Changes In Employment Conditions Research Articles

Do Income and Employment Uncertainty Affect Couple Stability? Evidence for France During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Economic uncertainty and family dynamics are strictly connected. The increasing uncertainty generated by the Covid-19 pandemic is thus likely to affect couple relationships and stability, with potential opposite effects. Using data from the nationally representative EPICOV survey, that followed individuals throughout the first year of pandemic in France, we examined separation rates and how these were associated with different measures of employment and income uncertainty, including both pre-pandemic conditions and changes occurred during and after the first lockdown in Spring 2020 in France. Our results show increased rates of separation, especially among younger people, during the 6 months after the first lockdown, and a return to rates more similar to those observed in usual times, afterwards. Individuals who were unemployed and had lower income before the beginning of the pandemic were more likely to separate soon after the lockdown, while changes in employment conditions due to the lockdown were not linked with a higher separation risk. The job protection and the income compensation provided by the French state, as well a less stigmatising effect of unemployment occurred during the covid crisis, may explain the absence of effect. Self-declared deterioration in financial condition, especially when declared by men, was associated with higher separation risk for the whole year of observation.

Business groups’ internal labour markets and SME labour productivity

Labour market regulation constrains small and medium-sized enterprises’ (SMEs) ability to minimize redundant labour. However, it is often neglected that many SMEs might circumvent these constraints by accessing a business group’s internal labour market (ILM). In this study, we analyse whether SMEs with ILM access—i.e., with an increasing number of sister group companies in the same subnational region-industry—enjoy a labour productivity premium and whether this potential productivity premium depends on the bargaining power of labour. Because intra-group reallocation of redundant personnel often involves substantial changes in employment conditions, we argue that the value of ILM access might be reduced when the bargaining power of workers is high as they can oppose the reallocation or demand significant compensation. Using a panel of 119,801 European SMEs during 2011–2019 (639,675 firm-year observations), we find that SMEs with ILM access show relatively higher labour productivity. Further, our findings suggest that this productivity premium is higher in those contexts associated with lower labour bargaining power.

ریزش طبقه متوسط و تهی‌دستان نوظهور شهری (مطالعه موردی: تهران)

Recent statistics indicate that the inflation rate in Iran has increased significantly since 2017, which has resulted in several negative consequences for the Iranian population. A combination of changes in lifestyles, consumption patterns, and economic and cultural capital has resulted in an increase in financial vulnerability among the urban middle class. As a consequence, the middle class may collapse and a new urban poor may emerge. For the purpose of exploring this idea and analyzing the changes in the lifestyles of urban middle-class families, Pierre Bourdieu’s class analysis has been chosen to establish a link between lifestyle and class. Through qualitative research and grounded theory, the factors contributing to the collapse of the urban middle class and the emergence of the new urban poor have been identified. The collapse of the middle class has been attributed to a combination of unemployment, changes in employment conditions (part-time jobs, salary cuts, precarious employment, etc.), and the loss of economic and cultural capital. In the absence of effective legal protection and reduced government support, employers are able to alter working conditions and increase unemployment rates. A lack of financial resources in times of crisis (such as the cost of medical treatment, the purchase of essentials, rising rents, etc.) erodes people’s social and cultural capital, resulting in their loss of status. Because of economic sanctions, Iranian economies are experiencing structural crises and investment risks, which both contribute to unemployment and a decline in economic and cultural capital. The final focus of this paper is to discuss and analyze the consequences of the decline of the urban middle class. These include changes in lifestyle, poor housing, migration to the suburbs, expropriation of the masses, and marginalization of the workforce. Nonetheless, we acknowledge that, given the qualitative nature of this study, the limited number of interviewees, and the narrow scope of the study (e.g. Tehran city), more thorough and comprehensive research is required to generalize the findings.

The Inequitable Burden of the COVID-19 Pandemic Among Marginalized Older Workers in the United States: An Intersectional Approach.

ObjectivesThe COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly affected the lives of people globally, widening long-standing inequities. We examined the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on employment conditions by race/ethnicity, gender, and educational attainment and the association between such conditions and well-being in older adults in the United States.MethodsUsing data from the Health and Retirement Study respondents interviewed between May 2020 and May 2021 when they were ≥55 years of age, we examined intersectional patterns in COVID-19-related changes in employment conditions among 4,107 participants working for pay at the start of the pandemic. We also examined the compounding nature of changes in employment conditions and their association with financial hardship, food insecurity, and poor self-rated health.ResultsRelative to non-Hispanic White men with greater than high school education (>HS), Black and Latinx men and women were more likely to experience job loss irrespective of education; among those who did not experience job loss, men with ≤HS reporting Black, Latinx, or “other” race were >90% less likely to transition to remote work. Participants who experienced job loss with decreased income or continued in-person employment with decreased income/shift changes had greater prevalence of financial hardship, food insecurity, and poor/fair self-rated health than others.DiscussionThe impact of COVID-19 on employment conditions is inequitably patterned and is associated with financial hardship, food insecurity, and adverse health in older adults. Policies to improve employment quality and expand social insurance programs among this group are needed to reduce growing inequities in well-being later in life.

Examining the Impact of Two Dimensions of Precarious Employment, Vulnerability and Insecurity on the Self-Reported Health of Men, Women and Migrants in Australia.

Precarious employment is increasing and adversely affects health. We aimed to investigate how perception of precariousness in current employment impacts gender and migrant workers in Australia. Using cross-sectional interviews of 1292 workers born in Australia, New Zealand, India and the Philippines, data were collected on self-reported health, employment conditions and sociodemographics. Factor analysis of nine questions about perceptions of current employment revealed two dimensions, vulnerability and insecurity. Women had higher vulnerability scores (µ = 6.5 vs. µ = 5.5, t = 5.40, p-value (p) < 0.000) but lower insecurity scores (µ = 8.6 vs. µ = 9.3 t = −4.160 p < 0.0003) than men. Filipino-born workers had higher vulnerability compared with other migrant workers (µ = 6.5 vs. µ = 5.8 t = −3.47 p < 0.0003), and workers born in India had higher insecurity compared with other migrant workers (µ = 9.8 vs. µ = 8.9, t = −6.1 p < 0.0001). While the prevalence of insecurity varied by migrant status, the negative effect on health was higher for Australian-born workers than migrants. Increasing levels of vulnerability and insecurity impacted self-reported health negatively (Coefficient (Coef).0.34 p < 0.0001; Coef.0.25 p < 0.0001, respectively). The combination of high vulnerability and high insecurity had the greatest impact on health (Coef. 2.37 p = 0.002), followed by high vulnerability and moderate insecurity (Coef. 2.0 p = 0.007). Our study suggests that understanding both changes in employment conditions over time as well as knowledge of cultural patterns may offer the best chance of understanding the impact of precarious employment experiences.

Global precarious employment and health inequalities: working conditions, social class, or precariat?

Changes in employment conditions since the 1980s have been referred to as precarious employment, and terms like flexible, atypical, temporary, part-time, contract, self-employed, irregular, or non-standard employment have also been used. In this essay I review some of the current critiques to the precarious employment construct and advance some potential solutions for its use in epidemiology and public health.

Disentangling the Mortgage Arrears Crisis: The Role of the Labour Market, Income Volatility and Housing Equity

Despite various efforts to address the mortgage arrears crisis, arrears remain at an elevated level. Designing policies to deal with such high levels of distress requires a deep understanding of the precise sources of the problem. Efforts to date, however, have been hampered by a lack of appropriate data. This paper relies on two new and unique datasets which overcome such issues. Specifically, using a combination of administrative loan-level data and a detailed survey of mortgage holders, we assess the role of the labour market, income volatility and housing equity in the mortgage arrears crisis. The results provide new insights on mortgage distress in Ireland; unemployment and housing equity are key drivers, as shown by previous research. However, the results also show that many borrowers experiencing arrears are currently employed. Many of these borrowers have suffered a significant drop in their income, a change in employment conditions or are in fragile employment, i.e. they are on a temporary contract, have been with their employer for a short time or have a history of unemployment. This shows that the current mortgage crisis, and efforts to prevent a further deterioration, requires more than simply targeting unemployment. Rather, such efforts should also aim to strengthen overall labour market conditions and job security.

From the boom to the crisis: changes in employment conditions of immigrants in Spain and their effects on mental health

Migrant workers have been one of the groups most affected by the economic crisis. This study evaluates the influence of changes in employment conditions on the incidence of poor mental health of immigrant workers in Spain, after a period of 3 years, in context of economic crisis. Follow-up survey was conducted at two time points, 2008 and 2011, with a reference population of 318 workers from Colombia, Ecuador, Morocco and Romania residing in Spain. Individuals from this population who reported good mental health in the 2008 survey (n = 214) were interviewed again in 2011 to evaluate their mental health status and the effects of their different employment situations since 2008 by calculating crude and adjusted odds ratios (aORs) for sociodemographic and employment characteristics. There was an increased risk of poor mental health in workers who lost their jobs (aOR = 3.62, 95%CI: 1.64-7.96), whose number of working hours increased (aOR = 2.35, 95%CI: 1.02-5.44), whose monthly income decreased (aOR = 2.75, 95%CI: 1.08-7.00) or who remained within the low-income bracket. This was also the case for people whose legal status (permission for working and residing in Spain) was temporary or permanent compared with those with Spanish nationality (aOR = 3.32, 95%CI: 1.15-9.58) or illegal (aOR = 17.34, 95%CI: 1.96-153.23). In contrast, a decreased risk was observed among those who attained their registration under Spanish Social Security system (aOR = 0.10, 95%CI: 0.02-0.48). There was an increase in poor mental health among immigrant workers who experienced deterioration in their employment conditions, probably influenced by the economic crisis.

208 Changes in employment conditions and mental health during the economic crisis in migrant workers in Spain

ObjectiveEvaluate the influence of changes in employment conditions on mental health of migrant workers in Spain, in the context of economic crisis.MethodsFollow-up survey at two time points: 2008 and 2011,...

Work organization, job insecurity, and occupational health disparities

Changes in employment conditions in the global economy over the past 30 years have led to increased job insecurity and other work organization hazards. These hazards may play a role in creating and sustaining occupational health disparities by socioeconomic position, gender, race, ethnicity, and immigration status. A conceptual model was developed to guide the review of 103 relevant articles or chapters on the role of work organization and occupational health disparities identified through a comprehensive search conducted by NIOSH. A second review was conducted of employment and workplace policies and programs designed to reduce the health and safety risks due to job insecurity and other work organization hazards. There is consistent evidence that workers in lower socioeconomic or social class positions are exposed to greater job insecurity and other work organization hazards than workers in higher socioeconomic positions. Likewise, racial and ethnic minorities and immigrants are exposed to greater job insecurity. Limited research examining the effects of interventions targeting work organization hazards on disparities has been conducted; nonetheless, intervention strategies are available and evidence suggests they are effective. Job insecurity and work organization hazards play a role in creating and sustaining occupational health disparities. Employment and workplace policies and programs have the potential to reduce these hazards, and to reduce disparities.

Employment: The Fault Line in India's Emerging Economy

Poor employment conditions constitute the major fault line of India's emerging economy. Rapid economic growth over the three decades since early 1980s has not brought about any transformative change in employment conditions in the country. The modern, organised sector of India's dual economy recorded high output growth but failed to generate much employment with the result that the bulk of the work force continued to be in low-productivity jobs in the unorganised sector. It was only in the 5-year period beginning in 2005 that the employment conditions improved substantially. This also was a period of exceptionally high rate of GDP growth of close to 9 per cent per annum. Analysis suggests that it is only such high growth that can bring about substantive improvement in employment conditions. Economic growth in India has to be very high to be inclusive.

Report of the Executive Director

I Am Pleased to Report on the Association's Activities in 2009, a year in which the seventh edition of the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers was published. The new edition, sent free to members, contains significant updates to MLA citation style and offers an electronic component for the first time. Another project in 2009, the Academic Workforce Advocacy Kit on the MLA Web site, brings together documents that equip members to work for long-term change in employment conditions. New online benefits of MLA membership include the Directory of Periodicals, a customizable convention program, and self-nomination forms for committee membership. Although the MLA, like all associations and academic institutions, has felt the effects of the economic recession, our membership and finances remained strong in 2009.

Work Arrangements in New Zealand: First Results from the Survey of Working Life

Work arrangements in New Zealand have changed substantially in the last 30 years, leading to increased diversity in contracting arrangements, hours and times worked, and terms and conditions of employment. This paper describes the current work arrangements, employment conditions and job satisfaction levels of employed people in New Zealander from data collected in the Survey of Working Life. The survey was run as a supplement to the Household Labour Force Survey in the March 2008 quarter, to answer questions such as: 'How prevalent is casual work in New Zealand?', 'How many employed people work non-standard hours?’ and 'Who is most likely to experience stress or discrimination at work?’ The focus o f the data analysis is to identify workers with different types of employment relationships (for example, temporary versus permanent employees), and describe the demographic and job characteristics associated with these different employment relationships. Working-time patterns and conditions of employment are the other key topics examined in this paper. It is intended that this supplement be repeated every three years to monitor changes in employment conditions, work arrangements and job quality in New Zealand.

Protecting Vulnerable Workers: How Public Policy and Private Employers Shape the Contemporary Low-Wage Work Experience

This paper presents a conceptual approach to understanding how government and private employers shape the employment experiences of contemporary low-wage workers. After reviewing recent changes in employment conditions that have disproportionately affected poor working families, we present two perspectives on the structural vulnerability for low-wage workers: policy and organizational stratification. The stratification approach suggests that public policy and private workplace practices interact with workers' personal and family circumstances to shape the outcomes of low-wage employment. Applying these lenses to restaurant workers, we examine why and how some workers may be uniquely disadvantaged by emerging proposals to change minimum wage laws. Promising directions for intervention are also discussed.

Stable predictors of job satisfaction, psychological strain, and employee retention: An evaluation of organizational change within the New Zealand Customs Service.

Recent changes in employment conditions have resulted in the increased exposure of workers to unfavorable job characteristics and to consequential increases in adverse individual and organizational health outcomes. In this article the authors evaluate the steps undertaken by one proactive employer to reduce these adverse outcomes. Three organization-wide surveys (n 350, 316, and 405) were conducted over a 3-year period within the New Zealand Customs Service to determine the influence of perceived job conditions on individual and organizational health outcomes. Staff retention and employee satisfaction significantly improved over time and these increases were attributable to workplace improvements. Stable predictors of job satisfaction included minor daily stressors, positive work experiences, job control, and perceived supervisor support.

An Assessment of Changes in Employment Conditions in Less Developed Countries

Among the problems considered to be most pressing among less developed countries (LDCs) is that of employment. The popular and professional literature is replete with references to an alleged failure of economic development to provide a sufficient number of new employments to absorb rapidly growing labor forces. Expressions of fear that a low absorptive capacity would lead to a deterioration in the quality of employment or to an increase in open and disguised unemployment have now been converted into assertions that employment conditions have been worsening generally in LDCs.1 What is notable about these assertions is that they are undocumented, that is, they lack an empirical foundation. Few would argue with an assertion that employment conditions in LDCs are precarious for many, for, after all, this is one of the conditions by which we can distinguish LDCs from DCs. However, to go beyond such an observation to an assertion that employment conditions have actually been deteriorating would seem to require more than a simple statement that it is so in order to establish it as truth.

Australian Trade Unions and Postwar Immigration: Attitudes and Responses

The reaction of the Australian trade union movement to the new phases of immigration in the post-World War II period is examined. The responses were by no means uniform in reflecting political, industrial and craft divisions amongst unions and changes in employment conditions. Attention will focus on central trade union bodies, principally the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) and the Labor Council of New South Wales. Some mention will also be made of the situation in particular unions and attempts by migrant workers to organise and act independently of established unions. The con clusion is that the trade unions' attitude to migrants should be related to the concurrent industrial problems, trade union tradition and the constraints of the compulsory arbitration system.