Industrial Occupations Research Articles

Skill capabilities behind the scenes: the role of occupational portfolio in regional industrial evolution

ABSTRACT An increasing number of studies confirm that regional diversification is path dependent, with new industries building on pre-existing ones. However, these studies typically overlook the role of skill capabilities and the interactions between skills and industries. In this research, based on the concept of industry–occupation cross-relatedness, the influence of skill capabilities on industrial diversification across Chinese regions was investigated. The findings indicate that regions can diversify into skill-related activities following a skill path-dependent process. Furthermore, a theoretical framework integrating industry–occupation cross-relatedness and economic complexity was introduced that enabled the adoption of various diversification strategies based on regional skill capabilities.

Large-scale longitudinal analysis of the progression of alcohol use among members of a social media platform: an observational study

ABSTRACT Background: The large-scale identification of people at risk of transitioning from relatively lower-risk to higher-risk alcohol use (e.g. problem drinking) remains a public health challenge despite advances in the identification of risk and protective factors. Objective: This observational study used machine learning to identify Reddit (social media platform) posting activity associated with transitioning from lower- to higher-risk forms of alcohol use. Methods: We employed bottom-up and top-down approaches to identify lower- and higher-risk alcohol-related subreddits. Using a non-parametric negative control procedure, we estimated each of 10,006 Reddit communities’ risk of progression from lower- to higher-risk alcohol-related communities and applied a random forest model to predict progression among individual Reddit members. Eligible Reddit members had posted on Reddit for two or more years before their first post in a lower-risk alcohol-related community and for three or more years after that (N = 4,160). Results: Our methodology identified 42 alcohol-related communities, four of which were suggestive of problem drinking. Five communities were significantly associated with progression. Random forests model’s risk scores for individual members correlated with their progression to higher-risk communities at 0.30; the model predicted progression of individual Reddit members with a 0.92 area under the curve. Conclusions: Posting in communities dedicated to other substance use, depression, and occupation in the food service industry was associated with posting activity suggestive of problem drinking 3 years later. Posting activity on Reddit may be used for early detection of people at higher risk of transitioning from lower- to higher-risk forms of alcohol use.

Prevalence of Cannabis Use Among US Workers in 15 States, 2016-2020.

Objectives. To examine the prevalence of cannabis use among US workers using data from the US Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) during 2016 to 2020. Methods. We analyzed past 30-day cannabis use among US workers. We calculated weighted prevalence and adjusted prevalence ratios (APRs) of cannabis use for working adults by industry groups, occupation groups, and sociodemographic characteristics (e.g., sex, education, age, race/ethnicity). Results. During the 5-year survey period, the weighted prevalence of past 30-day cannabis use among adult US workers from the 15 states included in the BRFSS was 10.7%. The industry group with the highest weighted prevalence of use was accommodation and food services (20.7%), and the highest-ranking occupation group was food preparation and service (21.9%). The industry group with the highest APR was accommodation and food services (APR = 1.31; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.10, 1.55), and the occupation group with the highest APR was arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media (APR = 1.91; 95% CI = 1.52, 2.41). Conclusions. Cannabis use among US workers varied widely by sex, age, race, education, industry groups, and occupation groups. A more accurate understanding of this variation can help guide research, focus policy discussions, and prioritize health messaging. (Am J Public Health. 2024;114(S8):S645-S653. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2024.307788).

Incidence, trends and factors associated with psychological injury among health and social care workers in New South Wales, Australia: a retrospective cohort study of workers' compensation claims.

To describe and compare the incidence and trends of workers' compensation (WC) claims for psychological injury: (1) between health and social care (HSC) industry and other industries; (2) among specific occupations in the HSC industry; and (3) to determine if psychological injury claim rates differ by age and gender in the HSC industry and among specific occupations. A retrospective cohort study was conducted using data from the New South Wales WC system. Workers with accepted psychological injury claims between July 2012 and June 2021 were included. Negative binomial regression models were employed to estimate incidence rate ratios and 95% CIs. The HSC industry had a higher incidence (2.4 per 1000 workers) than all other industries combined (1.1 per 1000 workers). In the HSC industry, the incidence increased from 1.8 in 2013-2015 to 3.4 in 2019-2021. Ambulance officers had the highest incidence (24.9 per 1000 workers) and the highest growth rate. Nurses and midwives, and aged and disability care workers also had fast-growing incidence over the 9 years. Risk of psychological injury claims was highest among female workers and older adults. The increasing incidence and trend of psychological injury claims among HSC workers in New South Wales signify a growing public health issue. Greater efforts are needed to prevent work-related psychological injury in the HSC industry and support affected workers. The different patterns of psychological injury claims across occupations suggest that interventions should be tailored to each occupational group.

A Novel Job Similarity Index for Career Transition in the Mining Industry

In this study, with the primary goal of capturing ongoing digital transformation and automation impacts on the mining industry and its workforce, we conduct several interviews with mining industry experts in the USA and analyze our survey reports qualitatively and quantitatively through exploratory analysis. After the interpretation of the insights of industry experts, we proceed to generate a personalized and customized data analysis through a novel metric based on skills, knowledge, competencies, and occupational requirements, which quantifies the job similarities for occupations in the mining industry based on the publicly available database of the United States Department of Labor. We utilize text analytics to tokenize and classify the interviews to capture a better understanding of major response categories. The temporal analysis shows that the critical competency needs in the data science and autonomy category increases from 28% in current demands to 43%. In defining our metric, we also calculate Kullback–Leibler (KL) divergence for each job profile that enables determining whether and to what extent that job is transitionary in our test set based on the mean, standard deviation, and kurtosis of each job of interest. Our analysis reveals that the in-group job transitions are significantly easier than the between-group transitions, proving our initial assumptions and common sense. The generated heat maps provide the opportunity to present the gap between the current job and desired job profiles that provide feasible career change options, among others, offering individualized career paths for job seekers and promoting potential job transitions. Through the collection of industry-specific individual employee data, the AI system is envisaged to continue to learn as end users engage with the system, thus creating a central data hub specifically for the future workforce in the mining industry. Although the study has limitations on generalizability for qualitative assessments, it presents itself as a valuable application of how qualitative and quantitative approaches could be of value for future worker training in the mining sector.

Socio-Cultural Determinants of Gender Disparities in Kenyan Organizations

Despite various efforts and some notable gains, women's representation in wage employment remains low, forming less than 30% of wage employment in Kenya. The main objective of this study was to identify the levels and the social-cultural factors that influence gender disparities at the selected organizations in the manufacturing, the service sector and the related trade unions in Kenya. The disparities were examined at three levels, namely: the operational, the management and the trade union. Although several socio-cultural factors influencing gender disparities at work have been enumerated, the study investigated their relative importance to the industrial occupations in the selected organizations and the respective trade unions in Kenya. The study was guided by the structuralism theory and the concepts of division of labor. The fundamental conceptual proposition was that social structure influences socialization, which may lead to gender disparities and the related division of labour. The study used the descriptive survey research design to obtain data from the manufacturing and service sector industries and the related trade unions. Primary data were obtained from 208 respondents drawn from operational, management and trade union levels using interviews and questionnaires, while organizations' records were used for secondary data. The data were then coded and converted to numerical codes, which represent the attributes of the various variables of the proposed study. Data were summarized using percentages, ratios, frequencies and the measures of central tendency. The findings revealed that despite the many strategies employed, gender disparities continue to persist in formal employment in Kenya. The margins of disparities were seen to increase up the organizational hierarchy. Some of the specific possible causes of disparities included family responsibilities, social stereotypes and spouse income. The key recommendations made included the introduction of flexi-time working arrangements and care centres at the workplace.

Causes of Gender Disparities in Kenyan Organizations and the Respective Trade Unions

Gender disparities continue to be reported in various dimensions of industrial occupations in Kenya and other parts of the world. This is despite the efforts by various stakeholders, including the enactment of the various gender-responsive labour laws and the inclusion of the industrial relations provision in the Kenyan constitution. Currently, according to the Kenyan National Bureau of Statistics, women's representation in formal wage employment in Kenya is below 27 per cent. The aim of this study was to identify and analyze the institutional factors that influence gender disparities at selected organizations and the respective trade unions in Kenya. A descriptive survey research design was used to obtain data from selected companies in Kenya. Primary data were obtained using questionnaires and interviews, while secondary data was sourced from company records. The data collected were coded and converted to numerical codes, which represent the attributes of the various variables of the proposed study. Data were summarized using percentages, ratios, frequencies and the measures of central tendency. The study findings indicated that gender disparities continue to be experienced at the various levels of organizational and trade union hierarchies. Margins of gender disparities tended to be higher at the top management compared to the operational levels of the organizations. Disparities, too, tend to be higher in manufacturing organizations compared to service sector organizations. The institutional factors that were observed to cause gender disparities included the recruitment practices and procedures, lack of inspection by the ministry in charge of labour in Kenya, and lack of provisions for appeal in the recruitment and promotion policies of the studied organizations. In the right of these findings, the study recommended that there should be strict measures by the government to ensure the implementation of the two-thirds rule at all organizational levels. Both the government and the trade unions must engage in regular labour inspections as a way of enforcing labour laws.

Renewable Energy in the European Union: The State of the Art and Directions of Development

The transition of the energy system in the European Union (EU) from non-renewable to renewable energy aims to guarantee the energy supply, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, reduce energy costs, and lead to industrial development, growth, and occupation. The revised renewable energy directive EU/2023/2413 raises the binding renewable target for the EU in 2030 to a minimum of 42.5%. This means almost doubling the existing share of energy from renewable sources in the EU. This study is concerned with presenting state-of-the-art regarding renewable energy sources in EU countries, predicting the share of renewable energy in 2030, and investigating the relationships between this share and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. The results of the research indicate a significant relationship between increasing renewable energy sources and decreasing greenhouse gas emissions in the EU.

Subject- and Activity-Oriented Promotion of Reading and Writing Skills of Low Literacy Levels Using the Example of Training Occupations in the Construction Industry

Subject- and Activity-Oriented Promotion of Reading and Writing Skills of Low Literacy Levels Using the Example of Training Occupations in the Construction Industry

Work and Industry Occupational Therapy Career Pathways: Understanding an Underrepresented Practice Area.

The involvement of occupational therapy (OT) providers in work and industry (W&I) has noticeably diminished despite the historical and ontological connection between work and occupation. Clear career expectations are necessary to introduce and retain the OT workforce in this underrepresented yet essential practice area. This study aimed to describe OT practitioners' experiences exploring and developing careers in the W&I practice area. We used an inductive thematic analysis in a multi-step, iterative process to explore experiences shared through comments and stories in response to an open-ended question in a cross-sectional online survey. Four semantic-level themes emerged, including career pathways, accumulation of expertise, professional identity, and challenges in W&I practice. Novel career paths revealed in the article underlined the limited recognition of W&I practice in OT. Structured career planning support is needed to promote the growth of this practice area.

The unequal effects of the health-economy trade-off during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite the global impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, the question of whether mandated interventions have similar economic and public health effects as spontaneous behavioural change remains unresolved. Addressing this question, and understanding differential effects across socioeconomic groups, requires building quantitative and fine-grained mechanistic models. Here we introduce a data-driven, granular, agent-based model that simulates epidemic and economic outcomes across industries, occupations and income levels. We validate the model by reproducing key outcomes of the first wave of coronavirus disease 2019 in the New York metropolitan area. The key mechanism coupling the epidemic and economic modules is the reduction in consumption due to fear of infection. In counterfactual experiments, we show that a similar trade-off between epidemic and economic outcomes exists both when individuals change their behaviour due to fear of infection and when non-pharmaceutical interventions are imposed. Low-income workers, who perform in-person occupations in customer-facing industries, face the strongest trade-off.

Sex Differences in COVID-19 Deaths, by Industry and Occupation, 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately impacted workers in certain industries and occupations. The infection risk for SARS-CoV-2 and future respiratory viruses in the workplace is a significant concern for workers, employers, and policymakers. This study describes the differences in COVID-19 mortality by sex and industry/occupation among working-age U.S. residents in 49 states and New York City. The 2021 National Vital Statistics System public use multiple-cause-of-death data for U.S. decedents aged 15-64 years (working age) with information on usual industry and occupation were analyzed in 2022. Age-standardized COVID-19 death rates for selected demographic characteristics and adjusted proportional mortality ratios were estimated by sex and usual industry and occupation. In 2021, 133,596 (14.3%) U.S. decedents aged 15-64 years had COVID-19 listed as the underlying cause of death; the highest COVID-19 death rate was among persons aged 55-64 years (172.4 of 100,000 population) and males (65.5 of 100,000 population). Among males and females, American Indian or Alaskan Native and Black or African American, respectively, had the highest death rates. Hispanic males had higher age-adjusted death rates than Hispanic females. Working-age male decedents in the public administration (proportional mortality ratio=1.39) and management of companies and enterprises industries (proportional mortality ratio=1.39) and community and social services occupations (proportional mortality ratio=1.68) and female decedents in the utilities industry (proportional mortality ratio=1.20) and protective services occupation (proportional mortality ratio=1.18) had the highest proportional mortality ratios. COVID-19 death rates and proportional mortality ratios varied by sex, industry, and occupation groups. These findings underscore the importance of workplace public health interventions, which could protect workers and their communities.

When the Flirting Guest’s Age Is Crucial: Young People in the Hospitality Industry Reflect on Sexual Harassment

The purpose of this study was to investigate and analyse how young people’s perceptions of sexual harassment and unwelcome flirting from customers in the hospitality industry are affected by the customer’s age. Sixty-nine young women and men training for occupations in the hospitality industry were interviewed. The young people were 18–20 years old. The results show that the customer’s age was crucial for how the participants perceived unwelcome sexual interest and advances. If the person who offends was a child, the behaviour could be described as harmless, innocent and thus not as sexual harassment. Unwelcome flirting by a young man towards a young woman of the same age could be perceived as sexual harassment, but at the same time it is in line with the heteronormative ideal and could be understood. When the customer was older, that is, a middle-aged man, the young people’s descriptions of the occurrence were particularly negative.

177 Embracing choice: perspectives of older workers on extended working lives

Abstract Background Proposals to extend working lives are a frequent policy response to increasing older populations and associated pressures on state pension systems. However, all the consequences of a later retirement age are as yet unknown, with the perspectives of people potentially the first cohort of workers encouraged to remain in the workforce under-explored. Methods We conducted exploratory semi-structured interviews with 22 people aged between 51 and 63 in service industry occupations in Ireland. Falling just above low-income thresholds, this group were asked about their preparations for retirement, their views on continuing to work beyond anticipated retirement age and what measures, if any, can be implemented to facilitate working later in life. A thematic analysis was performed to provide a rich and detailed account of the perspectives of older workers as they approached retirement age. Results We found a general acceptance of working later in life, however this was contingent on several factors. The overarching enabler was continuing in good health with financial status a key underpinning motivator. For participants with insecure housing, patchwork employment histories and inadequate pension provisions, there was an impetus to continue working to generate savings before retirement. Often with less secure employment trajectories than previous generations, a leisurely retirement lifestyle was a diminishing prospect for our study participants. Working in multi-generational workplaces with the opportunity to shift to mentor roles was welcomed. As retirement approaches, measures such as reducing working hours while protecting existing welfare benefits would encourage people to remain in work for longer. Conclusion The complex and individual nature of continuing to work beyond expected retirement age requires flexible policy responses. An individualised approach to retirement which recognises the increasingly diverse nature of employment over the life-course is needed. This research contributes to advancing knowledge on how the choices of older workers can be facilitated in the context of our rapidly growing older population.

Pleural mesothelioma risk in the construction industry: a case–control study in Italy, 2000–2018

ObjectivesWorkers in the construction industry have been exposed to asbestos in various occupations. In Italy, a National Mesothelioma Registry has been implemented more than 20 years ago. Using cases selected...

A quantitative risk assessment of hydrogen fuel cell forklifts

With the increasing deployment of hydrogen fuel cell forklifts, it is essential to understand the risks of incidents involving these systems. A quantitative risk assessment (QRA) study was conducted to determine the potential hydrogen release scenarios, probabilities, and consequences in fuel cell forklift operations. QRA modeling tools, such as fault tree analysis (FTA) and event sequence diagrams (ESD), were used together with hydrogen systems data. This work provides insights into the fatality risk from a hydrogen fuel cell forklift and the reliability of its design and components. The analysis shows that the expected fatal accident rate of a hydrogen forklift is considerably higher than current fatal injury rates observed by the Bureau of Labor Statistics for industrial truck operators and material handling occupations. Nevertheless, the average individual risk posed to forklift drivers was found to be likely tolerable based on current risks accepted by industrial truck operators. Jet fires are found to dominate the system's risk, however, the risk of explosions is also considerable. An importance measures analysis shows that these risks could be mitigated by improving the design and reliability of pressure relief devices, as well as other components prone to leak such as filters and check valves. We also identify sources of uncertainty and conservatisms in the QRA process that can guide future research in hydrogen systems. These results provide powerful insight into improvements in the design of fuel cell forklifts to reduce risk and enable the safe deployment of this key technology for a decarbonized future.

Disparities in the prevalence of metabolic syndrome between Iranian industrial workers and university staff.

Is there a difference in the prevalence of metabolic syndrome between employee service jobs and industrial jobs in Iran? In this study, we tried to answer this question. For this purpose, we compared the two populations of employees and workers. We compared the staff of the University of Medical Sciences as a service employees population (clinical and office work) to the industrial workers of a large automotive company (often with industrial occupations). In this cross-sectional study conducted in Tehran in 2020, the prevalence of metabolic syndrome among 4,372 people employed by the university and 3,899 automotive industry employees was examined and compared. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was assessed based on two criteria, National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP III) and International Diabetes Federation (IDF). The results showed that the prevalence of metabolic syndrome among university staff was higher than the automotive industrial workers. According to ATP III criteria, the former and latter showed the prevalence of metabolic syndrome of 13.1% among and 6.1%, respectively among. Also, based on IDF criteria, the prevalence of metabolic syndrome was 23.3% and 12.6% in two groups mentioned. Based on the findings of this study, the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in university staff was almost double that in industry workers. At first glance, the physical activity of most automotive, industrial workers seems to be the main reason for this difference; however, a prevalence of about twice implies further factors. According to the authors, the legal implementation of monitoring, promotion, and surveillance programs of occupational health, in industrial environments can be a factor accounting for a significant difference in the prevalence of metabolic syndrome between the two populations observed. The authors suggest implementing similar programs for Iranian public sector employees to enhance their health status.

Crop Recommendation and Early Detection of Lack of Nutrients Using Machine Learning and Image Processing

In a country where farming is still the most common vocation and conventional agricultural practises are still used, farmers can only expect a limited amount of crop yields, which is ultimately less advantageous for them than the inputs they provide. So, in order to maximise crop yields for a given input, we are demonstrating various techniques that will be helpful to create a recommendation system for smart farming. Agriculture has never been a lucrative industry in India despite being a big industry and major occupation there. We suggest a system that would evaluate soil properties (pH value, soil type, and nutrient concentration) as well as environmental factors (temperature, rainfall, and geographic location in terms of state) before advising the user on the best crop to plant. The numerous data mining approaches are discussed inthis work along with how they relate to soil fertility, nutrient analysis, and rainfall forecasting. Using decision trees, classification can be accomplished in data mining. One of the major problems that farmers confront is diseases that are affected on plant leaves, especially rice leaves. As a result, it is very challenging to deliver the amount of food required to feed the world's expanding population.Diseases affecting rice have reduced production and cost the agricultural industry money. Image acquisition, picture pre-processing, image segmentation, feature extraction, and classification are processes in the disease detection process. The techniques for identifying plant diseases using photographs of their leaves were covered in this essay. The segmentation and feature extraction algorithms utilised in the identification of plant diseases were also covered in this research.

Penerapan Konvensi ILO pada Industri Garmen Bangladesh (Studi Kasus: Diskriminasi Pekerja Garmen Perempuan)

This research begins with the problem of implementation obstacles of ILO Conventions related to discrimination in occupation and employment in the Bangladeshi garment industry. In that regards, this study aims to question What are the obstacles to implementing the ILO Conventions on Discrimination in Occupation and Employment in Bangladesh. This paper addresses this question through qualitative method by exploring secondary data. Furthermore, the data then being analyzed using qualitative descriptive analysis techniques. The results of the study indicate that implementation of ILO Conventions related to occupational and occupational discrimination has encountered obstacles in Bangladesh. These obstacles are caused by The Bangladesh Labor Act does not explain in detail about garment workers, weak oversight of the implementation of the Bangladesh Labor Act on garment companies, garment companies do not fully support the Bangladesh Labor Act, and the political conditions in Bangladesh.

The Experience and Performance of Female Airline Pilots in Taiwan - A Tripartite Assessment

The pilot profession remains one of the most notable gender-imbalanced occupations in the aviation industry, with women making up a far lower percentage than men. Nevertheless, the experiences and challenges faced by female pilots in the workplace is worth exploring. Previous studies have mostly approached these issues from the perspective of male and/or female pilots, ignoring the opinions of managers responsible for flight operations. This study fills this research gap by adding flight operations managers' assessments of female pilots to explore the topic from a broader and comprehensive tripartite perspective. In addition, gender issues in the cockpit and the impact of female pilot participation are also discussed. The research is conducted through in-depth interviews covering flight operations managers, male pilots, and female pilots in three different Taiwanese airlines. The findings of this study reveal that the performance of female pilots is generally affirmed by flight operations managers and male pilots, and the participation of female pilots produces some chemical effects on the culture of the cockpit, which also contributes to crew resource management and flight safety. Contrary to previous research findings, the female pilots interviewed in this study do not feel that they are being challenged or abused in relation to their gender. Finally, several recommendations are given to the airlines to implement CRM training programs and recruit female pilots.