High-skilled Workers Research Articles

Exploring economic assimilation of immigrants and their descendants in France: recent insights

ABSTRACT This paper examines the labour market performances of immigrants and their descendants in France by applying a series of empirical Tobit II models on a recent TeO2 database. Our work questions the labour market participation and wage disparities of these groups compared to native-born individuals by controlling different individual attributes, such as gender and educational level, and job characteristics, such as the firm size or the type of job. It also introduces information on ethnic origins and location. Our study provides crucial insights into the labour market performances of immigrants and their descendants in France. It reveals that disparities manifest primarily in labour market participation rather than wages. It also underscores that high-skilled workers’ wages do not converge as immigrants consistently yield lower returns on education than natives. Our findings underscore the heterogeneity within the immigrant group based on origins criteria. The performances of immigrants with African and Northern-African origins are lower than those of other groups of immigrants.

Quantitative Analysis of the Future of the Sharing Economy, Housing, White-Collar Labor Markets, and Problems in Big Cities

This research project explores the future of the sharing economy and its profound effects on housing markets, white-collar labor dynamics, and socio-economic challenges in large metropolitan areas. Using quantitative economics and econometric techniques, the study evaluates how platforms such as Airbnb, Uber, and coworking spaces are reshaping urban life, exacerbating housing affordability issues, and altering labor market structures. By analyzing housing market data, labor statistics, and platform economy data from major cities like New York, London, and Istanbul, this research provides empirical insights into how the sharing economy influences urban economic landscapes. The study employs difference-in-differences (DiD) and multivariate regression models to assess causal relationships, particularly in terms of housing market disruptions caused by short-term rental platforms and labor market fragmentation driven by the rise of gig and remote work. Spatial econometric techniques are also used to explore geographic disparities in housing and employment impacts across urban districts. Preliminary findings indicate that the proliferation of sharing economy platforms has contributed to housing shortages and increased prices in central urban areas, while labor markets experience growing polarization, with high-skilled workers benefiting from remote work opportunities and low-skilled gig workers facing economic precarity. This research offers valuable policy insights into the regulation of short-term rentals and the protection of gig economy workers, highlighting the need for regulatory frameworks that address urban inequality and labor market shifts. By integrating data from multiple sources, this study contributes to the academic discourse on urban economics and provides a framework for understanding the long-term socio-economic implications of the sharing economy in big cities.

Effect of automation of routine and non-routine tasks on labour demand and wages

Artificial intelligence and associated technology advances have progressively diffused from routine tasks to non-routine tasks, causing disruptions in the labour market. In this work, we study the effect of automation on the labour market outcomes for low-skilled and high-skilled workers. We use the agent-based modelling approach to model firms and workers as rational agents with defined objective functions, endowments, and interactions. Using extensive simulations, we analyse the emergent phenomenon of employment levels and wage inequality in the labour market under varying scenarios. The key findings of our simulations indicate that automation of routine tasks increases wage inequality, whereas automation of non-routine tasks reduces it. Based on our results, we propose policy prescriptions regarding the job categories in which automation can be introduced for societal benefits, the skill enhancement programme needed for the workers, and guidelines on the redeployment of labour displaced through automation.

Productivity Growth and Workers’ Job Transitions: Evidence from Censal Microdata

Abstract We use administrative data for Chile to provide novel insights on the relationship between job transitions and productivity differentials and quantify how different groups contribute to aggregate reallocation. While on average workers move to more productive firms, almost half of transitions are ‘down the productivity ladder.’ Reallocation gains are mostly explained by a narrow subset of transitions: young, high-skilled workers generate the lion’s share of aggregate productivity gains. Workers with high turnover contribute proportionally the least. Therefore, while job reallocation yields a net benefit it hides massive and heterogeneous gross flows, with many appearing to add little to aggregate efficiency.

Housing ownership constraint and spatial sorting

The paper proposes a new theoretical explanation for the spatial sorting that the skill distribution has fatter tails in big cities. The ownership of the house make people face the constraint of house’s minimum area when purchasing it, therefore, and finally induces the spatial sorting. The new theory could distinguish buying and renting houses, and identify public services attached to housing ownership and enjoyed by all people no matter who buy or rent houses. The policy implications are also different from those in previous theories: when land supply is reduced in big cities, it predicted a decrease in the number of low-skilled workers in previous theories, whereas it predicts an increase in the theory of housing ownership constraints. In big cities, public services attached to housing ownership would attract more high-skilled workers and decrease low-skilled workers, while public services enjoyed by all people would attract both of them.

The Impact of Economic Globalization on National Economies and Social Structures

An examination of the significant impact of economic globalization on labor markets, income inequality and fiscal policy in both developed and developing countries is presented in this paper. With regard to the labor market, developing countries that shifted from manufacturing to services, such as South Africa, lost many jobs for low-skilled workers. Similarly, in developed regions, while globalization has fostered the growth of high-tech and service industries, it has led to stagnant wages for low-skilled workers. Income inequality has risen: high-skilled workers in the United States have enjoyed wage growth and better employment prospects, while low-skilled workers have suffered. For developing countries in South-East Asia, high-income groups there benefited far more from globalization than low-income groups. Fiscal policy has also suffered. In the European Union, uncoordinated tax policies have posed a challenge to economic cohesion, while in Sri Lanka, political instability has hampered the success of export-oriented strategies. The study concludes that a stable political environment and fair distribution policies are crucial for developing countries, while developed countries should enhance education and implement fair tax policies to reduce inequality. Future research should explore the broader socio-economic impacts of globalization and develop a comprehensive policy framework to deal with its complexities.

Policies and laws on human resource development in agricultural sector in Vietnam now

In the trend of the 4th Industrial Revolution and the trend of digital transformation, along with the orientation of building ecologically sustainable agriculture, modern countrysides, civilized knowledge farmers, meeting the requirements of international economic integration. More than ever, countries’ agriculture requires human resources from managers to researchers and those directly getting involved in agricultural production that meet the standards of professional qualifications, capacity and quality of work performance. In Vietnam, in terms of resources in the agricultural sector, there is a surplus of manual and simple labor but a shortage of high-skilled workers and lack of good managers and organizers. In terms of policies and laws in the field of agriculture, it is relatively complete when there are 15 laws passed in 4 production sectors: fisheries, forestry, horticulture and animal husbandry. This is an important legal basis to mobilize resources, including agricultural human resources in order to develop the country. However, the legal system on human resource development in the field of agriculture in general and on training, education, compensation and support in particular is still lacking and scattered. Thus, the article focuses on analyzing the current status of regulations and practices of implementing regulations on human resource development in the agricultural sector, thereby proposing corresponding policies and laws in Vietnam in the next time.

A note on the two approaches to the distribution of surplus value

Abstract In a recent issue of this Journal, Cogliano (in ‘Marx’s equalized rate of exploitation’, Cambridge Journal of Economics, 2023, vol. 47, no. 1, 133–69) provided a theoretical basis of the hypothesis that the rates of exploitation are uniform across industries. In this paper, we compare the hypothesis and an alternative approach that assumes that the value creation per unit concrete labour is uniform. As neither approach considers skill differentials, we provide an extended framework that incorporates skills explicitly for the comparison. In addition, our framework considers the value creation of workers as a function of their skills and efforts of labour and, following Yoshihara (in ‘Wealth, exploitation and labor discipline in the contemporary capitalist economy’, Metroeconomica, 1998, vol. 49, no.1, 23–61), we define the ratio between effort and wage as labour discipline. Within this framework, we show the following. The equalisation of the rates of exploitation is eventually assuming that the ratios between the value creation and wage are equalised and it implies that high-skilled workers experience proportionately weaker labour discipline whereas low-skilled workers experience stronger labour discipline. On the other hand, the alternative approach that assumes the equalisation of the value creation per unit concrete labour implies that high-skilled workers work proportionately less intensively whereas low-skilled workers work proportionately more intensively.

Changes in all-cause and cause-specific mortality by occupational skill during COVID-19 epidemic in Spain

BackgroundThere is little information on the differential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mortality by occupation. The objective was to examine changes in mortality during the COVID-19 period compared with...

Spatial disparities across labour markets

Abstract We consider disparities across local labour markets in Great Britain. Disparities in wages and employment rates are large and persistent, although smaller than 20 years ago. These disparities largely reflect the concentration of high-skilled workers, who would have better labour market outcomes wherever they live. This concentration is driven by differences in the demand for, and supply of, skills and the self-reinforcing interaction between the two, which is particularly pronounced in the highest-wage areas and at the upper end of the wage distribution. The highest-paid jobs are concentrated in London and a handful of other areas and wage disparities are mostly driven by the higher-paid. Places that offer higher earnings also have higher rents, which may entirely offset gains in earnings. Consistent with this, people in higher-paid places are no happier than those in lower-paid places.

This must be the place: local amenities and superstars’ wages

AbstractWe investigate the role of local amenities in shaping compensating wage differentials in labor market populated by high-skilled workers. Using 10 years of longitudinal data on workers productivity along with information on firms and location amenities, we evaluate whether workers are willing to pay to join a better firm and if firms with undesirable attributes must provide higher wages to attract workers. By accounting for unobserved workers heterogeneity, we show that superstars receive positive wage differentials for lower location amenities as well as riskier employments.

Weakening Demographic Dividend in India

Abstract This study examines the influence of demographic changes on India's economic growth from 1999 to 2019, emphasizing the impact of the rising working-age population on state domestic product per capita and sectoral value-added. While the overall influence of the working-age population ratio and core working-age proportions on per capita economic growth is limited, a higher proportion of high-skilled workers and urban residents positively affects per capita output. Furthermore, our analysis highlights sector-specific effects, with particular significance observed in the industry sector, where the influence of the working-age population is most pronounced.

Leadership and talent attraction and retention – an existential risk to our industry

Political, social, shareholder – and increasingly talent – pressure is driving a seismic shift as oil and gas operators are required to transform into diversified energy companies. Attracting and retaining the required leadership and talent to drive this transformation is an existential risk to our industry. 10.5% of the total workforce left the industry during the 2019/2020 oil price crash. Since 2020 the experienced oil and gas industry workforce has aged and will take critical skills and experience with them into retirement. 40% of Australian oil and gas recruiters believe retaining this knowledge and replacing these skills are the industry’s biggest challenges. In parallel, events in August 2023 in Western Australia have demonstrated the immediate market impact workforce unrest can have. Concurrently, it is becoming harder to attract talent to the industry. The competition for adaptive leaders and high-skilled workers has been accentuated as the oil and gas sector continues to evolve and now competes for these skills sets with other industries. Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) performance is increasingly becoming an important factor in the industry’s ability to attract and retain talent. In a recent global talent index report, 85% of respondents stated ESG is a factor in whether they will stay or leave an oil and gas organisation. Interestingly, 55% of those open to switching sectors would be interested in switching to renewables. In this paper, I provide oil and gas companies with pragmatic guidance on how to quantify the impact of these challenges, adapt the industry narrative, and re-position as an employer of choice.

Happiness and Emigration as A Challenge to Albanian University Youth: A National Level Case

Aim: The research article aims to analyse happiness as the primary indicator of the current emigration potential of university youth. The challenges of decision-making of Albanian university youth to emigrate tease out the social, political and economic factors as indicators to decrease the level of happiness in terms of personal (being happy with life in general, with life, with family life in the last four years) and in social perspective such as being happy with economic status and house/shelter, the level of satisfaction with current life (standards of living), and the level of trust (in political and governmental institutions; in people, friends and media), as the pushing factors to potential emigration of youth. Methods: To guarantee a national-level measurement of the university youth emigration potential, due to the mentioned indicators, the empirical data gained from the quantitative online survey research on the measurement of opinions of (N=1010) Albanian university youth, at the national level of (N=7) (all) public universities in Albania, in (N=13) departments on social sciences profile, analysed by the Statistical program IMB SPSS 26, in different statistical approach analysis, such as descriptive, frequency, cross-tabs and Kurtosis. Results: Many measurement indicators show that personal and social levels of happiness reflect on a ‘low level of subjective well-being, unsatisfaction subjective well-being and dissatisfaction with life and living conditions that decrease the level of trust and security for life, and proxy dimensions of emigration decision (intention and concrete plan to migrate) of university youth. Conclusion: The low satisfaction (with life and living conditions), and low trust in the state bodies and political institutions, due to the current, social, political and economic conditions, formed an elation among the variables, on the conclusion that happiness is the main push factor and a challenge for potential emigration of university youth as high skilled worker, in the next years.

Economic complexity and income inequality in Russian regions

Although economic growth leads to a reduction in poverty, the growing income inequality and its possible consequences are of some concern. The level of economic complexity has recently been increasingly viewed as an important predictor of income inequality. In this paper, using pool and models with time fixed effects, the impact of the economic complexity index on income inequality in Russian regions for 2013 and 2015 was estimated. The results of the evaluation of econometric models show that regions with more complex economies showed a higher level of income inequality compared to others. The explanations for the effect obtained include an increase in demand for highly qualified labor as a result of the development of high-tech industries and an increase in wage differentiation between high-skilled and low-skilled workers, as well as the migration of high-skilled workers to economically more complex regions. The main conclusion is that economic complexity is a significant factor of the variation in income inequality and should also be taken into account while conducting economic and social policy in Russian regions.

Navigating the Green Transition: The Influence of Low-Carbon City Policies on Employment in China’s Listed Firms

This study explores the impact of China’s low-carbon city policy on employment using a quasi-natural experiment approach based on microdata from A-share listed companies (2007–2021). The findings indicate a statistically significant positive effect on employment levels, with an average increase of 7.27% in pilot compared to non-pilot cities. This boost in employment is primarily linked to green innovation, improved financing conditions, and increased sales activities. The policy disproportionately benefits high-skilled workers and positively affects employment in sales, research and development, and management while having a lesser impact on low-skilled and production workers. The employment gains are particularly significant in non-polluting sectors, regions with high marketization, and in the eastern areas of China. This study underscores the complex interplay between environmental policies and labor markets, emphasizing the need for skill differentiation in policy frameworks.

The Labor Market Effects of Loan Guarantee Programs

Abstract We investigate the labor market effects of a loan guarantee program targeting French SMEs during the financial crisis. Exploiting differences in regional treatment intensity in a border discontinuity design, we uncover a central trade-off for such interventions. While the program has a positive impact on workers’ employment and earnings trajectories that translates into positive aggregate employment effects, it dampens the worker reallocation toward more productive firms that happens following recessions, and particularly so for high-skill workers. This labor allocation effect is economically significant and translates into a reduction in aggregate productivity.

On the Importance of Social Status for Occupational Sorting

Abstract Models of self-selection predict that occupations with flat wage schedules attract workers of lower average ability. However, in certain prominent occupations such as academia and the civil service, wages are flat yet the average skill level is high. In this paper, I examine whether social status concerns can explain this puzzle. I find that within-occupation status allows flat wage occupations to attract predominantly high-skilled workers, but only at the cost of attracting few workers overall. If, however, workers care about both within- and between-occupation status then occupations paying flat wages can be arbitrarily large and attract workers of high average skill. I conclude that within- and between-occupation status concerns act as complements.

Gender inequalities of psychosomatic complaints at work vary by occupational groups of white- and blue-collar and level of skill: A cross sectional study.

Previous research has shown that women report more psychosomatic complaints at work than men. However, knowledge about gender inequalities in psychosomatic complaints within occupational groups and specific symptoms is lacking. This study aims to compare gender inequalities in psychosomatic complaints in the occupational groups of white-collar high-skilled, white-collar low-skilled, blue-collar high-skilled and blue-collar low-skilled workers. The study implemented a cross sectional design using data from the nationwide German Employment Survey of the Working Population on Qualification and Working Conditions conducted in 2017/ 2018. Psychosomatic complaints were operationalised by the following symptoms: headache, insomnia, tiredness, irritability, dejection, physical fatigue, and emotional fatigue. N = 20012 working German-speaking respondents were sampled. After excluding persons with missing data on the study variables, the sample consisted of N = 16359 persons. Women reported significantly more psychosomatic complaints than men in the subgroups of white-collar high-skilled and white-collar low-skilled (ps < .05), inequalities in blue-collar high-skilled and blue-collar low-skilled only being numerical. Regarding specific symptoms, women reported more psychosomatic complaints then men in the subgroups of white-collar high-skilled workers, white-collar low-skilled workers, and blue-collar low-skilled workers. Headaches, physical fatigue, and emotional fatigue were the most common symptoms. The white-collar high-skilled subgroup had the highest number of symptoms with significant gender inequalities. These effects remained after controlling for age, working hours, parental status and marital status. Gender inequalities in psychosomatic complaints are ubiquitous but vary in their frequency by occupational subgroup and specific psychosomatic complaint. Women in white-collar high-skilled jobs in particular report to be burdened more often by many specific psychosomatic symptoms. Future studies should investigate the reasons for these occupational inequalities and develop interventions to reduce health inequalities in the workplace.

A Digital Twin of an Off Highway Vehicle based on a Low Cost Camera

The operation of heavy equipment in the construction industry requires high-skilled workers: they must safely operate the equipment in an efficient manner to avoid project delays or damages, both to equipment and material as to their colleagues and themselves. Operator productivity and safety are therefore critical in the construction industry. The advancements in technologies such as digitization and automation are more and more applied in the industry, leading to more data and knowledge on the construction equipment and environment. This can be leveraged by a digital twin to provide value for the operator.In this work, we present a digital twin architecture applied to an off highway vehicle, which provides real-time feedback to the operator while operating the vehicle. Monitoring the interactions between an off highway vehicle and workers will result in a safer and more productive environment. This work focuses on detection of the environment and monitoring the state of the vehicle. Images of a low cost camera are used to extract information of the vehicle implement as well as the environment. The motion and state of the machine can be realistically visualized in real-time in Unreal, using a 3D CAD (Computer-Aided Design) geometry model, enriched with additional relevant information and color schemes. A modular pub-sub architecture enables the communication between the sensors and camera, the data processing and the visualization of the digital twin.