Labour Market Regulation Research Articles

Estimating the economic impact of large hydropower projects: a dynamic multi-regional computable general equilibrium analysis

AbstractIn response to rapidly growing energy demands, Chinese authorities plan to invest more in hydropower development. However, there are concerns about the possible effects on macroeconomy. This paper uses SinoTERM, a dynamic multi-regional computable general equilibrium model (CGE) of the Chinese economy, to analyze the economic impact of large hydropower development projects. The model features regional labor market dynamics and an electricity subdivision module with substitutability between various types of electricity generation. The results suggest that hydropower development will boost economic growth in the project region. Most sectors in the project region will benefit from the hydropower development such as other services, health, and education, while some sectors will suffer a loss in output because of the substantial increase in real wages. For the national, every 10,000 yuan investment can drive the national GDP growth of 1,000 yuan, and the cost is expected to be recovered in ten years. By the end of 2040, the real national wage will be around 0.16% higher than the baseline scenario. The project could only be justified if net environmental benefits outweigh this loss.

Young people’s job-search strategies in the German apprenticeship market: Who relies on referrals by strong ties and why?

Social capital is often regarded as an important resource when searching for a job. However, unlike in the general labor market, in youth labor markets, leveraging network contacts does not necessarily enhance young people’s chances compared to formal job-search methods. Who then uses referrals by strong ties to support their school-to-work transitions? Drawing on the German National Educational Panel Study, we focus on noncollege-bound students searching for apprenticeship places. We investigate whether parental referrals are more likely to be used as a compensation strategy for limited opportunities due to regional conditions and lower levels of schooling and whether this search strategy entails a trade-off in terms of higher dropout risks. Our results indicate that in regions with poor regional labor market conditions, young people use parental referrals more often and also increasingly find apprenticeship places via referrals. Moreover, using referrals does not result in higher dropout risks. Lower-educated school leavers are also more likely to use referrals but they do not benefit from this search channel more than higher-educated youth. We conclude that social contacts can at least partly compensate for poor opportunities due to regional market conditions.

Regional disparities in SARS-CoV-2 infections by labour market indicators: a spatial panel analysis using nationwide German data on notified infections

BackgroundRegional labour markets and their properties are named as potential reasons for regional variations in levels of SARS-CoV-2 infections rates, but empirical evidence is missing.MethodsUsing nationwide data on notified laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infections, we calculated weekly age-standardised incidence rates (ASIRs) for working-age populations at the regional level of Germany’s 400 districts. Data covered nearly 2 years (March 2020 till December 2021), including four main waves of the pandemic. For each of the pandemic waves, we investigated regional differences in weekly ASIRs according to three regional labour market indicators: (1) employment rate, (2) employment by sector, and (3) capacity to work from home. We use spatial panel regression analysis, which incorporates geospatial information and accounts for regional clustering of infections.ResultsFor all four pandemic waves under study, we found that regions with higher proportions of people in employment had higher ASIRs and a steeper increase of infections during the waves. Further, the composition of the workforce mattered: rates were higher in regions with larger secondary sectors or if opportunities of working from home were comparatively low. Associations remained consistent after adjusting for potential confounders, including a proxy measure of regional vaccination progress.ConclusionsIf further validated by studies using individual-level data, our study calls for increased intervention efforts to improve protective measures at the workplace, particularly among workers of the secondary sector with no opportunities to work from home. It also points to the necessity of strengthening work and employment as essential components of pandemic preparedness plans.

Profilowanie pomocy dla bezrobotnych – dotychczasowe doświadczenia i nowe wyzwania z perspektywy praw człowieka

Profiling help for the unemployed – past experiences and new challenges from a human rights perspective The dynamic development of modern information and communication technologies, enabling data collection on a much larger scale than before, has contributed to a change in the way services are provided also in the public sector. It is noticeable, among others, in the area of labor market policy, where tools based on profiling are used, understood as developing profiles of people on the basis of specific data and inferring on their basis the occurrence of certain characteristics or behaviors in people assigned to a given profile. Experiences in this area on the ground of Polish legal regulations show what consequences the use of profiling may have in the context of providing help to the unemployed. The aim of this article is to analyze the issue of profiling on the basis of regulations on personal data protection and labor market regulations as well as to identify threats related to the use of profiling in the area of providing help to the unemployed from the perspective of human rights.

Regulation of the Russian labor market in the new conditions of sanctions impact

The article examines measures to regulate the labor market of the Russian Federation under the conditions of sanctions. The labor market in the new conditions was influenced by a unique combination of diverse economic, political, and social factors. An important feature of the current labor market configuration is the uneven impact of the negative effects of sanctions pressure on various sectors of economy and, as a result, the strengthening of structural imbalances, labor shortages in some sectors and excess in others. Sanctions challenges for the Russian economy have necessitated the need for rapid and adequate support for labor market participants.The article considers legal, administrative and financial measures to support the labor market in new conditions. Measures aimed at stabilizing the labor market and employment are operational and comprehensive, constantly being supplemented as the situation develops. The measures introduced include both administrative and regulatory and financial instruments to support labor market participants, both employees and employers. Special attention is paid to the preservation of human resources in general, and in the field of information technology in particular, as well as the development of entrepreneurial potential of citizens of the Russian Federation. The author suggests maintaining the course of maintaining economic activity of labor market participants, primarily by easing regulatory restrictions and facilitating access to financial resources (subsidies, credit availability, government orders). When making decisions on measures to support the labor market, give preference to complex solutions with high multiplicative and synergistic effects in various areas of the economy and social sphere. In the short term, take measures to ensure supply in order to avoid shortages of goods, ensure price stability and maintain employment in the production and distribution sectors. In the medium term, the main focus should be on maintaining demand from the state, business and individuals (for example, expanding infrastructure projects, supporting housing construction, introducing food certificates for the poor, etc. comprehensive solutions). In the long term, to provide a foundation for the growth of high-tech jobs through the development of machine-tool and mechanical engineering, electronics manufacturing, and other high-tech industries. This growth can be achieved both through the import of technologies and through the support of their own developments. Broad and timely informing of employees and employers about the support measures taken is necessary.

The main directions of regulation of employment of the population in the regional labor market (on the example of the Samara region)

The main directions of regulation of employment of the population in the regional labor market (on the example of the Samara region)

Формирование цифровых компетенций при реализации магистерских программ (на примере владивостокских вузов)

The guideline of higher education is aimed at training a highly qualified specialist in accordance with the needs of modern society. The impact of the digital economy on developing the key competencies and training in-demand graduates of higher educational institutions in the regional labor market have been studied. The analysis of scientific articles was carried out, which confirms that excessive fascination with the ideas of digitalization can contribute to a decrease in the teachers’ activity, there is also a risk of reducing the creative potential of students, reducing their mental activity and poor socialization. The process of implementing the master’s programs in the Vladivostok universities (cases of Vladivostok State University of Economics and Service and Maritime State University after admiral G. I. Nevelskoy), developing the key knowledge and skills in the learning process of undergraduates and determining the level of digital competence of students are studied in details. The initial results of empirical studies of the processes involving the subjects of the master’s programs of the universities of Vladivostok are presented. The results of interviewing the teachers of the master’s degree programs and the undergraduates’ survey on using the modern educational technologies in training the undergraduates of universities are reflected. The conclusion is made about the spread of online and interactive learning, project activities and the use of network programs. A study characterizing the level of formation of digital competencies of master’s degree students has been presented.

Research on the Problem of the Right of Child Labour to Health under International Law

In the context of international human rights activities undertaken by the international community in various ways in recent years. On the legal level, child labor has been eased to some extent. However, international law is not double support the parent company and the management system of the host country because of lack of enforcement power. Child abuse phenomenon still exists around the world. Guided by multinational companies, this paper further discusses the governance of child labor and the subsequent implementation effects. This paper will discuss the following three parts. First of all, the status quote of the current labor market is clarified and the existing legal measures to solve the problem of child labor are pointed out. The implementation difficulties of the existing measures are discussed with data. The difficulties of both multinational companies and the host country are pointed out, and the importance of making changes is emphasized. Secondly, it lists specific existing international conventions, discusses the shortcomings of current measures to address child labour, and analyzes the enforceability of current international relations and labour market regulations. Finally, according to the situation of the labor market in different international regions, international organization need to harmonize regional supervision and international market assistance, strengthen the correct understanding of child labor at all levels, and fundamentally solve the child labor problem step by step.

Open Labor Market Regulations from a Moral Scope. The Possible Harm of not Looking Beyond the Domestic Threshold of Justice

This article discusses the limitations of conducting an analysis of the morality of public policies solely under the lens of domestic considerations. To make this point, I focus my attention on a very promising public policy recently proposed by Robert Hockett called the Open Labor Market Operations. The proposal seeks to recognize labor and wages as core parts of the economic system and, therefore, worthy of a special type of regulation. This regulation, he argues, is justified in economic and moral terms. The second type of justification concerns me. I contend that it is necessary to change the way of evaluating morality of a policy from a domestic to a global perspective, since implementing such a policy in a country like the United States could be detrimental to other parts of the world -like Mexico- due to current global market conditions.

The Impact of Illegal Migration on Regional Labor Markets in Russia

The article reveals the problems of the impact of illegal migration on regional labor markets, and the increase in shadow employment, which have a negative impact on the economy of the regions. The paper analyzes negative factors and aspects of illegal migration. The authors present and analyze official statistical data on the number of offenses committed by foreign migrants, on shadow employment in the country, as well as research data from the Institute of Social Sciences of the Russian Academy of Sciences concerning the frequency of manifestations of propensity to illegal activities and the involvement of workers in the shadow labor market in Russia. The shadow sector of the economy is very attractive for the economically active population, which is replenished every year with new groups of the most active, young participants in economic activity as they grow up and enter working age, as a result of a conscious strategy of enterprising people who do not want to pay the state a significant part of their income in the form of taxes and social contributions, as well as employees who are partially or fully employed in the shadow sector of the economy, part of which are migrant workers. The object of the research is the regional labor market on the example of the Sverdlovsk region, and the subject is the nature of the impact of illegal migration of foreign citizens and Russians living in other regions, coming to the region and carrying out illegal business and labor activities. The study presents a typology of illegal migration, the criterion of which is the nature of its impact on the regional labor market. The article analyzes the reasons for the reproduction of the shadow economy, the increase in the number of economic entities operating in the shadow sector, the accession of new types of economic activities to it, which contributes to an increase in capital turnover in it and negatively affects the national security of Russia. The paper considers negative trends in the social and labor sphere in connection with labor migration, factors contributing to the growth of the shadow sector, and assesses the impact of illegal migration on regional labor markets. The authors propose a set of measures implemented within the framework of the state strategy to combat the shadow economy, aimed at minimizing illegal migration, shadow and development of the official labor market, both at the regional and federal levels.

Demographic Aspects of Russian Regional Labor Market Development

The article examines the conditions for the formation of the population in the federal districts of Russia and its changes under the influence of the natural and migration movement for 2017–2019. The dynamics of the total population of the country and its regions is analyzed as one of the most important indicators of their development. Peculiarities of population change are studied based on the grouping of subjects of the Russian Federation depending on the interaction and combination of natural and migratory movements. The number of the working-age population of the country in 2019 and its share in the total population are analyzed, and the differences in the formation of the working-age population by federal districts are also examined. The changes in the average annual number of the employed population in the federal districts of Russia for 2017–2019 are considered dependent on natural and migratory movements. A grouping of the territories of Russia according to the average annual number of employees is carried out. The characteristic of the participation of the Russian regions employed in the economic development is given. Data are analyzed on the grouping of Russian territories in terms of the need for workers declared by employers to the employment service, as well as on the registered unemployed.

Strategies for the employment of graduates in the labor market (based on the survey materials of Korkyt ata KSU, Kazakhstan)

Socio-economic and socio-cultural changes in society lead to significant changes in the social struc- ture of society, in the institute of education. The employment of university graduates, in general, acquires the features of a new social process after the refusal of compulsory employment. The recognized social fact has led to the emergence of new statuses (for example, mixed), where university graduates, unemployed or not working in their specialty are often found. The interest of many sociologists in this problem is associated with changes in the work of social institutions, including the Institute of Education. The purpose of the study: to determine the employment strategy of graduates of Kazakhstani universi- ties in the context of regional specifics. This research on this issue is based on the importance of such concepts as contradictions between qualification programs, teaching methods, graduate competencies and employers’ requirements for these competencies and qualifications; inconsistency of the theory and practice being studied; definition and justification of the main strategies for the employment of university graduates. To achieve the goal, the researchers used descriptive data analysis and a quantitative approach as the main means of collecting research data. The study was applied to a sample of 130 heads of organizations. Based on a comparative analysis, the above problems and shortcomings in the professional training of graduates of Kazakhstani universities have been identified and analyzed. In the course of the study, the authors identified market, paternalistic and traditional strategies among gradu- ates in accordance with the specifics of the labor market. The scientific results obtained on the basis of theoretical and empirical research can be used by scientists studying the problems of employment and unemployment, graduate employment strategies, organizations engaged in youth employment, career centers in higher education institutions, employment centers at the state and regional levels. Key words: university graduates, employers, labor strategies, labor market regulation, quality of education.

What Sustains Informality?

This paper provides an introduction to a special issue on what sustains informality. The papers in the special issue contribute significantly to critical issues related to the nature of informal employment and its determinants, how informal firms can grow their business and productivity, and the effects of labor market regulations and social insurance policies on informality.

Can labour market institutions mitigate the China syndrome? Evidence from regional labour markets in Europe

AbstractThis paper investigates how labour market regulations alter the adverse impact of rising import competition from China in European local labour markets between 1997 and 2006. The paper constructs measures of regional exposure to Chinese imports based on previous literature and on regional labour market frictions exploiting involuntary labour reallocations. Taking into account the endogeneity of import competition and its interaction with labour market regulations, the paper finds that regions more exposed to the rise of China have suffered from a reduction in manufacturing employment shares. This shock grows larger with regional labour market frictions; hence, it exacerbates the impact of trade shock on employment. Moreover, the paper finds that employment in public services, and not in construction or private services sector, absorbed the negative shock to the manufacturing sector. The unemployment rate, the labour force participation rate and wages in all sectors are unresponsive to import competition from China.

Identifying labour market bottlenecks in the energy transition: a combined IO-matching analysis

This paper combines an input–output model and a novel regional labour market matching model in order to identify potential bottlenecks in regional labour markets resulting from shocks in demand caused by the energy transition. Identifying these bottlenecks provides relevant information for policymakers to determine in which regions and industries policy intervention in labour markets may be needed to ensure a smooth transformation. We analyse the effects of a shock that is illustrative for the energy transition in the Netherlands. Our results indicate that the aim of the Dutch government to substantially reduce greenhouse gas emissions may, at least in the short run, be hampered by bottlenecks in labour markets.

Inequality, Redistribution and Wage Progression

Changes in the structure of work and families over the last four decades have increased many labour market inequalities. Growing earnings inequality, adverse labour market ‘shocks’ for the low‐educated, and geographically concentrated pockets of deprivation are among the most evident of these in Britain. The decade since the financial crisis has brought these inequalities into sharper focus, and the Covid‐19 pandemic has further exacerbated labour market inequality. The object of this paper is to highlight the key role played by poor wage progression for lower‐ and middle‐educated workers in understanding inequality in the labour market and for designing effective policy responses. It is unlikely that we can address all the concerns about low wages, wage progression and earnings inequality through the tax and welfare system alone. The challenge is how best to balance tax and welfare benefit policy with other policies, such as human capital policies, the minimum wage and labour market regulation. The results point to a mix of policies that aim to enhance wage progression for the lower‐educated within a welfare system that supports low‐earning families and provides a minimum wage floor for hourly wages.

Unemployment benefit governance, trade unions and outsider protection in conservative welfare states

This article explores the relationship between trade union governance roles in unemployment benefit systems, their power resources and their capacity to counteract liberalising and dualising trends in the labour market in conservative welfare states with compulsory unemployment insurance. Against received wisdom, this article argues that in the 21st century trade unions in continental Europe have generally sought to combat the dualism to which their welfare states and labour markets are institutionally susceptible. In this context, a role in the operation of unemployment benefit systems and related forms of institutional power could help unions to attain the enhanced outsider protection they seek. But different modes of union involvement in public policy produce different levels of institutional power, and help to condition its impact on policy development over time. This article illustrates these points with a comparison of the recent development of labour market policy and regulation in Austria, France and Germany.

Assessment of the Regional Labor Market, Taking into Account the Territorial Effect (Case Study: The Republic of Belarus)

The relevance of the study concerning evaluation problems and a specific comparative analysis of regional labor markets is explained by the growing importance of improving macroeconomic regulation in almost all CIS countries. The purpose of the work was to demonstrate the capabilities of spatial econometrics tools in the analysis of regional labor markets on the example of the Republic of Belarus. The authors consider methodological approaches to analyzing labor market indicators based on modern statistical and econometric tools.The authors substantiated the necessity of using spatial econometrics methods for a more accurate assessment of the specific characteristics of the regions of the Republic of Belarus. A spatial autoregressive model was built using panel data. Here, integral block indicators were used as factors, covering only 40 primary characteristics of the region. This article briefly discusses the provisions used in spatial data analysis. It also presents the results of building a mixed model of spatial autoregression. For calculations, the authors used data for 2016–2019, which are freely available in the interactive business intelligence system for distribution of official statistical information of the National Statistical Committee of the Republic of Belarus (Belstat, 2021).As predictors, the regression model included integral indicators of the regional labor market, weighted using a matrix of distances between the centers of regions. Here, were used forty initial indicators. According to the authors, the results of the study can have practical application when planning programs for the development of regional labor markets.

Contesting the politics of neoliberal resilience: regional labour market resilience from a workers’ perspective

ABSTRACT The concept of resilience has been captured by a neoliberal discourse displacing responsibility to individuals and regions. This article specifically examines the regional labour market resilience of workers and other regional stakeholders relating to an ongoing economic restructuring process of deindustrialization and redundancies in Anglesey, North West Wales, in the UK. Using 11 years of longitudinal qualitative research, we provide an empirical narrative that applies a labour market resilience framework (challenge, context, responses and outcomes) from a workers’ perspective. It connects the empirical findings from this critical case study to broader generalizability for regional studies and regional policy implications. Regarding generalizability to regional studies theory, the labour market resilience of workers is impacted at different but interlinking levels: the global systemic level of neo-liberal capitalism; the national country level of institutional varieties of capitalism (liberal market economies versus coordinated market economies); and regional variations across countries.

Characteristics of Labor Demand in the Labor Market: Interregional Comparisons (Based on the Materials of a Sample Survey of Rosstat)

The demand in the labor market can be determined using a set of attributes of the need for labor. Currently, the demand for labor is determined on the basis of some information sources. Sample surveys of labor demand conducted by Rosstat make it possible to determine the amount of demand for a specific assessment date. Despite the existing shortcomings of the methodology and information, the survey enabled us to compare the data according to observation time, as well as carry out interregional comparisons. Given the representative nature of the information, we can argue about the objectivity of the comparisons. The purpose of this study was to identify the possibilities of an objective assessment of the need for labor to determine the types and varieties of demand in the regional labor market. We used the statistical data of the sample survey of the labor force conducted by Rosstat in 2018, 2020 as an informational and empirical basis of the study. The study employed theoretical and comparative analysis of the processes of labor demand formation as the most important attribute of demand. We revealed the trends of changes in the one-time demand for labor by the main segments of employees grouped based on the All-Russian classifier of occupations. The study documented the impact of covid-19 pandemic on jobs and labor market. The research determined the scale and conducted a comparative assessment of changes in labor market across the subjects of the Siberian Federal District. A comparative analysis was proposed to identify the place of Irkutsk region in the dynamics of positive changes. The author developed a new typology and put forward a classification of regional types and forms of labor market demand. Survey findings could be used as objective estimates of labor market demand.