Salary Increases Research Articles

Gains from Contractualization: Evidence from Labor Regulations on Chinese Workers

Abstract The 2008 Labor Contract Law of China stipulates that all employment relationships must be covered by a written labor contract. This regulation considerably strengthened employment protection for workers. Using a unique longitudinal dataset, the China Labor-force Dynamics Survey (2012, 2014, and 2016 waves), this article estimates the impact of the formal contractualization of labor relations on workers’ labor market outcomes, social insurance participation, and job satisfaction. We find that obtaining a labor contract was strongly associated with an increase in salary, a decrease in working overtime hours, and greater participation in unemployment and pension insurances. In terms of job satisfaction, workers who obtained a labor contract reported being less satisfied with their workplace environment and income than they had anticipated. This is not to suggest that workers are not benefiting from the law. Instead, it suggests that workers had higher expectations from benefits gained through contractualization than what they derived.

A Missed Opportunity? The Transformation of the Teacher Salary System in Kazakhstan Amidst Rising Wages

This article is dedicated to analyzing the effectiveness of the reforms in the teacher salary payment system in Kazakhstan and its impact on the quality of pedagogical activity, as well as the possibility of attracting educators from universities and professionals from other sectors to schools by increasing salaries. The results are based on regional statistical data, reviews of salary dynamics, and interviews with school administrators and teachers. The article includes an analysis of previous studies of salary payment systems in Central Asian countries, characteristics of the current system in Kazakhstan, as well as the experience of transforming the Russian and Estonian teacher salary systems. Kazakhstan, while maintaining centralized control and a "rate" system, has achieved a significant increase in the average salary of school teachers by introducing a qualifications system and a number of allowances for taught subjects and working conditions. Moreover, the increased prestige of the teaching profession, along with the rise in salaries, has facilitated the attraction of young specialists to pedagogical activities and reduced the outflow of qualified teachers from the profession. However, according to surveyed teachers, the reform has not been a significant incentive to improve teaching quality, being perceived only as a new salary increase system. This has led to the fact that, despite the undoubted success of the Government of Kazakhstan in preparing the basis for a favorable long-term perspective for supporting pedagogical workers, the measures taken at this stage lack deep understanding among teachers and do not ensure an improvement in learning outcomes. The article aims to continue the discussion on the effectiveness of the conducted reforms, their impact on the real income increase for teachers, strengthening the status of pedagogical workers, and their motivation for professional growth.

Salary Prediction Model for Non-academic Staff Using Polynomial Regression Technique

The idea of regression has increased rapidly and significantly in the machine learning domain. This paper builds a salary prediction model to predict a justifiable salary of an employee commensurate to the increase or decrease in exchange rate (XR) using polynomial regression (PR) techniques of degree 2 in Jupyter Notebook on Anaconda Navigator tool. Predicting a feasible salary for an employee by the employer is a challenging task since every employee has a high goal and hope as the standard of leaving increases without a corresponding increase in salary. This model uses a salary dataset from Taraba State University, Jalingo, Nigeria in building and training the model and XR dataset for the prediction of employee salary. The result of the research shows that since the distribution of the dataset was nonlinear and the major feature significant in determining employee’s salary from the in-salary dataset was grade level and XR, this fully confirmed the use of PR algorithm. The research has immensely contributed to the knowledge and understanding of regression techniques. The researcher recommended other machine learning algorithms explored with various salary datasets and the potential applicability of machine learning fully incorporated in the financial department on the large dataset for better performance. The model performance was evaluated using R2 scores accuracy and the value of 97.2% realized, indicating how well the data points fit the line of regression and unseen dataset in the developed model.

MH workers strike against Kaiser Permanente in Southern California

More than 2,000 unionized mental health workers in Southern California went on strike against Kaiser Permanente last week after the two sides failed to reach a new labor agreement, CNN reported Oct. 21. The National Union of Healthcare Workers (NUHW) — which represents 19,000 health care workers in California and Hawaii, including 4,700 mental health workers — picketed outside Kaiser facilities in Los Angeles, San Diego, Anaheim and Fontana, seeking an increase in salaries, restoration of pensions and increased staffing. When announcing the impending strike earlier this month, the union cited its 10‐week strike in Northern California in 2022, which resulted in higher wages, better working conditions to improve patient care and prevented rapid staff turnover (see “Kaiser agrees to historic settlement to overhaul its BH care system,” MHW, Oct. 25, 2023; https://doi.org/10.1002/mhw.33828). Union members on strike in Southern California have said their demands are in line in with what Kaiser has provided to the majority of its workforce. “Unless we strike, our coworkers are going to keep leaving and our patients are going to keep struggling in an underfunded, understaffed system that doesn't meet their needs,” Josh Garcia, a psychologist for Kaiser in San Diego, said in a press statement from the NUHW. The strike comes as employment in the mental health field — for psychiatrists, psychologists, therapists, counselors, psychiatric aides and social workers — is expected to grow three times faster than the average US job position, according to CNN's analysis of data released in September by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. A survey in 2022 from CNN in partnership with the Kaiser Family Foundation showed that nine out of 10 US adults believe the country has a mental health crisis.

Financial Literacy Practices of Teachers

Embracing sound financial literacy practices can empower teachers to build a financially literate community. In this context, this study aimed to determine the level of teachers’ financial literacy practices. Data for this descriptive study was collected from 56 teachers using a researcher-made instrument that has gone through rigorous tests of validity and reliability. The ensuing analysis showed a low level of financial literacy among teacher-respondents. Additionally, no significant difference was found in the teachers’ financial literacy practices based on age and civil status. In contrast, a significant difference was found in teachers’ financial literacy practices based on groupings by educational attainment and family income. Meanwhile, a significant difference was found when the same data was analyzed based on the length of service and grouping by needs and wants. The findings of this paper call for a salary increase for the teachers, loans on a legal basis, seminars, and training for teachers. Keywords: Financial literacy practices, teachers, Negros Occidental, Philippines

Development of a Professional Advancement Model for Perfusionists

Improvement in professional advancement opportunities may reduce turnover and improve retention for perfusionists. However, the current literature lacks examples of professional advancement models (PAMs) for perfusionists. This review looks at examples from other healthcare fields to provide the rationale and develop a framework for such a model. The review results led to the development of a point-based PAM that included four levels: perfusionist I, II, III, and IV. Each level is associated with its own point requirement, experience level, and salary increase. Points can be acquired through four defined categories. Perfusion programs needing professional advancement can use these results as a foundation for implementing a PAM for perfusionists.

NCAA football coach compensation and non-price competition for football players

ABSTRACT College football coach salaries at big-time programmes have increased substantially in recent years. We investigate non-price competition for incoming athletes as a source of salary increases. The NCAA cartel ensures that athletes receive compensation limited to the cost of attending college, which prevents football programmes from competing for athlete’s services on a price (compensation) basis. Non-price competition frequently emerges under these conditions. We develop evidence that increases in head football coach salaries cause increased football recruiting success using an instrumental variables approach to control for correlation between salaries and unobservable institution-specific factors affecting recruiting success. Results from a sample of 90 FBS schools over the period 2006–2015 support the presence of non-price competition for college football players. Each $1 million increase in head coach salary increases the quality of the incoming class of football recruits by about one standard deviation.

Aligning hard skills demands between Brazilian universities and the labor market: A conceptual model for bridging the gap

Unemployment is a global issue that impacts millions of people. Some studies identify the lack of hard skills as a significant barrier to entering or re-entering the labor market. It can also hinder job retention and limit opportunities for promotions and salary increases. Taking this scenario into consideration, this article proposes a strategy to address unemployment caused by the lack of hard skills, specifically targeting higher education students. This paper proposes a conceptual model designed for future implementation, which integrates university educational programs with the hard skills demanded by job openings in Brazil. To achieve this goal, a systematic literature review was performed, leading to the development and description of the conceptual model. The theoretical findings highlight the originality of this study, with the conceptual model serving as a preliminary step toward better aligning university programs with labor market needs through more targeted planning of higher education offerings.

Sustainability Indicators to MSW Treatment Assessment: The Rio de Janeiro Case Study

The Brazilian Policy foresees the waste management hierarchy, according to which energy reuse from waste is preferred to final disposal. However, less than 0.2% of the country’s waste goes to energy production. This paper proposes sustainability indicators to support the decision to choose the best process to treat municipal solid waste (MSW) through bioenergy generation technologies. Then, we conduct a case study for Rio de Janeiro. Incineration and gasification were not economically feasible—despite TRL 9 and 8. However, the projects presented a null net present value by increasing the gate fee to 94.69 and 255.39 USD/ton of MSW, respectively. The social indicators (job creation, salary increase with the absorption of waste pickers, population served, reduction in MSW sent to landfill) did not indicate the best technology. The results of the environmental indicators for incineration and gasification were, respectively, 0.45 and 0.37 t CO2eq/tMSW for GWP, 1.49 and 1.23 MWh/tMSW for energy intensity, 1.24 and 6.14 m3/tMSW for water intensity, 39.3 and 27.9 m2/tMSW for land use and 0.135 and 0.088 t SO2eq/tMSW for acidification. Gasification presented better results on 60% of the environmental indicators. However, incineration scored better in the important ones, water and energy intensities, in addition to the technical–economic aspect.

Exploring the return-on-investment for scaling screening and psychosocial treatment for women with common perinatal mental health problems in Malawi: Developing a cost-benefit-calculator tool.

This study sought to develop a user-friendly decision-making tool to explore country-specific estimates for costs and economic consequences of different options for scaling screening and psychosocial interventions for women with common perinatal mental health problems in Malawi. We developed a simple simulation model using a structure and parameter estimates that were established iteratively with experts, based on published trials, international databases and resources, statistical data, best practice guidance and intervention manuals. The model projects annual costs and returns to investment from 2022 to 2026. The study perspective is societal, including health expenditure and productivity losses. Outcomes in the form of health-related quality of life are measured in Disability Adjusted Life Years, which were converted into monetary values. Economic consequences include those that occur in the year in which the intervention takes place. Results suggest that the net benefit is relatively small at the beginning but increases over time as learning effects lead to a higher number of women being identified and receiving (cost‑)effective treatment. For a scenario in which screening is first provided by health professionals (such as midwives) and a second screening and the intervention are provided by trained and supervised volunteers to equal proportions in group and individual sessions, as well as in clinic versus community setting, total costs in 2022 amount to US$ 0.66 million and health benefits to US$ 0.36 million. Costs increase to US$ 1.03 million and health benefits to US$ 0.93 million in 2026. Net benefits increase from US$ 35,000 in 2022 to US$ 0.52 million in 2026, and return-on-investment ratios from 1.05 to 1.45. Results from sensitivity analysis suggest that positive net benefit results are highly sensitive to an increase in staff salaries. This study demonstrates the feasibility of developing an economic decision-making tool that can be used by local policy makers and influencers to inform investments in maternal mental health.

RETURNS OF SOCIAL AND PRIVATE INVESTMENT IN VOCATIONAL EDUCATION IN NIGERIA

Globally, the world of work has shifted its focus from just education obtained through theoretical courses to vocational education and training because of the recorded returns in social and private investment. Thus, the sector has been at the heart of recent economic reforms worldwide. However, despite the upsurge in the supply of academic university graduates in Nigeria, employers of labor still face a supply shortage of skilled labor and this has been linked to the theory-oriented curricula of academic universities which do not prepare students for skill-intensive jobs. According to the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics report (2024), statistics the overall unemployment rate in Nigeria for the Q2 of 2023 was 4.2%, while among youth aged 15-24 years, the unemployment rate in Q2 of 2023 was 7.2%, up from 6.9% in Q1 2023. Meanwhile, in urban areas, the unemployment rate reached 5.9% in 2022, compared to 5.4% in Q1 2023. Within vocational training, the economic returns to practical or in-plant training seem to be slightly higher than those in school training. It is clear that tremendous resources, both human and material, are required to redress the situation. As Nigeria is lagging in preparing its workforce for the challenges of the rapidly changing global economy, the government must invest captiously and pay particular attention to vocational and technical education. Also, there is the need to improve the earnings of vocational school graduates through an increase in salary and attractive remuneration which will induce individuals to take vocational education and skills acquisition more seriously. KEYWORDS: Vocational Education, Education, Returns, Social and Private Investment and Nigeria.

Application of Projected Unit Credit Method and Entry Age Normal in Pension Fund Insurance of PT Pos Indonesia, South Aceh Regency

This study aims to analyze the application of the Projected Unit Credit (PUC) Method and the Entry Age Normal (EAN) Method in the context of pension fund insurance. The Projected Unit Credit Method and the Entry Age Normal Method are two actuarial approaches used to calculate liabilities and determine the required contributions in pension plans. The Projected Unit Credit Method calculates based on projected future salaries and benefits accumulated over the employee's working life, while the Entry Age Normal Method distributes the cost of retirement benefits evenly over the employee's working life. Data was collected from various pension plans that use both methods. Analysis was conducted to compare the accuracy of liability estimation, contribution stability, and the impact of each method on pension fund sustainability. The results show that the Projected Unit Credit Method provides a more realistic liability estimate by considering salary increases, while the Entry Age Normal Method offers better contribution stability from year to year. The selection of the appropriate actuarial method is highly dependent on the objectives and specific conditions of the pension program being managed. These findings are expected to help pension fund managers make more informed decisions to ensure the welfare of pension plan participants.

Influence of the Revenues of the Co-Financed Universities of Ecuador on the Expenditure For Salaries of the Academic and Administrative Personnel

Objective: This study investigates the influence of income from co-financed universities on the salary expenses of teaching and administrative staff, aiming to understand how changes in employee salaries impact university revenues. Theoretical Framework: The research is grounded in labor economics and higher education finance theories, providing a robust context for analyzing the financial dynamics within universities. Method: Two econometric models were employed: a multiple linear regression model using ordinary least squares to measure individual effects and a panel data model with random effects to assess grouped effects. Data collection involved analyzing financial records from co-financed universities. Results and Discussion: The results indicate that increased salaries at Universidad Politécnica Salesiana and Universidad Católica Santiago de Guayaquil lead to higher income. A 1% increase in teachers' salaries results in a 0.49% income increase, while a 1% rise in administrative salaries leads to a 0.08% income decrease. These findings highlight significant implications and limitations. Research Implications: The study provides insights for budgeting strategies, salary policies, and financial planning in higher education. It emphasizes the practical and theoretical impacts of salary adjustments on university revenues. Originality/Value: This research contributes to the literature by exploring the novel relationship between employee salary increases and university revenues, offering valuable insights for financial decision-making in higher education institutions.

The determinants of nonprofit hospital CEO compensation.

Hospital CEO salaries have grown quickly over the past two decades. We investigate correlates of rising nonprofit hospital CEO pay between 2012 and 2019 by merging compensation data from Candid's IRS 990 forms with hospital data from the National Academy for State Health Policy Hospital Cost Tool. Almost half of the measured increase in CEO compensation (44.5%) accrued to a "base case" CEO, who was leading a non-teaching hospital system or independent hospital with fewer than 100 beds that earned 0 profits and provided no charity care. Another 28.5% of the measured salary increase resulted from changes in the generosity with which observable metrics were rewarded, particularly the reward for heading a system with 500 or more beds. The remaining 27% resulted mostly from hospital systems or single hospitals that increased their profits or bed size over time. The increase in CEO compensation associated with leading larger healthcare systems and earning greater profits may explain the increase in healthcare system consolidation which has occurred over the last several years.

Pengaruh Tambahan Penghasilan Pegawai terhadap Kinerja Pegawai Negeri Sipil di Kantor Kecamatan Kesugihan

Cilacap Regent Regulation No. 03 of 2024, which addresses the Provision of Additional revenue to State Civil Apparatus Employees in the Regional Government, provides civil servants in the Kesugihan Subdistrict Office, Cilacap Regency with sources of revenue beyond their salary and allowances. One way to show gratitude for the work that state civil apparatus employees do is to give them a raise. This will have a positive impact on their morale, productivity, and overall well-being. This prompted the author to investigate whether or not the Cilacap Regency Government's civil officials, and those working in the Kesugihan District Office in particular, would be more productive after receiving a salary increase. The author's research shows that in the Kesugihan District office setting, additional employee income does have an effect on civil servants' performance, but that this effect is not yet optimal and requires additional attention from leadership to achieve maximum results. The Kesugihan District Office's civil servants could benefit from additional employee income (TPP) in the form of higher wages and better working conditions, as well as more discipline, which should lead to better service delivery.

Arkansas

This article examines changes in educational funding for fiscal year 2023 in the state of Arkansas in the United States. In 2023 the state was ranked 47th in education attainment, 37th in per- pupil spending for public K-12 schools and had the 5th highest poverty rate in the United States. The state legislature passed a minimum starting teacher salary of $50,000 for the 2023–2024 school year, up from $34,900. The legislation also provided an increase of $2,000 to teachers who were already making $50,000 or more. This increase in teacher salaries is estimated to cost the state $180 million each year. The legislature also increased the foundation funding amount per pupil by $205 and increased most categorical funds by roughly two percent. Arkansas uses a productivity funding model as its method of funding higher education but only increased higher education funding by 1.5%. The Arkansas LEARNS Act created a voucher system whereby any student who is eligible to enroll in a public school can receive funding to attend a private school or be homeschooled. This system will be fully implemented in three years enabling any student to be eligible for funds. The state spends approximately 31% of its budget on P-12 education and 15% on higher education.

Do Resident Unions Improve Graduate Medical Education Training? Benefits and Potential Pitfalls.

The last 10 years have seen an increase in union representation for residents and fellows across the United States. It is estimated that 15% of residents and fellows are represented by unions. With increasing numbers of U.S. residents and fellows in graduate medical education (GME) programs being represented by unions, the authors contend that it is worthwhile to consider the benefits and potential drawbacks of resident unions and how GME and health system leaders can best work to ensure that the educational needs of residents continue to be emphasized in an era of resident unionization. Union bargaining can be a method to secure salary increases and other benefits for residents. Unionization can also provide a mechanism for more rapidly addressing worker protection issues and allows residents to advocate on behalf of patients. Residents participating as union leaders may develop important leadership and negotiation skills as well as gain beneficial knowledge about health system structure, financing, and priorities. However, with all the possible benefits that may come with resident unionization, there are also potential pitfalls. The collective bargaining process may create an adversarial relationship between program and institution leaders and trainees. Additionally, while residents are considered employees and able to collectively bargain, the National Labor Relations Board has also acknowledged that residents are "students learning their chosen medical craft." Program and institution leaders have an obligation to prioritize resident education and adhere to accreditation requirements even when these requirements conflict with union demands. Furthermore, because of the obligation to protect the public, program leaders should maintain control of resident academic due process issues. Program and institutional leaders must continue to prioritize resident education. Furthermore, GME leaders have a joint responsibility to create clinical learning environments that are conducive to quality patient care and promote resident learning and well-being.

The Benefits and Challenges of Providing School Meals during the First Year of California's Universal School Meal Policy as Reported by School Foodservice Professionals.

States in the U.S. are newly implementing universal school meal (USM) policies, yet little is known about the facilitators of their success and the challenges they confront. This study evaluated the challenges and facilitators faced by school food authorities (SFAs) implementing California's universal school meal (USM) policy during its inaugural year (2022-2023) using an online survey. In March 2023, 430 SFAs reported many benefits, including increased meal participation (64.2% of SFAs) and revenues (65.7%), reduced meal debt (41.8%) and stigma (30.9%), and improved meal quality (44.3%) and staff salaries (36.9%). Reported challenges include product/ingredient availability (80.9%), staffing shortages (77.0%), vendor/distributor logistics issues (75.9%), and administrative burden (74.9%). Top facilitators included state funding (78.2%) and increased federal reimbursement (77.2%). SFAs with fewer students eligible for free or reduced-price meals (as opposed to SFAs with more) reported greater increases in meal participation and reductions in stigma but also more administrative burdens. Larger SFAs reported greater increases in revenues, staff salaries, and improvements in meal quality than smaller SFAs but also more challenges. Overall, California's USM policy has enhanced student access to healthy meals while mitigating social and financial barriers. Understanding California's experience can inform other jurisdictions considering or implementing similar policies.

Estimating Career Benefits from Online Community Leadership: Evidence from Stack Exchange Moderators

Many IT professionals seek to improve their job prospects by engaging as leaders of online communities, for example, by serving as a moderator or admin. We investigate whether such community leadership leads to (causal) improvements in individuals’ careers. We assemble a data set, including job histories of IT professionals who have sought election as moderators (mods) in Stack Exchange question-and-answer communities, between 2010 and 2020. We estimate the career benefits of moderatorship under two complementary identification strategies: difference-in-differences (DID) and regression discontinuity (RD). We observe qualitatively consistent results under each design, finding that election to a moderator role has a significant, causal, positive effect on job mobility. We estimate that moderatorship increases the probability of a job change by between 4.7 and 12.3 percentage points over the two years following the election. We also report a series of secondary analyses that speak to associated salary increases and show evidence consistent with the notion that social capital and signaling play a role. Our findings help us understand the benefits of online community leadership, and they extend our understanding of the motivations for online community engagement. This paper was accepted by Chris Forman, information systems. Supplemental Material: The online appendix and data files are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2019.03252 .

Understanding the Need for Income Tax Incentives. A Case Study on the It Sector in Romania

Abstract In 2023, the Romanian Government decided on the reduction and alignment of tax incentives for employees in the IT, construction, agriculture and food industry sectors. This paper aims to analyze the impact on these activity fields, with a focus on the IT sector. For this purpose, indicators such as number of employees, percentage in the total GDP and labor productivity were considered relevant and the data was processed using the regression analysis. Thus, the implementation of fiscal facilities had an overall positive impact on all industries in terms of employment, but not necessarily as a percentage of GDP. A strong, direct link between the increase in the mean salary in the IT industry and number of employees, labor productivity and percentage of GDP was determined, with a coefficient of multiple determination of over 90% for all three regression analyses. The elimination of benefits for the employees working in IT might have a negative impact on the sector which has become a main strategic resource for Romania, mainly because the possibility of working remotely can make companies easily relocate their IT departments.