy interventions on wages and employment.

An Exploration on the Graduate Flexible Employees