Wages Of Workers Research Articles

Does self-employment provide a bridge to retirement?

AbstractNon-employment including early retirement among individuals of older working age is a considerable concern. As life expectancies across the developed world continue to increase, individuals’ retirement savings often turn out to be inadequate. In policy circles, given the increasing old-age dependency ratio, self-employment is often seen as a potential route to extend the working lives of older labour force participants. By studying labour market switches of wage workers of 50 years and older, we investigate to what extent self-employment serves as a bridge to retirement. Using a longitudinal data base in European countries over the period 2005–2015, our findings suggest that although self-employment does serve as a bridge to retirement, this is much less likely to be the case for precarious wage workers—especially those with poor job prospects—than for wage workers at the higher end of the labour market, including those who are in good health and who have good job prospects in their current wage job. We also find that wage workers with precarious job conditions are more likely to switch into non-employment rather than into self-employment. Policy implications are discussed.

True Costing in Logistics & Supply Chain Management: How do we make decisions based on True Economic Trade-Offs (T-ETOs)?

Decision-making in logistics (including /supply chain management) is often based on traditional cost-price information from a company's accounting department. Externalities, like social and environmental impact, are usually not included in decision-making. To include a more integrated trade-off, the cost-price information should include information on the traditional costs and the costs of externalities like fair wages (social costs) and costs of damage, pollution, etc. (environmental costs). The article provides an overview of traditional costs and attempts to monetise externalities (by using the concept of shadow prices and the Lagrange multiplier or λ) as a base for decision-making in logistics. Some case studies are presented from the last decade and an example of a true economic trade-off for buying a diesel truck-tractor or an electric truck-tractor. In the previous example, much decision data is missing because no track record has yet been developed in this industry. The key issue is making external effects measurable so that business practices can make sound decisions based on financial, social, and environmental data. The author ends the contribution with a call for further (applied) research into true pricing in logistics.

The social reproduction of (and through) food: Agrarian change in Uzbekistan

AbstractFood systems—and the interplay between food production, marketisation and access—are constituent elements of the social reproduction of life. Using a social reproduction framework, this paper problematises the ontological, epistemological and methodological premises of food system studies in agrarian change. Based on primary data collected during multiple rounds of fieldwork in rural Uzbekistan and adopting mixed methods, it offers a triple contribution. First, it assesses the inequalities of food security and dietary diversity among different classes of farmers and agrarian wage workers. Along these lines, it argues that individualised food security indicators do not unveil the systemic determinants that explain unequal patterns of social reproduction through nutrition during processes of agrarian marketisation. To move beyond individual‐based theorisations, it extends the investigation to state policies, market drivers and gender norms in relation to food knowledge, provision, affordability and availability. In so doing, it unpacks the contradictions that explain the uneven conditions of social reproduction of (and through) food. Finally, by investigating the modalities of access and availability of ultra‐processed food in rural areas, it reflects on the tensions between the capitalist global food system and its interaction with the logics of state‐led development to maintain the social reproduction of rural life.

Effective Facilitation and Major Improvements through Revamping Wage Regulations in Indonesia

This study examines the role of the Sidoarjo Regency Manpower Office in determining the Regency/City Minimum Wage (UMK). Using a qualitative approach, data were collected through interviews, observations, and documentation with key informants such as workers' unions, employers, and government officials. The findings reveal that the Manpower Office effectively facilitates wage determination by providing necessary infrastructure, forming wage councils, and aligning with central government regulations. However, improvements in infrastructure efficiency and the development of clearer, faster regulatory methods are needed. This research highlights the office's strengths and areas for enhancement in setting fair minimum wages. Highlights: Effective Facilitation: Provides infrastructure and forms wage councils for UMK determination. Regulatory Alignment: Complies with central government policies and living needs. Infrastructure Improvement: Enhances efficiency and develops faster, clearer regulations. Keywords: Sidoarjo Regency, Manpower Office, Minimum Wage, Labor Regulation, Qualitative Research

Exploring the role of social life cycle assessment in transition to circular economy: A systematic review

Transitioning to a circular economy (CE) may create unintended social consequences. This systematic review analysed 45 published studies from 2009 to 2023 that evaluate these consequences using social lifecycle assessment (S-LCA), a tool based on the UNEP Guidelines. Most studies focused on circular activities like energy recovery and material recycling rather than reuse, remanufacturing, and repair. Worker-related issues like health, safety or fair wages were more frequently reported than impacts on consumers or society. Challenges in S-LCA application for CE include defining system boundary, identifying affected stakeholders, selecting relevant impact categories and indicators, obtaining verifiable data inventory, and addressing subjectivity in impact interpretation. A solution identified through the review was to enhance stakeholder involvement across industries to identify emerging social risks during the transition to CE. Periodically revising the UNEP Guideline based on these risks will provide a uniform framework for continued use of S-LCA in evaluating the transition to CE.

The Effect of Capital and Labor Wages on Income in Islamic Economics Perspective: A Case in CV of Ibu Kartini Serang District of Banten Province

This study aims to determine if labor wages and capital have a simultaneous impact on income in a company, as well as whether capital influences income just partially. The Kadugenep Lightning village’s Mrs. Kartini’s resume is the subject of this investigation. The approach used is quantitative and makes use of several linear regression methods. The traditional assumption test, partial test, or simultaneous test is the one that is conducted. While labor wages do not affect income, capital has a partial effect. Prob. capital value of 0.0000 (<5% or 0.05), t-count of 8.970087 > t-table 1.67793, and labor wages of 0.1485 (> 5% or 0.05) and t-count of 1.480135 < t-table 1.67793. Meanwhile, simultaneously, capital and labor wages influence the income of Mrs. Kartini’s CV. This is evidenced by the results of the F test with an F-statistic value of 0.000000 (<5% or 0.05) and the F-count is 89.68561 > F-table 4.05. The R-squared value is 0.79440 which means that 79.44% of the income variable can be explained by capital and labor wages and the rest is explained by other factors. In the production process, CV Ibu Kartini uses capital that is not contrary to Islamic law and has provided fair and proper wages to workers in an Islamic view. Keywords: MSMEs, capital, labor wages, income

Factors Determining the Average Price Level: A Combined Microeconomic and Macroeconomic Approach

We analyze various determinants of the average price level using a strictly mathematical approach. Starting with the microeconomic perspective, we review the effect of demand shifters such as consumer income and the level of advertising on the average price level in a simple partial market equilibrium model. Then, we discuss the effect of supply shifters such as the exogenous tax level, worker wage, rental rate, and technology. We use implicit differentiation and Jacobian determinants. While government spending triggers inflation, taxes have the opposite effect. This is consistent with Keynesian theory. Money supply increases national income and prices while reducing the equilibrium interest rate. Therefore, money supply has pro-inflationary effects. The effect of money demand is the opposite—it increases the equilibrium interest rate, thereby lowering national income and prices. Augmenting the model to the level of international trade, we find that exports raise national income, the interest rate, and the average price level, while the effect of imports is just the opposite. Government spending raises the exchange rate while continuous inflation lowers it.

The impact of progressive era labor regulations on annual earnings and employment in manufacturing in the USA, 1904–1919

AbstractWe analyze the impact of the broad range of state labor regulations on employment and annual earnings in manufacturing for wage earners and salaried workers using a new panel data set for the 48 US states in 1904, 1909, 1914, and 1919. The effects of state labor regulations influenced the labor market for wage earners and had virtually no effect on the market for salaried workers. Fixed effects analysis shows that increases in a newly developed labor law index were associated with a rise in employment and a decline in earnings for wage workers. These changes imply a dominant rise in labor supply that reflected marginal benefits for workers that were higher than the marginal costs or marginal benefits to employers. After the demand and supply shifts were completed, both workers and employers ultimately experienced improved gains from trade. Under a wide range of assumptions about the earnings elasticity of demand, the results are also consistent with the regulation increasing labor demand and thus providing positive marginal benefits to employers. The effects of appropriations per gainfully employed worker were much smaller and depended on the size of the law index.

Minimum Wage Policy and Poverty in Indonesia

Abstract This paper investigates whether minimum wage policy played any significant role in poverty reduction in Java Island, Indonesia, between 2002 and 2014. Its identification strategy exploits variation in minimum wages over time within pairs of geographically proximate districts. The study finds that the minimum wage has a distributional impact on wage workers just below the 20th percentile up to those in the middle of the wage distribution, with no overall loss of employment. However, the minimum wage policy has no distributional impact on per capita household expenditure, and a limited effect on changes in poverty status.

Building Bridges and Widening Gaps

Abstract By exploiting the opening of the Öresund Bridge between Denmark and Sweden, we examine the impact of access to larger labor markets on wages and employment. We show that the bridge generated a substantial increase in the cross-country commuting behavior of Swedes and a 13.5% increase in the average wage of workers in the region. We further show that the wage gains are unevenly distributed: the effect is largest for high-educated men and smallest for low-educated women. Thus, the wage gains come at the cost of increased income inequality and a widening of the gender wage gap, both within and across households.

The Minimum Wage in Germany: Institutional Setting and a Systematic Review of Key Findings

Abstract The introduction of a statutory minimum wage in Germany in 2015 aimed at improving the welfare of low-wage workers but was also accompanied by concerns about distortions in Europe’s largest economy. This paper provides a comprehensive survey of results from the evaluation of the German minimum wage by compiling recent descriptive evidence and a systematic literature review on causal effects through 2022. On 1 October 2022, the minimum wage was raised legislatively by 15 percent to 12 euros per hour, which affected approximately 5.8 million employees and 23 percent of companies. The war in Ukraine and the coronavirus pandemic hit minimum wage workers and minimum wage firms harder than the rest of the economy. The minimum wage thus far had the strongest causal effects directly after its introduction. Hourly wages increased, while working hours decreased, resulting in mixed effects on monthly wages. Overall employment fell slightly, with a decline in marginal employment in particular. Companies’ wage costs increased, and as productivity did not change, profits declined.

Book Review: The Real Living Wage: Civil Regulation and the Employment Relationship. By Edmund Heery, Deborah Hann, and David Nash

Book Review: <i>The Real Living Wage: Civil Regulation and the Employment Relationship</i>. By Edmund Heery, Deborah Hann, and David Nash

Wage Regulation of Outsourced Workers After the Omnibus Law of the Labor Cluster Based on Wage Theory

This research investigates the effects of the enactment of the Job Creation Law (Law Number 11 of 2020) in Indonesia on labor regulations, specifically focusing on wage regulation for outsourced workers and its implications for human rights. Employing a normative juridical approach, the study examines legal materials such as laws, regulations, court decisions, and expert opinions. Through qualitative analysis techniques, the pre- and post-Job Creation Law regulations concerning outsourced workers' wages are explored. The findings uncover significant changes in wage provisions, including the elimination of sectoral minimum wage regulations and the reduction in types of wages for outsourced workers. Moreover, the research reveals discrepancies between the Job Creation Law and international conventions' indicators of freedom, availability, accessibility, and suitability. Concerns are raised regarding the adequacy of workers' rights protection, accessibility to fair wages, and the inclusivity of vulnerable groups within the legal framework. This study contributes to understanding the Job Creation Law's implications for labor and human rights in Indonesia, highlighting areas where the law may fail to ensure equitable treatment and fair compensation for outsourced workers. Policy recommendations aimed at upholding human rights standards in labor regulations are proposed based on the study's findings.

Tactics to mitigate the negative impact of introducing advanced technology on employees: Evidence from large listed companies in Japan

This study examines how the introduction of advanced technology such as artificial intelligence adversely affects employees and the tactics to mitigate these negative effects. We surveyed 5438 employees working for large companies listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange in nine industries in Japan. The questionnaire considered the five drivers of employee attitudes (skill acquisition, fair wages, work/life balance, relationship with supervisor, and diversity of human resources) as well as the introduction of advanced technology in workplaces. Using structural equation modeling, we revealed that the introduction of advanced technology increases turnover intention. While the effect is not observed for sales and marketing, it is evident among back-office and software development personnel. Further, this effect is more pronounced among younger workers and those who change jobs more frequently. Managers should consider not only the positive effect of cutting-edge technology, but also its adverse impact on employees.

The Economic Impact of Climbing in the Lander Area of Wyoming

The popular climbing destination of Lander, Wyoming receives nearly 37,000 climbing visits every year, with 78% of those visits coming from persons living outside of this area. Climbing tourism expenditures result in an estimated $4.5 million in visitor spending each year. Climber demographics indicate these visitors are well-educated with 98% choosing to stay overnight on their visits. The average visit also lasts nearly a week. Climbing tourism expenditures support $1.7 million in wages for local workers, highlighting an opportunity to increase regional tourism and its economic impact amid a rural, transitional economy.

Motivation of labor in the Siberian industry during the industrialization period of the late 1920s - 1930s: results and prospects of historical research

During the industrialization period of the late 1920s – 1930s, a new system of motivation for industrial workers and employees was formed in the USSR, which determined the directions and results of Soviet labor policy for a long time. The effectiveness of the application of specific incentives was influenced by factors related to the peculiarities of the development of individual regions and industries. Local research, therefore, is able to expand and deepen our understanding of how labor stimulation was carried out in the Soviet economy. The subject of this study is the historiography of the problem of labor motivation in the Siberian industry in the late 1920s – 1930s. The purpose is to characterize the results of studying this problem and identify promising areas for scientific research. In modern historiography, a theoretical approach has developed to study the problem of motivation of industrial labor in various periods of the USSR's existence. Its basis is the division of incentives into material, compulsory and moral, as well as the idea that labor stimulation solves the tasks of attracting workers to production and encouraging them to improve work results. Historians use local and microhistoric approaches to take into account the impact of various factors on the implementation and effectiveness of labor incentives. The study showed that the motivation of labor in the Siberian industry in the late 1920s – 1930s did not act as a subject of special and comprehensive historical research. Soviet and post-Soviet historiography has accumulated a wealth of factual material related to solving the first of these tasks of labor motivation in the Siberian industry. The solution of the second problem has not yet been studied based on the application of modern theoretical approaches and techniques. The following are promising for study: differentiation of wages for industrial workers and employees, the use of various wage systems at enterprises (piecework, piecework-progressive, etc.), the impact on the consciousness of workers through the materials of the periodical press, the organization of various forms of socialist competition.

Food prices and the wages of the poor: A cost-effective addition to high-frequency food security monitoring

The affordability of nutritious food for “all people, at all times” is a critically important dimension of food security. Yet surprisingly, timely high-frequency indicators of food affordability are rarely collected in any systematic fashion despite price volatility emerging as major source of food insecurity in the 21st Century. The 2008 global food crisis prompted international agencies to invest heavily in monitoring domestic food prices in low and middle income countries (LMICs). However, food price monitoring is not sufficient for measuring changes in diet affordability; for that, one must also measure changes either in income or in an income proxy. We propose using the wages of unskilled workers as a cheap and sufficiently accurate income proxy, especially for the urban and rural non-farm poor. We first outline alternative measures of “food wage” indices, defined as wages deflated either by consumer food price indices or novel healthy diet cost indices. We then discuss the conceptual strengths and limitations of food wages. Finally, we examine patterns and trends in different types of real food wage series during well-known food price crises in Ethiopia (2008, 2011 and 2022), Sri Lanka (2022) and Myanmar (2022). In all these instances, food wages declined by 20–30%, often in the space of a few months. In Myanmar, the decline in real wages during 2022 closely matches declines in household disposable income. We strongly advocate tracking the wages of the poor as a timely, accurate and cost-effective means of monitoring food affordability for important segments of the world’s poor.

Fostering Sustainable Development Through Decent Work For Paid Domestic Workers Under SDG-8

This paper analyses the intricate connection between decent work, sustainable development and paid domestic workers within the framework of SDG-8. This study attempts to explain the economic implications of fostering decent work for domestic workers and its role in advancing the objectives of SDG -8.This paper is based on the existing literature and scholarly works relevant to the intersection of decent work, sustainable development and domestic work within the context of SDG-8.This is an attempt to analyse how their participation contributes to and benefit from SDG-8, examining the specific targets related to decent work and economic growth. The study further extends to address the importance of achieving work-life balance for domestic workers, recognizing the necessity for policies for their well-being. Collaborative efforts, involving, government, employers and NGOs are spotlighted as catalysts for fostering sustainable development in domestic work. The present study acknowledges challenges faced by domestic workers and proposes sustainable solutions for achieving a balanced, dignified, sustainable trajectory for domestic workers within the ambit of sustainable development goal -8. For domestic workers SDG-8 involves ensuring fair wages, reasonable working hours, safe working conditions and access to social protections.SDG 8 encourages formalisation of informal sector, which is crucial for domestic workers to gain legal recognition, protection and access to benefits.

Mutual Fund in Kotak Mahindra Bank

Abstract: The use of mutual funds as a safety net for one's finances is on the rise. The industrial sector's performance has boosted India's economic narrative, and mutual funds have lowered the barrier to entry for households looking to invest. More and more people are becoming aware of mutual funds and the advantages they offer. Most people don't invest in mutual funds because, for example, 90% of wage workers in India are unaware that they exist. One out of five individuals may decide to put their money into a mutual fund when they find out what possibilities are available to them. To effectively market mutual funds to someone who is unfamiliar with them, one must first identify the type of people who are inclined to purchase them and then provide reasons that they will see as substantial. Working on this piece was a terrific learning experience and gave me a lot of practice with analysis. Investors' saving and investing habits, mutual fund preferences, and other market research topics are examined and recommended in this paper report.

Division of labour in the production structure and mass production in pre‐war Japan: Lessons from the metal and machinery sectors in Osaka City

AbstractUsing 1930s panel data from Osaka City, we estimate the production function in the metal and machinery sectors in Japan to identify the factors that influence the establishment of mass‐production methods. Subcontracting income per total revenue had a positive correlation with metal and machinery output. While material‐intensive technology was used, scale‐economy‐type technology was not observed in this sector. The greater return on capital for smaller plants was attributed to efficient capital stock utilisation and subsistence wages. The division of labour between firms, through which materials and parts were traded, contributed to output expansions in the 1930s.