Job Layoffs Research Articles

Intersectional Earnings Inequalities in U.S. Public Sector Workplaces and the Great Recession

The authors examine intersectional earnings inequalities in U.S. state and local government workplaces during the Great Recession of 2007 to 2011. Corresponding to closure and exploitation mechanisms as proposed in Relational Inequality Theory, the authors decompose pay gaps into between-workplace and within-workplace segregation components and within-job disparities. Between-workplace closure mechanisms tend to be absent or weak for all comparisons, but within-workplace occupational closure and within-job pay disparities are present for all and quite large for most groups. Within-job earnings inequalities tend to be largest for Black, Hispanic, and Native American women and smallest for Asian and Native American men. During the Great Recession, organizational resources to make claims on shrank, as low-wage job layoffs surged and resources contracted. This resulted in a shrinking of within-workplace and within-job, but rising between-workplace, inequalities.

EVALUATING GOVERNANCE PRACTICES AND BUSINESS OPERATIONS IN NIGERIA: ATTENDANT RESPONSE TO FRAUD PREVENTION AND RISK MANAGEMENT IN THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC ERA

Despite the outcome of the COVID-19 pandemic onslaught on global economies that has negatively undermined the financial prowess of major markets in United States of America, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Austria, Canada, Spain, Italy, Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana et cetera, leading to loss of trillions of US Dollars, the need to uphold responsive financial sustainability among nations and businesses has been largely impaired by the prevalence of fraud, cyber crimes, mismanagement of scarce finance resources and external loan funds, bad leadership and poor oversight. Amid unprecedented increase in job layoffs, salary cuts, expenses cuts, robotic technologies embrace, bonuses suspension, promotions postponements, remote working embrace, price hikes, high inflation rate et cetera which have all culminated into heightened fraud occurrences and consequent fraud losses, fraud risk appear not to be proactively considered a top priority by the government and management of businesses in critical challenging COVID-19 pandemic economic downturn period as this. Deploying a descriptive approach, the study expressly evaluates the threat of COVID-19 pandemic upsurge on public governance and businesses with extant emphasis laid literally on attendant responses to fraud prevention and fraud risk management in Nigeria. Conceptualized schematic frameworks and widely recognized current statistics were utilised and evaluated to maximally envisage reliable response measures to fraud risk factors in the contemporary COVID-19 pandemic business environment in Nigeria. The study concludes by proposing possible actions (way forward) for policies development towards rescuing Nigeria and its business environment from the prevailing unfavourable situations..

Economic growth and labour market in the European Union: lessons from COVID-19

Research background: The world has been fighting the new pandemic caused by COVID-19 since March 2020. The subsequent restrictions on economic activity resulted in a supply shock, accompanied by a supply chain disruption, job layoffs, reduced work time and wages and decreased disposable incomes and taxes, which led to a demand shock. However, whether a close link exists between the number of confirmed cases, deaths and economic indicators during the COVID-19 pandemic remains uncertain. Purpose of the article: The current study aims to analyse the impact of the number of infections and deaths on economic growth and labour market indicators in the member states of the European Union. Methods: To achieve the main research goal, we conduct a panel data analysis on the quarterly data of 2020. Specifically, we developed three random-effects panel data econometric models to estimate the significance of infection and mortality rates for economic growth as well as employment and unemployment rates. Findings & value added: This study contributes to the existing literature by analysing the link between the infection and mortality rates of COVID-19 and selecting macro-economic indicators within the European Union. The results show that the infection rate is not a significant variable for economic growth and labour market indicators. However, an increase in the number of confirmed deaths has a significantly negative impact on the economy. Moreover, an increase in the mortality rate has a worse impact on the labour market than on economic growth in general. These results can serve as a theoretical basis for future research on the interconnections between pandemics and macro-economic indicators. The findings can also contribute to developing efficient policy instruments for mitigating the negative impact of pandemics in the future, thereby ensuring the cooperation of fiscal, monetary and health policy authorities.

Unpreparedness and uncertainty: a qualitative study of African American experiences during COVID-19 pandemic

During disasters, vulnerable populations are disproportionately affected. COVID-19 disproportionately affected African American (AA) families, increasing their risk for COVID-19 morbidity and mortality. The pandemic also exacerbated existing negative milieu such as economic opportunity and access to social and healthcare services. We explored AA families’ experiences of indirect pandemic effects. Data were collected through semi-structured in-depth telephone interviews with 11 AA parent/grandparents of school-aged child (5–17 years). Line-by-line coding and thematic analysis were used to analyze and interpret the data. Three emergent themes highlighted the salient indirect effects of COVID-19 pandemic on AA families: (i) access to healthcare, (ii) access to food, and (iii) disaster unpreparedness. Participants expressed frustration with virtual healthcare services and inability to schedule in-person hospital appointments for health conditions unrelated to COVID-19. Lack of food products in stores and limited financial resources due to pandemic-related job layoffs were important food insecurity factors discussed. Unpreparedness on the part of institutions, state, and the nation, created heightened perceptions of vulnerability. Given the social vulnerability spectrum in the U.S., pandemic planning approaches that promote equity are critical if public officials are to develop effective adaptation, mitigation, response, and recovery plans that mobilize and serve diverse populations.

Framing Effects, Procedural Fairness, and the Nonprofit Managers' Reactions to Job Layoffs in Response to the Economic Shock of the COVID-19 Crisis.

The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged the viability and effectiveness of nonprofit organizations compelling them to make tough choices. Evidence suggests that different wordings or message settings may affect people’s decisions when presenting equivalent outcome information with positive or negative framing. Nevertheless, there have been few attempts to assess how procedural fairness and framing effects shape nonprofit managers’ reactions to job layoffs due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a survey experiment, we explore whether framing effects—by affecting perceived outcome favorability—and procedural fairness interact to influence nonprofit managers’ trust and support for their organizations. The findings of this 2 × 2 between-participants experimental design indicated that only when procedural fairness was relatively low did nonprofit managers react more favorably in the positive frame (keep) than in the negative frame (layoff) condition. This study adds to our understanding of how the pandemic impacts nonprofit managers, including their commitment to continue working in the sector, and has practical implications for nonprofit organizations that manage resilience in a crisis.

Work-life balance amongst dental professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic-A structural equation modelling approach.

BackgroundThe Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in 2019, has shocked the entire world. As an effort to control the disease spread, the Indian government declared a nationwide lockdown on March 25th, 2020. As dental treatment was considered high risk in the spread of COVID-19, dentistry became one of the most vulnerable professions during this time. Dental professionals had to face job layoffs, salary cuts in professional colleges, closure of private clinics resulting in huge psychological, moral, and financial crises. Studies during the previous and present pandemics have shown mental issues among health care workers necessitating institutional reforms, along with early care and support. A balance in the work-life amongst professionals is the key to better efficiency and, was majorly affected during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown due to sudden unexpected changes. Hence this study was conducted to understand the changes they underwent both at home and professional front with a hypothesis that physical and mental health, activities, relationship status, and workplace influence the work-life balance.MethodsA pre-validated questionnaire survey was done on dentists across India. Structural Equation Modelling and path analysis were applied to the data collected.ResultsThe results of the study supported the hypothesis that factors like physical and mental health, activities, relationship status, and workplace influenced the work-life balance directly. A significant imbalance was seen amongst the female dentists.ConclusionThe present study proved the unpreparedness among dental professionals. Hence an evolutionary phase in every field with better working protocols, robust mental health support, and a focus on strategies to face future such emergencies is required.

Welfare Costs of Idiosyncratic and Aggregate Consumption Shocks

I estimate welfare benefits of eliminating idiosyncratic consumption shocks unrelated to the business cycle as 47.3% of household utility and benefits of eliminating idiosyncratic shocks related to the business cycle as 3.4% of utility. Estimates of the former substantially exceed earlier ones because I distinguish between idiosyncratic shocks related/unrelated to the business cycle, estimate the negative skewness of shocks, target moments of idiosyncratic shocks from household-level CEX data, and target market moments. Benefits of eliminating aggregate shocks are 7.7% of utility. Policy should focus on insuring idiosyncratic shocks unrelated to the business cycle, such as the death of a household’s prime wage earner and job layoffs not necessarily related to recessions.

Welfare Costs of Idiosyncratic and Aggregate Consumption Shocks

I estimate welfare benefits of eliminating idiosyncratic consumption shocks unrelated to the business cycle as 47.3% of household utility and benefits of eliminating idiosyncratic shocks related to the business cycle as 3.4% of utility. Estimates of the former substantially exceed earlier ones because I distinguish between idiosyncratic shocks related/unrelated to the business cycle, estimate the negative skewness of shocks, target moments of idiosyncratic shocks from household-level CEX data, and target market moments. Benefits of eliminating aggregate shocks are 7.7% of utility. Policy should focus on insuring idiosyncratic shocks unrelated to the business cycle, such as the death of a household’s prime wage earner and job layoffs not necessarily related to recessions.

Analysis of government bonds and prediction of their development after the pandemic caused by COVID-19

This paper describes the current state of the government bond market and predicts the future development of government bond yields using the yield curve to bond maturity, spot yield curve, credit rating and simple prediction. The ongoing economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic is changing the lives of many people. In order for each individual country to help its households, prevent mass job lay-offs and high mortality, their fiscal budget deficits are growing to unexpected heights. The aim of this paper is to analyse government bonds as one of the tools that can help both the state and individual households at this time. Government bond yields are analysed and compared with other countries based on the development of government bonds using credit ratings, yield curves to maturity, spot yield curves and simple historical development of government bonds from the previous economic crisis in 2008. Based on the results, we conclude that countries severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent mortality, such as Italy, have a relatively stable yield. In contrast, for countries such as the Czech Republic and South Korea, yields to maturity at both ends are relatively declining.

Managing Bipolar Disorder patients during COVID‐19 outbreak

On February 20, 2020 the first case of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has been diagnosed in Italy. In a few weeks the Policlinico A. Gemelli Hospital in Rome has become a so called "COVID Hospital", so its structure has changed and consequently also the organization of the clinical activities of the Psychiatric Unit. In particular, outpatients' services (ambulatory and day hospital) have guaranteed the management of emergencies, the administration of oral and long acting drug therapies, the assistance of patients with severe mental illness by means of telephone checks.

Carreiras vulneráveis: uma análise das demissões da mídia como um ponto de inflexão para jornalistas

Resumo O jornalismo, como outras indústrias, foi profundamente impactado pelas transformações da era digital e do mundo do trabalho. Observa-se, porém, uma lacuna na produção acadêmica envolvendo trabalho e jornalismo. Ademais, há poucos estudos sobre demissão que abordam o fenômeno a partir de uma perspectiva ampliada, identificando como a demissão afeta a perspectiva do sujeito e força o trabalhador a refletir sobre as projeções futuras da profissão e da carreira. Assim, o objetivo deste artigo é compreender como jornalistas que vivenciaram demissões coletivas enxergam o futuro da profissão e da carreira. Neste estudo, qualitativo e exploratório, foram entrevistados 18 jornalistas, em 3 grupos focais (GF), e 1 especialista no tema. Como resultados, a demissão, ao evidenciar a vulnerabilização da carreira jornalística - em que a precarização, a desesperança em obter melhoras e o desmantelamento dos laços pessoais refletem dilemas e sofrimentos causados pela perda do sentido do trabalho - representou um ponto de inflexão na carreira dos entrevistados (DELUCA e ROCHA-DE-OLIVEIRA, 2016). Uma parte dos entrevistados deixou o jornalismo e a maioria dos demais planeja sair ou não tem certeza se permanecerá na profissão e responsabiliza-se pela busca de saídas. Como contribuições, este estudo aproxima e aborda simultaneamente as perspectivas micro e macro (ABBOTT, 1993), enfoque raramente encontrado nos estudos nacionais em Administração, e intersecciona temas em geral discutidos isoladamente: carreira, demissão e relações de trabalho. Além disso, contribui com os estudos de carreira, ao adotar a perspectiva do ponto de inflexão na análise da demissão, em geral centrada na vivência e nos impactos negativos nos estudos sobre o tema (VACLAVIK, PITHAN, AVILA et al., 2017a). Por fim, expande o interesse de análise para uma ocupação externa à Administração, cuja produção tem absoluto predomínio endógeno.

The Long-Term Impact of Disability, Employment, and Marital Status Shocks: Evidence from Matched Administrative Data

People face a wide range of risks throughout their lifetime that can disrupt employment, reduce earnings, derail retirement planning, and impair economic well-being later in life. This paper measures the impact of health, employment, and marital status shocks on lifetime earnings. Using household survey data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation matched to administrative earnings records, we compared lifetime earnings for people who developed a health problem that limited the type or amount of work they could do, were laid off from their job, or became widowed, divorced, or separated with those who did not experience these shocks. The paper found that: -Employment shocks are fairly common, and disability shocks become much more common as people age. About one in five workers is laid off from their job over a four-year period, even when the job market is robust. About one in seven men and one in six women develop a work-limiting disability in their early 50s. -People who eventually develop disabilities or lose their jobs generally have lower lifetime earnings even before these shocks occur than people who do not experience these shocks. -Health and employment shocks have substantial and long-lasting impacts on earnings. Relative lifetime earnings rank falls by 5 percentile points a decade and a half after disability onset and by 3 percentile points a decade and a half after job loss. The policy implications of the findings are: -Strong safety nets are essential for people who experience health problems and job losses during their working years. -Increased investment in workforce development programs, including retraining of displaced workers, might raise lifetime earnings for workers who have experienced job layoffs.

The Perceived Social Stigma of People with Epilepsy with regard to the Question of Employability.

Objective To evaluate the perceived social stigma of people with epilepsy with regard to the question of employability. Methods A structured questionnaire was given to two groups of people with chronic diseases: those with epilepsy (study group) and those with heart disease (control group). The questions concerned employability. Results Having epilepsy was more strongly associated with higher unemployment rates (p < 0.0001); job layoffs (p = 0.001); being unfit to work (p < 0.0001); feeling shame for having the disease (p = 0.014); absence of partners (p = 0.026); and depression (p = 0.004). The tendency to hide their disease from their employers was similar for the two groups. Conclusion The age discrepancy between groups was an important limiting factor of this study. However, despite the limited number of participants and the age difference between the groups, there is no impediment in stating that people with epilepsy show high rates of unemployment, depression, and stigma.

Environmental Regulations and the Welfare Effects of Job Layoffs in the United States: A Spatial Approach

AbstractThis article develops welfare-consistent measures of the employment effects of environmental regulation. Our analysis is based on a microeconomic model of how households with heterogeneous ...

Employee Reactions to Forms of Downsizing: Are There Any Lesser Evils?

The article focuses on employee reactions to different forms of organizational downsizing. It examines how job layoffs, outsourcing of jobs, and offshoring is perceived by job survivors compared to workers who do not experience downsizing. It states that employees who survived organizational layoffs had an increased likelihood of negative attitudes toward employers and poorer perceptions of their work environment. It mentions that outsourcing and offshoring did not result in a similar effect as employees may perceive these as less harmful for their jobs. It comments that outsourcing is considered more benign than offshoring to employees. It talks about the effect managerial ethics and management communication to employees did counterbalance some of the negative influence of downsizing.

Employee Reactions to Forms of Downsizing: Are There Any Lesser Evils?

The article focuses on employee reactions to different forms of organizational downsizing. It examines how job layoffs, outsourcing of jobs, and offshoring is perceived by job survivors compared to workers who do not experience downsizing. It states that employees who survived organizational layoffs had an increased likelihood of negative attitudes toward employers and poorer perceptions of their work environment. It mentions that outsourcing and offshoring did not result in a similar effect as employees may perceive these as less harmful for their jobs. It comments that outsourcing is considered more benign than offshoring to employees. It talks about the effect managerial ethics and management communication to employees did counterbalance some of the negative influence of downsizing.

An Economic Theory of Involuntary Job Loss

Formal economic theory provides robust explanations for voluntary unemployment that is the outcome of rational job search, market matching, and worker-retention or anti-shirking policies. Modern theorists, however, have had less success using the economic method of optimizing, price-mediated exchange to model unemployment resulting from involuntary job loss, an important real-world phenomena that economists should not ignore. In this paper, workplace-equilibrium analysis is used to formally model the two important classes of forced job separation, layoffs (expected to be temporary) and job destruction (expected to be permanent), producing results that are consistent with the available evidence. While the bulk of the analysis is done at the level of the work establishment, the job-loss model can be tractably aggregated, providing a powerful set of analytic tools for macroeconomists.

The Impact of Late-Career Health and Employment Shocks on Social Security and Other Wealth

Although health and employment shocks are fairly common at older ages and often derail retirement savings plans, Social Security's disability insurance, spouse and survivor benefits, and progressive benefit formula may provide important protections. By contrast, traditional employer-sponsored pension benefits may be especially vulnerable to health and employment shocks immediately before benefit take-up, because pension wealth generally grows rapidly near the end of the career and workers forfeit these increases if they separate early. This study examines the impact of disability onset and job layoffs on Social Security wealth, traditional employer-sponsored pension wealth, and other household wealth for a nationally representative sample of workers age 51 to 55 in 1992.

When the Nest Egg Cracks: Financial Consequences of Health Problems, Marital Status Changes, and Job Layoffs at Older Ages

The risk of falling into poor health, losing the ability to work or live independently, becoming widowed, and experiencing other negative events that threaten financial security increase with age. This report computes the incidence of these negative events at older ages and examines their impact on economic well-being. Over a 10-year period, more than three-quarters of adults age 51 to 61 at the beginning of the period experience job layoffs, widowhood, divorce, new health problems, or the onset of frailty among parents or in-laws. More than two-thirds of adults age 70 and older experience at least one negative shock over a nine-year period. Incidence rates are even higher at the household level for married people, who face the added risk that their spouses could develop health problems or lose their jobs. Financial consequences are especially serious for older adults who develop work disabilities or long-term care needs, or who become unemployed.

Race and Loss of Privilege: African American/White Differences in the Determinants of Job Layoffs From Upper-Tier Occupations

Data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics supports predictions from the minority vulnerability thesis concerning the determinants of job layoffs among African Americans and Whites who work in upper-middle-class occupations. Specifically, after controlling for seniority, layoffs for African Americans are relatively unstructured by traditional stratification-based causal factors, namely, background socioeconomic status, human-capital credentials, and job/labor market characteristics. Analyses also indicate that racial differences in the determinants of layoffs are more pronounced in nonservice-based than service-based firms in the private sector and in the private sector relative to the public sector.