Employment Policy Research Articles

Hidden Behind the Curtains of Inequality in Tehran

In 2018, during a garbology project in Tehran, a bundle of documents was found in a waste container in a middle-class district. The papers included the daily reports of two marketers working in the private healthcare system as well as some documents listing the salaries of private laboratory staff. As most marketers in the private healthcare system in Iran are young females, the documents indicate how the employment policy of the government has impacted the lives and career paths of educated women, so that they now must work long hours under temporary contracts. The documents also reveal some of the mechanisms of the private system, such as arrangements between physicians and private labs, and expose the complications of marketers’ daily living. In this article, the authors examine the documents and garbage bags attributed to single working women, in order to portray the everyday lives of these female marketers.

Labour market gender gaps and childcare policies in countries with different social investment strategies

AbstractWe study the role of formal and informal childcare within the ECEC policies for gender employment and pay gaps, considering the life course stages distinctive for childcare tasks. The ECEC policies are framed within the types of social investment strategies identified in the EU countries to picture developments in social investments after 2005. The aggregated EU‐SILC data from 2005 to 2019 for 27 European countries have been used in the panel regression models to uncover how the caring arrangements influence labour market gendered outcomes of women at different ages (15–24, 25–49, 50–65). We find that better provision and use of early education and childcare not only contribute to early investment in human capital but it also facilitates mothers' employment and thus contributes to lowering gender employment and pay gaps. However, better coverage of care for children older than 3 years old results in negative employment effects for grandmothers. These effects vary also across countries, depending on their overall institutional setting depicted by the types of social investment strategies distinguished. Consequently, the ECEC agenda should be extended by addressing the employment of women at the pre‐retirement age. It is crucial not only for reducing gender gap in employment and pay but also in the light of challenges generated by demographic developments—the labour force shrinking and the population ageing processes.

Research On Opportunities, Challenges and Countermeasures of Employment Security for Persons with Disabilities in The Digital Era

With the arrival of the digital era, the traditional employment model is undergoing transformation and upgrading, and how to improve the employment security system for people with disabilities in the digital era has attracted social attention. This paper analyzes the significance of promoting the employment of people with disabilities, and points out the opportunities contained in policy assistance, digital empowerment and Internet training for the employment of people with disabilities in the digital era. At the same time, we must also face up to the challenges of insufficient employment policy protection, insufficient attention to human capital, and unequal access to digital information. In view of this, this paper proposes feasible coping strategies, aiming to provide insights for the employment security of persons with disabilities in the digital era in China and lighten the path of employment for persons with disabilities.

Discussing the Reshaping of Employment Structure by Artificial Intelligence: Opportunities and Challenges

This paper first introduces the development trend of AI, including more powerful and universal models, deep integration with various fields, the rise of reinforcement learning, integration with edge computing, the importance of AI ethics, the development of embodied robots, and the popularization of AI applications. At the same time, the importance of changes in employment structure was emphasized, such as optimizing human resource allocation, promoting industrial upgrading and transformation, enhancing the quality and skills of workers, promoting economic structural adjustment, and narrowing regional development gaps. Then, the opportunities brought by artificial intelligence were analyzed, such as the emergence of new professions related to data and algorithms and models, as well as the demand for digital skill enhancement and cross-domain skill integration. Then, the challenges brought by artificial intelligence were discussed, such as job substitution (repetitive and regular job positions) and employment polarization (the potential impact of the growth in demand for high skilled talent and the dilemma and polarization of low skilled workers). Finally, strategies to address the challenges were proposed, covering education and training reform (curriculum system adjustment, vocational training strengthening, and enhancing employment competitiveness) and policy guidance and protection (employment policy adjustment, social security improvement).

The employee and their social security in flexible forms of employment on the example of Poland – selected issues. Part I

The regulation of employment and social policy – with safe and secure conditions of employment in terms of remuneration, safe employment conditions, protection in the event of dismissal, social dialogue, personal data protection, work-life balance, and finally a healthy, safe and well-adjusted work environment – constitutes the foundations of decent working conditions. At the same time, the task of a democratic state is to adjust the dynamically changing economic and market realities to ensure the maximum level of protection in the areas mentioned above relevant to each employee. This situation is also due to the radically progressing digitization that is changing the challenges of the modern labour market. In this article, the author endeavours to address the social security issue of selected flexible (atypical) forms of employment, including employee and non-employee forms of employment. The author chose fixed-term contracts and employment on digital platforms as the subject of analysis, while remaining aware of the multifaceted nature of social security. In this paper, she defends the thesis that the so-called “flexibility of employment relations” should be subject to the broader impact of social security regulations in situations where there are no normative obstacles to them being extended.

Labor Market Reforms and Youth Unemployment

Purpose: The general purpose of the study was to examine labor market reforms and youth employment.
 Methodology: The study adopted a desktop research methodology. Desk research refers to secondary data or that which can be collected without fieldwork. Desk research is basically involved in collecting data from existing resources hence it is often considered a low cost technique as compared to field research, as the main cost is involved in executive’s time, telephone charges and directories. Thus, the study relied on already published studies, reports and statistics. This secondary data was easily accessed through the online journals and library.
 Findings: The findings reveal that there exists a contextual and methodological gap relating to labor market reforms and youth employment. The study illuminated the intricate relationship between labor market reforms and youth unemployment, revealing both opportunities and challenges in tackling this issue. Analyzing empirical evidence from various studies provided insights into the effectiveness of different reform measures across different contexts. While some reforms, such as flexibility promotion and investment in human capital, showed promise in enhancing youth employment, others had mixed results. Future research directions include exploring interactions between labor reforms and macroeconomic factors and conducting longitudinal studies. Overall, the study emphasized the importance of nuanced reform approaches for inclusive economic growth, requiring collaboration among stakeholders and ongoing research for evidence-based policymaking.
 Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The Dual Labor Market theory, Human Capital theory and the Institutional theory may be used to anchor future studies on labor market reforms and youth unemployment. The study provided a comprehensive set of recommendations to address the challenges identified. These recommendations included adopting a multifaceted approach to labor market reforms, prioritizing investments in education and skills development, and fostering collaboration between stakeholders. The study emphasized the importance of active labor market policies (ALMPs), continuous monitoring and evaluation of reforms, and addressing structural barriers to youth employment. Additionally, policymakers were urged to prioritize youth entrepreneurship, enhance collaboration and knowledge sharing, and promote inclusive decision-making processes. Overall, the study offered practical strategies for policymakers, contributed to theory by highlighting the importance of evidence-based policymaking and stakeholder engagement, and informed future policy efforts to tackle youth unemployment effectively.
 Keywords: Labor Market, Reforms, Youth, Unemployment, Employment Policies, Economic Policy, Labor Force Participation

Examination of Provinces in Türkiye about Sectoral Employment Share by Cluster Analysis

The significance of regional dynamics in the process of economic development and regional development has increased as a result of significant factors like competitiveness, human resource development, and observation of the global market. In this study, mathematical programming-based cluster analysis has been conducted to group the regions in Türkiye according to sectoral employment rates. A mixed integer mathematical model is presented that maximizes the smallest of the out-of-cluster distances while minimizing the largest within-cluster distance. Level 2- 26 sub-regions in Türkiye are clustered according to sectoral employment data for 2021 and 2022. As a result, two clusters were obtained for both years in our country according to employment status by gender on a sectoral basis. One of these clusters is where the employment rate of the agricultural sector is higher than other sectors, and the other is where the employment rate of the industrial and service sectors is higher. When the 2021 and 2022 clusters are compared, in total, TR22, TR32, TR33, TRC3; in men, TR21, TR22, TR32, TR52, TR81; In women, it was observed that TRC1 regions were assigned to different clusters. By implementing a successful employment policy as human resource development across the national government, it will be possible to ensure the balanced growth of provinces located in Türkiye's various geographical areas.

О политике занятости в Китайской Народной Республике, реализуемой в отношении работников, имеющих ученую степень

The article analyzes the main characteristics of the employment policy in the People’s Republic of China im-plemented by the authorities in relation to employees with an academic degree. The main features of the em-ployment policy in China are highlighted. A general description of the conditions of employment of employees of the studied category in China is given. It is noted that they form the top of the professional hierarchy in the People’s Republic of China, since they have competencies that are not available to specialists who have com-pleted bachelor’s and master’s degree programs. Among them: the ability to independent professional actions, creativity, research activity, analytical basis of activity. The key problems associated with the implementation of the state employment policy in relation to employees with an academic degree are identified, mainly due to the ambiguity of government support programs for graduate students, the network principle of their employment, and the lack of criteria for determining the effectiveness of their work. Appropriate proposals are formulated to optimize the state employment policy for this category of workers.

Activation policy: bruised and battered but still standing

Abstract Policies aimed at upskilling, motivating and/or disciplining the unemployed have remained a cornerstone of most OECD countries’ employment policies since the 1990s. Central to these policies is the idea of activation – i.e. the premise that benefit entitlement is conditional on one’s participation in some kind of activity. This article seek to understand how this idea of activation has proven so enduring by analyzing the international development of Activation Policies since 1990 through the lens offered by the concept of ideational robustness. It is analyzed how the robustness of the idea of activation has been continuously challenged through critiques raised against the effects, the legitimacy and the relevance of activation policies. Yet, in each of these moments of contest, proponents of the idea of activation succeeded in keeping the idea relevant as a point of reference for policymaking. They did so by rebalancing disciplinary and enabling approaches to activation, adding a new scope of application for activation policies, and rearticulating the underlying assumption about client agency. The analysis further reveals how these robustness mechanisms succeeded in appropriating the critiques due to their inscription within the technical and seemingly de-political language concerning effect evaluations, implementation deficits, and new forms of governance. Policymakers were thereby able to downplay normative questions of the legitimacy, fairness, and justice of activation policies. The idea of activation has thus taken on a status as an objective to be implemented as effective and efficiently as possible rather than as an idea to be discussed or challenged. However, while the idea of activation remains robust, the same cannot be said of the governance and implementation structures of activation policies. Our study suggest that the near-constant reforms of these governance arrangements and implementation structures during the last 30 years are partly a consequence of critique being skewed from the idea of activation to these structures and arrangements. The robustness of the idea of activation has thus, rather paradoxically, come about by reducing the robustness of specific activation policies and governance arrangements.

Employment Policy, Employment Capital, and Employment Intention of Guangdong Private College Students

The purpose of this study is to explore the employment intention of private college students in Guangdong, and to analyze the relationship between employment policy, employment capital and employment intention, in order to promote the employment and economic development in Guangdong. The study adopted a quantitative approach, using an online questionnaire to survey 612 students, using a variety of data analysis tools to ensure research rigor. It is found that attitude has a significant impact on employment policy and subjective norms on employment capital and employment intention, and employment capital plays an intermediary role in the relationship between these two pairs. The findings deepen our understanding of how individual attitudes, social norms, and employment capital work together to shape employment intentions, highlight the importance of cultivating positive employment attitudes and supportive social norms to enhance employment capital, and provide targeted interventions and policy recommendations for education and employment stakeholders to improve employment outcomes.

ORGANIZATIONAL PSYCHOLOGICAL BULLYING: THE PLIGHT OF THE YOUTH AND THE PHYSICALLY IMPAIRED

This research critically examined organizational psychological bullying directed towards vulnerable individuals, namely the youth and the physically impaired, who face difficulties accessing employment opportunities globally. Unlike prior studies that focused on internal organizational bullying, this research investigated external factors beyond organizational structures. By conducting desktop research, the study aimed to provide insights that support a more inclusive work culture. The study developed the 60/30 model, proposing retirement at the age of 60 or after 30 years of service to promote inclusivity in the labor market, especially for historically marginalized individuals. It recommended that governments amend labor laws, review employment policies, and collaborate with stakeholders to create customized employment initiatives. Moreover, it suggested further research using quantitative or mixed methods approaches to validate these findings. The study further advocates positive transformations within the industrial and organizational psychology by advancing workplace diversity and inclusivity.
 Keywords: Marginalized Individuals, Organizational Bullying, Physically Impaired, Psychology, Victims, Youth.

The regional shifts in public employment: Russian Arctic

The paper examines the issue of enhancing the efficiency of regional public employment systems. A region's sectoral employment pattern serves as an indicator of its socioeconomic development level. Understanding structural shifts occurring in response to inter-industry labor flows is critical to achieve effective employment policies. In this study, we propose a classification of economic sectors that uses as key criterion the impact on public employment of structural shift components (national share, industrial mix, regional shift) and can be used as a tool for evaluating the effectiveness of regions’ sectoral policies and for identifying industries with potential for job creation. The analysis demonstrates the significance of Groups 1–3economic sectors, for which the local share is positive and exceeds the national and industry mix share, in the efforts to increase regional employment. We evaluate the employment potential of the Russian Arctic regions’ economic sectors through identifying their core industries and relative concentration. By using as example the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), we demonstrate the scholarly and practical value of the proposed classification in enhancing the effectiveness and objectivity of local sectoral policies. We further provide the analysis of share the national, sectoral, and regional factors represent in sectoral employment shift, and present the industries that have played a dominant role in the Republic of Sakha's employment growth. Using the proposed classification, we evaluate the efficiency of the employment policy of the region under study and propose recommendations for growth in sectoral employment.

Impact of fiscal policies on the labor market with search friction: An estimated DSGE model for Japan

This study investigates the effects of heterogenous fiscal policies on Japan's labor market amidst increasing national debt and economic downturns. We develop a Dynamic Stochastic General Equilibrium model incorporating labor market search friction, staggered wage negotiation, price stickiness and productive government employment. This model is used to compare the impacts of multiple fiscal policies—including government employment spendings, direct government expenditures, and tax cuts—on employment. The model, estimated with macroeconomic data of Japan spanning 1985 to 2019, offers a detailed look at how fiscal policies influence employment dynamics.Our analysis shows that increasing employment within the government sector significantly lowers unemployment rates, with a long-term unemployment reduction effect (multiplier) of −0.4. Collectively, all fiscal policies contribute to 23.96 % of the employment rate fluctuations, with government employment policies playing a dominant role, accounting for 8.55 % of these variations. This underscores the significant stabilizing effect of government employment policies in the labor market and their capacity to boost private sector employment through enhanced household income and increased private sector productivity. This research not only sheds light on the critical role of public sector interventions during economic downturns but also enhances our understanding of the effectiveness of Japan's fiscal policies.

Work and Employment Practices in an Intriguing Sub-Saharan Context: Unpacking Salient Endogenous Traits

Although cultural beliefs and practices have been shown as essential drivers of organizational employment policies and practices, the role of endogenous traits in managing employees in organizations in Africa has received less attention in research. We address this gap by employing an exploratory qualitative study approach to ascertain how Sub-Saharan African cultural norms and values shape the design and implementation of human resource management (HRM) in local and foreign-owned organizations in Cameroon. Data were drawn from key stakeholders, including human resource (HR) managers, trade union officials, staff representatives, and top management performing HR and strategy duties. The evidence delineates four major endogenous (socioculturally anchored) organizational HRM phenomena and their relevance for the organizations, employees, and the local community. This paper argues that the observed endogenous work and employment practices serve as the “glue” between organizational stakeholders, beget immense reverence, enhance employees’ experience and well-being, and are appropriate caryatids of modern organizational HRM in Africa.

Economic growth, structural changes and employment linkages in India

PurposeIndia started economic reforms at a rapid pace to catch up the world economy by following the services-led-growth model during the post-liberalisation period. Over the years, the growing unemployment rate posits a re-look into the dynamics of growth model for wider work force participation. In this backdrop, the paper aims to examine the dynamics of structural changes in employment pattern in view of economic growth led by services-led growth model in India.Design/methodology/approachThe study employs a non-linear autoregressive model (NARDL) to examine the effect of the growth rates in three broad economic sectors namely agriculture and allied, services and industry on work force participation representing the employment opportunities in India.FindingsThe results highlight that the rapid expansion of the service sector has not occurred with enough employment opportunities by the same rate. By contrast, the growth in the industrial sector significantly creates employment opportunities in the short and long run. These results support the industry led growth model over the services for sustainable and inclusive economic growth in the country.Research limitations/implicationsThe study relies on combined labour force participation rates rather than gender-specific rates. Further, the regulatory, working conditions and economic incentives may affect the gender-specific engagement of the labour force in three broad sectors.Practical implicationsThe results offer important insight into changing patterns in employment with policy lessons. A wider workforce force participation calls for expansion of manufacturing activities through pro-industry programmes.Originality/valueThe study makes pioneer efforts to examine the dynamics of labour force participation with respect to the growth of three broad economic sectors of the Indian economy. The results provide new insights with policy implications for the changing employment pattern and policy response.

Gender disparity and enterprise expansion in the impact and transmission channels of ICT on unemployment in developing countries

This study examines the impact of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) on employment in 95 developing countries from years 2000–2021. The study focuses on short-term and long-term effects, gender differences, and the role of enterprise expansion. The results suggest a complex dynamic: on short term ICT's appear to stimulate employment for both genders but on long term, they can lead to a loss of jobs, particularly in sectors mostly dominated by women. The Human capital plays a crucial role as a mediator of the effects of ICT's on employment. However, it can also result in gender inequalities in accessing ICT-related job opportunities. In addition, while enterprise expansion may mediate the effects of ICT on employment, it can also have negative long-term consequences as automation continues to advance. To promote gender equality in the ICT sector, it is suggested to collect gender-disaggregated data to better understand the labour market, to develop training and employment policies, and promote female entrepreneurship.

Heed guidance for avoiding, mitigating litigation related to employment issues

Although litigation can sometimes shine a bright light on areas where your institution's employment policies and practices need improvement, it's always best to proactively address areas needing improvement so that you can avoid litigation in the first place.

Роль отраслевых соглашений в повышении качества трудовой жизни молодых специалистов в условиях современных политико-экономических вызовов

The provisions of industry agreements that are aimed at solving the problem of employment and employment of graduates in the specialty are analyzing in the article. It is concluded that in the conditions of modern political and economic challenges, sectoral agreements create a legal basis for the implementation of the concept of improving the quality of working life for young professionals in such a way that it is possible to unify the youth policy of employers within a specific branch of the economy, taking into account its specifics and urgent needs to fill the personnel deficit.

Impact of work design and work-family conflict on professional gratification and life satisfaction. Insight from Nyamasheke District

Work-Family Conflict (WFC) is a prevalent challenge in modern workplaces, significantly impacting employee well-being. This study explores WFC dynamics and their effects on professional gratification and life satisfaction among Nyamasheke, Rwanda, employees. Investigating the interplay of work and family stressors, the study finds WFC insignificantly influences job and life satisfaction. The model used to understand the relationship between job and life satisfaction lacks efficacy, emphasizing the need for further context-specific exploration. Implications highlight the necessity for future studies to delve into unexplored facets of WFC, especially its connection with self-efficacy. The findings advocate for targeted employer policies addressing WFC challenges. The study recommends expanding research to diverse Nyamasheke groups for a comprehensive understanding of work-family dynamics. This pursuit of knowledge informs interventions and policies to enhance employee well-being amid the pervasive challenges of work-family conflict.

Sustainable Career Development of Nursing Graduates in Higher Vocational Colleges: A Case Study of Weifang Nursing Vocational College

Background and Aims: Currently, in China nursing graduates of higher vocational colleges are restricted by many factors, particularly career development. Career development is an important indicator for measuring the quality of nursing graduates and the extent to which government and hospitals attach importance to the employment of nursing graduates in higher vocational colleges. Therefore, it is necessary to delve into the career development of nursing graduates in vocational colleges under the current employment situation. This study mainly aimed to investigate the current situation of nursing graduates' career development and factors affecting the career development of nursing graduates. Materials and Methods: The sample was drawn from the 2019 nursing graduates in Weifang Nursing Vocational College using non-random sampling. These nursing graduates participated in the research voluntarily participation and accepted their participation in the research consent form. Data were collected using a questionnaire. The questions focused on many factors that affected their career development, including how hiring practices at government, hospitals, and colleges, factors affecting the recruitment process, and challenges facing career development. Results: The results show that nursing graduates have basic knowledge and skills in nursing. The results also showed that government employment policies, teaching program management, and employability development were the key factors influencing the career development of nursing graduates from higher vocational colleges are relatively successful. Additionally, results indicated that school-based classroom environments have a significant and positive impact on nursing graduates’ career development. The government should increase employment efficiency and change employment policies as necessary to achieve sustainable professional development. Educational institutions and nursing schools should improve their teaching and learning management systems to align with employment policies and needs. Conclusion: The results emphasize how crucial it is for the government to get involved in employment policy optimization to promote the nursing profession's long-term growth. In addition, educational establishments need to modify their pedagogical approaches to better prepare nursing graduates for the skills required by changing job markets and facilitate a smooth entry into the workforce.