Labor Force Research Articles

Permissive weight bearing versus restrictive weight bearing in surgically treated trauma patients with displaced intra-articular calcaneal fractures (the PIONEER study): study protocol for a multicenter randomized controlled trial

Abstract Background Following successful treatment, displaced intra-articular calcaneal fractures (DIACFs) necessitate an extensive rehabilitation regimen, significantly influencing functional and socio-economic outcomes. Apart from surgical intervention, the implementation of a comprehensive rehabilitation protocol is crucial to optimize foot stability and functional recovery. The objective of this study is to ascertain the optimal rehabilitation protocol for patients with surgically treated DIACFs, either permissive weight bearing (PWB) or Restricted Weight Bearing, focusing on functional outcomes, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), radiographic parameters, cost-effectiveness, and incidence of complications. Methods Study design: A prospective multicenter randomized controlled trial. Study population: Presence of surgically (extended lateral, sinus tarsi, or percutaneous approach) treated unilateral DIACFs (Sanders type II to IV), aged 18–67 years (labor force). Patients must be able to understand and follow weight bearing instructions. N = 115 patients with DIACFs will be included. Interventions: Patients with DIACFs will be randomly allocated to one of the rehabilitation protocols, either PWB or RWB. Primary outcome measure: Functional outcome, measured with the American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society Score (AOFAS)). Secondary outcomes: Functional outcome (Maryland Foot Score, MFS), HRQoL (EuroQol-5D, EQ-5D), differences in radiographic parameters, cost-effectiveness, and complications. Nature and extent of burden: The PWB protocol is aimed to be non-inferior to the RWB protocol. Previous analysis of this protocol in other lower extremity fractures has shown a safe complication rate. Follow-up is standardized according to current trauma guidelines, namely at time points 2, 6, 12 weeks, and 6 months. The radiation exposure for both groups will differ from standard care (one extra CT scan of the foot will be made). Therefore, the burden for participants is considered minimal, with no significant health risks. Discussion This study will be the first study to define an optimal rehabilitation regime for surgically treated patients with DIACFs. The limitations of this study include the absence of patient blinding, as this is impossible in rehabilitation. Additionally, the primary outcome measure (AOFAS) has limited validity for DIACFs. However, it is the most commonly used questionnaire in the literature on DIACFs. There is an apparent need since current literature is lacking on this specific topic. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05721378, accepted on February 7, 2023.

Elder Caregiving Frequency, Labor Force Participation, and Work

Elder Caregiving Frequency, Labor Force Participation, and Work

Examining the Influence of Socio-Economic and Demographic Transformation on Employment In the Informal Sector From 2017 To 2020

This study explored the impact of socio-demographic changes on informal sector employment in South Africa from 2017 to 2020. Utilizing data from the Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS), descriptive statistics and logistic regression were employed to analyze relationships between age, gender, ethnicity, marital status, and education within the informal workforce. The results revealed significant shifts in employment patterns, particularly affecting youth and marginalized groups. The findings emphasize the vital role of socio-demographic factors in shaping the informal sector and highlight the need for targeted policies to support vulnerable populations and improve their economic opportunities in a fluctuating labor market.

Over-education rates and predictors of entry-level jobs in Türkiye

This research aims to determine the proportion of overeducated individuals with higher education levels compared to their colleagues who are graduates of associate, undergraduate, and postgraduate education but work at the same status in entry-level jobs. Overeducation rates in entry-level jobs in Türkiye were determined using the Turkish Statistical Institute (TUIK) Household Labor Force Surveys (2014-2019) microdata set. The job analyst measure was used to determine the rate of overeducation. Logistic regression data analysis was conducted to classify the variables that predict the state of being overeducated with the TUIK 2019 Household Labor Force Survey. According to the findings, overeducation rates increased gradually over the years by 8.02% in 2014, 8.98% in 2015, 9.78% in 2016, 10.43% in 2017, 11.00% in 2018, and 12.5% in 2019. For the state of being overeducated, various demographic variables were analyzed and predicted, such as income, age, region, gender, ISCED, marital status, firm size, place of work, additional job searches, ISCO 08 classification, and employment status.

Association of unemployment and increased depressive symptoms with all-cause mortality: follow-up study of a cardiovascular prevention programme.

Unemployment has been associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and all-cause mortality. However, factors behind this association remain unsettled. A primary care CVD prevention programme was conducted in two Finnish towns in 2005-07. Of the participants (n = 4450), a cohort of apparently healthy CVD risk subjects belonging to the labour force (n = 1487) was identified. Baseline depressive symptoms were assessed by Beck's Depression Inventory. Data on employment status and mortality were obtained from official statistics. The effect of employment status and depressive symptoms on all-cause mortality after a median follow-up of 15 years was estimated in models adjusted for age, sex, body mass index, non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, physical activity, alcohol use, current smoking, glucose metabolism, and hypertension. In comparison to employed non-depressive subjects, fully adjusted hazard ratio (HR) for all-cause mortality was 3.53 (1.90-6.57) in unemployed subjects with increased depressive symptoms, 1.26 (0.68-2.34) in unemployed non-depressive subjects, and 1.09 (0.63-1.90) in employed depressive subjects. Factors independently associated with mortality were unemployment with increased depressive symptoms [HR 3.56 (95% CI 1.92-6.61)], screen-detected diabetes [HR 2.71 (95% CI 1.59-4.63)], current smoking [HR 1.77 (95% CI 1.19-2.65)], and higher age [HR 1.10 (95% CI 1.05-1.15)]. Unemployment in itself was not associated with all-cause mortality. If unemployment was accompanied with increased depressive symptoms, risk of death was significantly elevated.

Navigating brain drain: understanding public discourse on legislation to retain medical professionals in Nigeria.

Nigeria is witnessing a mass emigration of its active labor force to more advanced economies, just like other developing countries. Approximately half of licensed medical doctors in Nigeria have emigrated, contributing to a widening doctors-to-patients ratio. In response to this concerning trend, in 2023, a legislator introduced a bill to restrain doctors from leaving Nigeria upon completing their studies by withholding their full license for five years. The public, including health professionals, criticized the bill. This study investigates the public discourse on the bill by extracting and analyzing responses published in newspaper articles, blogs, tweets, and LinkedIn posts. The analysis revealed that, while a few politicians supported the bill, the general populace opposed it due to perceived inconsistencies, a lack of focus on the core causes of migration, allegations of political elite's hypocrisy, concerns about human rights violations and unemployment. By conducting this research, this article sheds light on the complexities of public opinion surrounding the proposed legislation, providing valuable insights into the multifaceted challenges associated with addressing the medical brain drain in Nigeria. The article contributes to the ongoing debate on the migratory trends of highly skilled workers from developing countries to advanced economies.

Wetland restoration, household income, and livelihood structure of farmers

BackgroundWetland restoration is an important measure for restoring wetland ecosystems and their ecological benefits, with the goal of restoring their ecological functions and resources. However, wetland restoration affects farmers' incomes and livelihoods. Although existing research has contributed to a deeper understanding of the relationship between wetland restoration and farmers' household incomes, some issues require further consideration. Therefore, here, we aimed to analyse the impact of wetland restoration on farmers' incomes and provide empirical evidence for the coordination mechanism of protection and development in the Poyang Lake Wetland in Jiangxi Province.MethodsBased on 2 years of balanced panel data of 365 households around the Poyang Lake wetland, this study analysed the influence of policies related to wetland restoration and how variables such as the cultivated land area, labour force transfer, and location of nature reserves impact farmers' income. To this end, we used a two-way fixed-effect model to test the robustness by using propensity score matching, and the influence mechanisms of wetland protection policies, such as wetland restoration, wetland ecological compensation, and the Yangtze River fishing ban, on farmers' income interactions were explored.Results and discussionThe results showed that, due to the policy of wetland restoration was implemented a long time ago, the negative impact of the policy on reducing farmers' household income is not significant now. Further, farmers' family livelihood strategies have changed, and choosing other types of agricultural production and off farm employment are currently the main choices for farmers. Wetland restoration has changed their income structures. Additionally, the two wetland restoration policies and banning of fishing have had synergistic effects. The findings of this study are helpful in understanding how wetland restoration around nature reserves influences farmers' household incomes. Further, they can provide policy insights for promoting an increase in income and the optimization of the income structure of communities around lake wetland nature reserves.

Food and Labour under Imperial Rule: Unravelling the Food Landscape of Transplanted Workers (mitmaqkuna) in the Inka Empire

The Inka empire's expansion incorporated diverse cultural and ecological elements in microcosmic representations of their empire. Imperial practices included the resettlement of communities from various regions into labour enclaves near Inka ceremonial, administrative and economic hubs. This degree of imperial control might suggest a limitation on Inka subjects’ freedom to integrate non-local food resources into their diets. Employing starch grain analysis from stone tools, we seek to identify the range of plant food sources and examine the extent to which the Inka imposed constraints on inter-community interactions and the exchange of comestibles. Focusing on a translocated labour force residing near the Inka provincial centre of Vilcashuamán, our findings reveal the consumption of a variety of edible plants originating from multiple, occasionally distant, ecological regions. The results indicate that, in contrast to the restrictions on trade of other commodities as recorded in ethnohistorical accounts and previous archaeological research, the exchange of edible plant species among the subjugated peoples may have been less regulated. This study demonstrates how food landscapes potentially served as loci of resistance to the Inka empire's manipulative cosmopolitanism.

COVID-19 and Weekly Hours Worked in Single-Person Households in the United States

AbstractIn early 2020, single-person households constituted 17% of the labor force in the United States. How did these single-person households fare in terms of their weekly hours worked following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic? To answer the question, this paper used panel data from the Basic Monthly Current Population Survey and worked with a balanced panel of 2,659 single-person households that were consecutively surveyed in February, March, and April of 2020; that is, a period including the outbreak, as well as the first peak of the pandemic. In terms of the change in total hours worked per week, the paper recorded decreases across most demographic groups. Particularly, the paper documented that single-person households in any of the groups of Black, Hispanic, high school graduates, those aged less than 25, those aged between 31 and 35, and those between 46 and 50 were among the most severely negatively affected groups. Moreover, whether fixed or random effects models were used, the study concluded with a positive effect for teleworkability (the capability to work remotely) as well as with a positive effect for essential jobs on total weekly hours worked. Finally, the author included the need for safeguarding teleworkability in a broader policy discussion, as well as the need for developing coping mechanisms against disruptions of weekly hours worked especially under extreme hardships and crises.

Sex crime rate and female labour force participation in South Africa

ABSTRACT South Africa's high violent crime rates and associated fears of victimisation are known to affect residents' everyday decision-making. Rape and sex crimes (which predominantly target women), compounded by social stigma and high HIV-contraction risks, thus plays an influencing factor in a woman's life. At the same time, South Africa's gender participation gap exceeds the Sub-Saharan African average. The first of its kind in the South African context, this study uses panel data to assess the impact of district municipality sex crime rates on female labour force participation (FLFP). It improves on similar studies performed in other country contexts methodologically by highlighting the mediating effect of education in the relationship between sex crime rate and FLFP. The negative significant relationship between district sex crime rates and FLFP is found to be robust to the inclusion of a wide variety of controls and several instrumental variable specifications, with adverse impacts on education emerging as a mediating factor. The analysis points to an underrated cost of sex crimes in South Africa, especially on women. The risk-averting behaviour extends beyond victims themselves to women in the general population who, perceiving a high risk of victimisation, face restricted freedoms, worse educational and economic outcomes.

A comparative analysis of variants of machine learning and time series models in predicting women’s participation in the labor force

Labor force participation of Egyptian women has been a chronic economic problem in Egypt. Despite the improvement in the human capital front, whether on the education or health indicators, female labor force participation remains persistently low. This study proposes a hybrid machine-learning model that integrates principal component analysis (PCA) for feature extraction with various machine learning and time-series models to predict women’s employment in times of crisis. Various machine learning (ML) algorithms, such as support vector machine (SVM), neural network, K-nearest neighbor (KNN), linear regression, random forest, and AdaBoost, in addition to popular time series algorithms, including autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) and vector autoregressive (VAR) models, have been applied to an actual dataset from the public sector. The manpower dataset considered gender from different regions, ages, and educational levels. The dataset was then trained, tested, and evaluated. For performance validation, forecasting accuracy metrics were constructed using mean squared error (MSE), root mean squared error (RMSE), mean absolute error (MAE), mean absolute percent error (MAPE), R-squared (R2), and cross-validated root mean squared error (CVRMSE). Another Dickey-Fuller test was performed to evaluate and compare the accuracy of the applied models, and the results showed that AdaBoost outperforms the other methods by an accuracy of 100%. Compared to alternative works, our findings demonstrate a comprehensive comparative analysis for predicting women’s participation in different regions during an economic crisis.

Differential effect on labor force health initiated by the first wave of the COVID-19 in Taiwan.

The 2019 coronavirus disease pandemic disrupts synchronized lifestyles and influences an individual's health status. However, Taiwan has limited studies on the impact of the epidemic on the health and lifestyle of its citizens. This study aims to investigate the impact on lifestyle and health status during the first wave of 2019 coronavirus disease in Taiwan. The 2008 to 2021 Taiwan Biobank database was adopted in this study, covering 29,572 participants and was designed into 3 time periods, Episodes 1, 2, and 3. The definition of metabolic syndrome (MetS) is based on the strict ministry of health and welfare. Logistic regression model was used to explore related risk factors. Prevalence rates of MetS were 16.5%, 17.0%, and 18.7% during Episodes 1, 2, and 3, respectively. When compared to the pre-pandemic prevalence of MetS, the odds ratios increased by 1.19 [95% confidence intervals (CIs): 1.02-1.38] during the nationwide Level 3 epidemic alert, particularly, in male aged 45 to 64 years old and females aged under 45 years old by 1.56 (95% CI: 1.14-2.13) and 1.89 (95% CI: 1.22-2.92), respectively. During pandemic, sweeping influences on Taiwanese health status, especially in the labor force, may provide a lesson in health promotion policy at a specific age.

The "Right Kinds of Nurses": Centering LPNs in the Nursing Labor Force.

The nursing profession is currently grappling with an ongoing nursing shortage illuminated during the COVID-19 pandemic. While this burgeoning health and environmental crisis exacerbated this workforce issue, it did not create it. This study seeks to expand the idea of "who is a nurse" by arguing for the use of Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) as safe, credentialed persons in the nursing workforce. Archival research using primary and secondary sources highlights the history of the LPN movement. Historical case studies of LPN schools show how LPNs enhanced not only the quantity but also the quality of nursing practice. Case studies also reveal successful collaborations between nurses, communities, and hospitals to enhance the nursing workforce and community well-being. Aspects of this study were either approved by or deemed not human subjects research by institutional review boards. The increased emphasis on the registered nurse in the mid-20th century led to the marginalization of LPNs. Yet, history has revealed that collaborations that enhance diversity in the workforce and improve health-care access for patients, without compromising quality of care, can be formed by engaging LPNs. LPNs must be respected as consistent contributors to the country's health-care workforce. As the AACN commits to diversifying nursing, it is significant that LPNs have added to a more diverse, inclusive nursing labor force. For LPNs who wish to advance their nursing education, pathway programs must be supported-thus increasing diversity in the professional and advanced practice workforce.

Two Pandemics and Workplace Shifts: Generational Considerations: A Multi-Factor Comparison of How Pandemics Impact Young Workers: Insights for Management and Employees©

This paper will compare several business-related factors. There has been relatively little academic research conducted to compare and contrast a breadth of workplace issues and dimensions during the early twentieth century’s Spanish Flu epidemic and the early twenty-first century’s COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. This manuscript analyzes several variables and adds to the literature by examining significant factors that impacted workers and their workplaces during these two significant healthcare incidents. The major factors discussed include the labor force members during both of these pandemics, the demographics of those workforces, the workplace safety, the labor economic data during these two pandemics, the wages & how they fluctuated, the labor unions & evolving perspectives towards unionization, and the dominant industry shifts. Several of the findings regarding Millennials and Generation Z workers are supported by this author’s current research of university students who were employed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The insights provided in this manuscript are instrumental for business managers and human resource management professionals, higher education, and for those who provide corporate training.

Outsourcing of Agricultural Machinery Operation Services and the Sustainability of Farmland Transfer Market: Promoting or Inhibiting?

The agricultural machinery operation services (AMOS) market and the farmland transfer market are regarded by policymakers as complementary goals for promoting agricultural development in China. Nonetheless, the farmland transfer market in China is confronted with the threat of sustainable development. The relationship between AMOS and farmland transfer is not always complementary. To analyze the relationship between the AMOS market and the sustainability of the farmland transfer market, methods such as conditional mixed process, the Heckman two-step method, and the Sobel test were employed to explore the influence of AMOS on farmland transfer and its underlying mechanisms. The empirical results show the following: (i) AMOS inhibits farmland transfer-out but promotes farmland transfer-in, which will intensify the market competition of farmland transfer. This result remains valid after correcting for the potential endogenous bias and selective bias and is consistent across different variables and samples. This conclusion suggests that AMOS has emerged as a factor restricting the sustainable development of the farmland transfer market in China. (ii) The heterogeneity analysis results indicate that AMOS has a greater inhibitory effect on the farmland transfer-out of small-scale farmers, part-time farmers, and elderly farmers, and a greater incentive effect on the farmland transfer-in of large-scale farmers, professional farmers, and non-elderly farmers. (iii) Labor allocation and agricultural capital allocation are the potential mechanisms for AMOS to affect farmland transfer. AMOS indirectly inhibits farmland transfer-out and promotes farmland transfer-in by farmland operation ability of labor force and benefits of farmland operation. These results imply that there is a complementary relationship and substitution relationship between the AMOS market and the farmland transfer market. The substitution relationship may sometimes frustrate policies aimed at stimulating the farmland transfer market. The Chinese government is required to be wary of the potential menace that AMOS brings to the sustainability of China’s farmland transfer market.

The Socioeconomic Impact of Fertility Rates on Nigeria's Development: A Policy Perspective

This paper explores the socioeconomic impact of Nigerias high fertility rate and its influence on the countrys economic development. With a fertility rate of 5.14 children per woman in 2022, far exceeding the global average, Nigeria faces significant demographic challenges. The analysis focuses on three critical data points: fertility rate, female tertiary education rate, and female labor force participation rate. The findings highlight how cultural factors, educational attainment, and labor market participation contribute to sustained high fertility rates, particularly in rural areas. Additionally, the paper examines how these factors exacerbate gender inequality and limit economic opportunities for women, thereby hindering Nigeria's overall economic progress. Policy recommendations include promoting female education and workforce participation to help manage population growth and stimulate economic development.

Access to affordable daycare and women's mental health in Rajasthan, India: Evidence from a cluster-randomised social intervention.

Women in India are often responsible for unpaid household work, family caregiving, and paid work, which can contribute to poorer mental health. The provision of childcare has the potential to improve women's mental health, but evidence on the effects of providing access to daycare is limited. We designed a cluster-randomised trial and used data from a sample of 2858 mothers with age-eligible children from 160 village hamlets in rural Rajasthan, India, to evaluate the impact of providing access to a community-based daycare programme on social and emotional aspects of women's mental health. We conducted a baseline survey in early 2016, randomised hamlets to intervention or control groups approximately six months later, and delivered the final post-intervention survey approximately two years thereafter. Treatment assignment increased the probability that a respondent used a daycare over the two-year follow-up by 40.9 percentage points. Providing randomised access to a daycare resulted in 0.2 (95% confidence interval (CI) = -0.1, 0.4) fewer symptoms of mental distress, representing a 9.5% decline compared to the baseline mean of 2.1 symptoms, as well as a 3.7 (95% CI = -0.8, 8.3) percentage point increase in the proportion of women who reported feeling very happy, equivalent to an 11.0% increase relative to the baseline mean of 33.6%. Among social indicators, treatment assignment was associated with a 5.6 (95% CI = -1.2, 12.4) percentage point increase in membership in an association, a relative increase of 43.4% compared to the baseline mean of 12.9%. The intervention did not have an appreciable impact on measures of life satisfaction or trust in institutions. Two-stage least squares instrumental variable analyses showed that daycare use decreased mental distress by 0.4 (95% CI = -0.1, 0.8) symptoms, increased the proportion of women who were very happy by 9.4 (95% CI = 0.0, 17.6) percentage points, and increased membership in an organisation by 15.9 (95% CI = 8.4, 23.7) percentage points. The provision of affordable, community-based daycare was associated with substantial uptake and showed potential for improving mothers' mental health in a rural context where most women were not employed in the formal labour force. ISRCTN clinical trial registry (ISRCTN45369145), registered on 16 May 2016; American Economic Association's registry for randomised controlled trials (AEARCTR-0000774), registered on 15 July 2015.

Self-Worth Through Expertise: Experiences of Prime-Age Men Who are Out of the Formal Labor Force

ABSTRACT Research on masculinity finds that men who are socioeconomically excluded or otherwise marginalized may create subcultures that eschew the values of mainstream society, such as by valuing and engaging in heavy drinking, fighting, bar culture, sports, and crime, as well as rejecting school success; recent discussions have also examined the rejection of expertise and experts as a related backlash to mainstream institutions. Using in-depth interview data, the present study examines how rural, prime-age men (n = 61) who are out of the labor force develop a sense of their own value without formal employment and the role expertise plays in them doing so. Most claim expertise and do so constructively, as they assert a positive sense of their own worth through their knowledge and skills (“I am a person who can … ”). Men make claims to the dignity of holding expertise while outside institutionalized employment roles. This suggests the portability of this cultural tool and that its use is not contingent on institutional endorsements. Men’s self-identity of expertise could be challenged in formal employment settings, making formal work less attractive to them. To understand labor force participation, our focus must go beyond compensation to attend to how work opportunities are aligned or in conflict with men’s identities.

Our Health Counts Toronto: Commercial tobacco use among Indigenous peoples in Toronto.

Fueled by the commercial tobacco industry, commercial tobacco use continues to be the leading preventable cause of premature death in Canada, with opportunities to improve health outcomes. The objective of this research was to work with Indigenous partners to generate Indigenous population prevalence estimates of commercial tobacco use in Toronto, and examine the association between smoking and sociodemographic, cultural, resiliency, and social variables. Respondent-driven sampling (RDS) was used to generate prevalence estimates of commercial tobacco use and potentially associated sociodemographic, cultural, resiliency, and social connection variables for Indigenous adults living in Toronto. Statistical analysis examined associations between smoking and variables theorized to be predictors of tobacco use. The findings indicated that 36.3% (95%CI 28.2-44.5) of the Indigenous population in Toronto do not smoke, and 63.6% (95%CI 55.5-71.7) reported smoking. Univariate analysis of demographic, social, and cultural variables found age and employment to be statistically significantly different between adults who smoked and adults who did not smoke. Indigenous adults who were above the before-tax low-income cut-off (LICO) were more likely to smoke compared to those who were below the before-tax LICO. Indigenous adults who completed high school were more likely to smoke compared to those who did not complete high school, similarly to those who were unemployed compared to those who were employed. However, those who were not in the labour force (student or retired) were less likely to smoke compared to those who were employed. These effects remained after adjustment for age, gender, and LICO. Indigenous adults with stable housing were 20% less likely to smoke compared to those experiencing homelessness. Adults who had at least one close friend or family member to confide in were more likely to smoke compared to those who did not have any close friends or family members. Indigenous adults were more likely to smoke if they participated in Indigenous ceremony compared to those who did not participate. The Indigenous population in Toronto continues to experience smoking prevalence nearly four times greater thanthat in the general population. This highlights the need for accurate population data to inform programs and policies and address the social determinants of health.

Internet Use in Agriculture and Farm Earnings: An Analysis of the Indonesia Labor Force Survey

Internet Use in Agriculture and Farm Earnings: An Analysis of the Indonesia Labor Force Survey