Labor Force Research Articles

The Impact of Urbanization on the Socio-Economic Status of Rural Migrants in China - A Comparison and Analysis for the Pearl River Delta and Yangtze River Delta Regions

The Pearl River Delta and Yangtze River Delta regions in China are two key areas of rapid economic development, and research has found that a large number of migrants from rural areas have been formed as a result of the rapid development of the urban agglomerations in the region, however, there is still a certain research gap on the comparison of the rural labour force populations of the two regions due to the different attractiveness of the rural transfer population in the two regions as well as the differences in the various local policies. Therefore, this paper reads the literature to compare the impact of the progress of urbanization in the Pearl River Delta and Yangtze River Delta on the economic status of rural migrants in China. The study finds that the Yangtze River Delta mainly attracts high-end technical talents while the Pearl River Delta attracts more migrant workers. Therefore, the governments of the two regions need to implement practical policies to provide migrants with corresponding protection.

Entangled Independence: From Labor Rights to Gig "Empowerment" Under the Algorithmic Gaze

This study offers a critical analysis of how the Indian gig platform, Urban Company (UC), mobilizes the promise of empowerment to assemble, discipline and algorithmically entangle its gig labor force. Much of the scholarship on gig work has described how the (mis)classification of gig workers as independent contractors allows gig corporations to abdicate their employment responsibilities, thereby disentangling the traditional employer-employee relationship. By contrast, UC promises to invest in it's Indian gig workforce, with offerings such as health insurance and financial loans to counter the enduring socio-economic precarity of the Indian labor market. However, through a critical content analysis of UCs' public media, we find that UC's organization of such ''social security'' benefits rests on an insidious system of algorithmic evaluation and classification. Access to benefits is conditional, determined by the platform's algorithmic control mechanisms, which classify workers as worthy or unworthy on a shifting basis. Mobilizing Agre's analysis of business discourses of ''empowered work'', we highlight how UC's algorithmic classification of workers creates a system of ''conditional empowerment.'' This system reflects a critical shift in the labor process, from rights-based labor regimes to a neoliberal social order where individuals must constantly prove their worth.

ANALISIS ANGKATAN KERJA, DAN TENAGA KERJA TERHADAP TINGKAT PENGANGGURAN SMA SEDERAJAT DI PROVINSI BANGKA BELITUNG

Unemployment is an important issue in the economy, especially in Bangka Belitung Province which faces challenges in absorbing high school graduates into the job market. This analysis aims to evaluate the influence of the workforce and labor force on the unemployment rate in the area. This study uses secondary data analyzed using the multiple regression method through SPSS software. The variables analyzed include the workforce and labor force as independent variables, with the unemployment rate as the dependent variable. The t-test is used to test the significance of the influence of each independent variable, while the F-test is used to evaluate the overall significance of the regression model. The determination test (R²) is applied to assess how much of the variation in the unemployment rate can be explained by the model. The results of the t-test indicate that the workforce and labor force each have a significant influence on the unemployment rate. A positive coefficient for the workforce indicates that an increase in the workforce is associated with an increase in the unemployment rate, while a coefficient for the labor force indicates that an increase in the labor force is associated with a decrease in the unemployment rate. The F-test shows that the multiple regression model as a whole is significant in explaining the variation in the unemployment rate. The R² value indicates that this model can explain most of the variation in the unemployment rate

Unbound hukou and rebound innovation in urban China

The Chinese authorities issued the “Guiding Opinions on Further Deepening the Reform of the Household Registration System” in 2014. This policy maintained strict controls on urban hukou in megacities, while slightly less stringent controls were applied in large cities. However, the restrictions on obtaining urban hukou were significantly relaxed in medium-sized cities and completely lifted in small cities. This study examines the causal effects and underlying mechanisms of hukou reform on urban innovation in cities of different sizes, using DID method based on a quasi-natural experiment by the 2014 hukou reform in China. The findings suggest that the hukou reform can significantly promote urban innovation, with particularly strong positive effects observed in large cities in the eastern region, small- and medium-sized cities in the central and western regions, as well as cities with favourable conditions for innovation. The primary mechanisms in which hukou reform influences urban innovation involve enhancing both the quantity and quality of urban labor force, as well as creating a better environment for innovation in cities.

Digital humanists in the modern international business world—Bulgarian context

Digital humanists play a crucial role in the modern international business world by combining the principles of regular employees with the advancements of digital technologies to address a variety of challenges and opportunities. They are specific labour forces that are driving digital transformation and innovation in the modern international business world. This article presents some key impacts the digital humanists have on global business practices and strategies particularly in the area of international business. Using the advantages, the digital era in which we live provides, digital humanists are becoming part of the international workforce but in a different and non-standard way. The main purpose of this article is to highlight some of the main characteristics of this modern workforce, the advantages and disadvantages of such an approach. It should be noted that the article is part of a scientific research dedicated to the changes in the international human resource management due to the technology developments and digitalization of the international business. The main research methods used are literature summary and analysis, comparative analysis, focus group interviews.

Employment in low-skilled jobs as trigger and consequence of poor health-a longitudinal perspective from Germany.

Despite evidence of correlations between low-skilled jobs and poor health, the longitudinal perspective on this research topic has been neglected in Germany for decades. Therefore, we investigate (i) the causal relationship between accumulated employment in low- or medium-skilled jobs on self-rated health and (ii) the selective association of self-rated health on transitions from medium- to low-skilled jobs. About 26313 dependent employees and persons aged 25-50 from 2010 to 2020 in the German Socio-Economic Panel were included. Linear fixed-effects models were used to analyse the impact of accumulated employment in low- or medium-skilled jobs on self-rated health. Linear probability models with fixed effects were calculated to identify the effect of self-rated health on transitions between low- and medium-skilled jobs. Accumulated employment in low-skilled jobs impacts self-rated health significantly. There is no confirmation for accumulated employment in medium-skilled jobs concerning health. Poor self-rated health increases the probability of transitioning from medium- to low-skilled jobs but does not impact the reverse transition. Poor self-rated health can push employees into low-skilled jobs. Against the background of extended working lives and preserving the labour force potential, there is a need for action and research concerning employees in low-skilled jobs.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the labour market outcomes of Indigenous persons living off-reserve in Canada

The recent COVID-19 pandemic had an impact on the labour force activity of many, but the effect of the crisis on the labour market outcomes of Indigenous peoples in Canada is relatively understudied. Using data from the master files of the Canadian Labour Force Survey (LFS), this analysis first considers the relative probability of four mutually exclusive labour force states: employed; unemployed; not in the labour force, but not discouraged; and not in the labour force due to being a discouraged worker. Differences in hours worked as well as earnings comparing Indigenous and non-Indigenous workers are then examined. The findings reveal that, regardless of the COVID-19 pandemic, Indigenous Canadians were relatively more likely to be either unemployed or not in the labour force (including being a discouraged worker) than to be employed as compared to their non-Indigenous counterparts. Indigenous workers earned roughly 3 percent less than their non-Indigenous counterparts. The earnings penalty experienced by Indigenous workers, was slightly smaller at the bottom of the wage distribution at 2 percent, increasing to roughly 3.3 percent at the top 90th percentile of the earnings function. During the COVID-19 period, while the risk of unemployment was lower for Indigenous persons, the risk of being a discouraged worker was even higher for Indigenous Canadians during the pandemic. Using an ad-hoc supplement to the LFS conducted by Statistics Canada in response to the pandemic, this study finds that Indigenous respondents were less likely than non-Indigenous respondents to either work from home or receive any form of Canada relief benefit from April 2020 to October 2021. The implications of these findings suggest a role for policy makers to improve access to funding supports for Indigenous workers and students seeking to pursue higher education to improve labour market outcomes. Additionally, employers play an important role in ensuring that Indigenous workers have fair access to job opportunities.

Optimization of Maintenance Strategies in an Oil and Gas Production Facility to Minimize Maintenance Cost

Abstract: In this study, maintenance strategies in an oil and gas production facility were optimized to minimize maintenance costs. The centrifugal pump system in Port Harcourt Refinery was selected for this study because it significantly impacts on the productivity of the refining plant. The pump system’s failure mode effects and criticality analysis (FMECA) were examined, and an optimized maintenance task was developed for the system. The exponential reliability method was employed to analyse the pump’s failure data to determine the pump systems' failure rate and reliability while reliability centred maintenance (RCM) and linear programming (LP) model were employed to optimize the pump’s maintenance strategies and the pump’s maintenance labour force respectively. Broad-based results of the optimized maintenance strategies consisted of on-condition-directed (CD) maintenance, preventive maintenance (PreM), and Proactive maintenance (ProM) strategies to be carried out monthly. The optimized maintenance labour force result revealed that approximately three engineers and two technicians should be employed for the pump’s maintenance task with a minimum of N2, 585, 700 as cost of salaries for the labour force monthly as against the current maintenance labour force requiring fourteen engineers and thirteen technicians monthly. The results showed that the labour cost decreased from N180,000,000 per year to N31,028,400 per year (approximately 82.76% reduction) using the proposed optimized maintenance task compared to the current maintenance plan. Conclusion and recommendation were made that the maintenance optimization technique presented in this work should be adopted by the oil and gas processing and production companies in order to minimize maintenance cost.

Impact of Digital Villages on Agricultural Green Growth Based on Empirical Analysis of Chinese Provincial Data

The construction of digital villages has progressed in tandem with the transformation of traditional production methods, offering new perspectives for agricultural green growth and sustainable development. This study employs the entropy value method alongside the super-efficient global SBM (Slacks-Based Measure) mixed function model, which assesses efficiency by accounting for both inputs and outputs, thereby facilitating a comprehensive evaluation of agricultural green growth. This methodology facilitates the examination of the correlation between digital villages and agricultural green growth, as well as the influence of digital villages on this growth. Furthermore, the utilization of financial resources is employed as a mediating variable to elucidate the mechanism of action. The utilization of green finance and agricultural insurance can be facilitated by the establishment of digital villages, and that has been shown to promote agricultural green growth. Additionally, the promotion of agricultural green growth by digital village construction is stronger in middle-altitude regions, non-grain-producing regions, and regions where the digital literacy of the rural labor force is higher than average, as well as areas where the use of agricultural film is higher than average. Accelerating the construction of digital villages and promoting the utilization of rural financial resources while adapting the digital village development to local conditions are crucial for effectively fostering agricultural green growth and sustainable agricultural development.

The economic burden of long COVID in Australia: more noise than signal?

To estimate the potential economic burden of long COVID in Australia. A stock-and-flow model of weekly estimated numbers of people with long COVID (January 2021 to June 2023); application of proxy cost estimates from people living with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome; time series analysis of labour market and social security datasets. The working age Australian population. The likely number of Australians severely impacted by long COVID; the economic cost of long COVID; and the impacts of long COVID, determined by analysis of labour market data. At its peak in late 2022, between 181 000 and 682 000 Australians may have experienced some long COVID symptoms, of whom 40 000-145 000 may have been severely affected. Severe cases potentially decreased to affecting 10 000-38 000 people by June 2023. The likely economic burden of long COVID in Australia during 2022 was between $1.7 billion and $6.3 billion (some 0.07% to 0.26% of gross domestic product). Labour market data suggest that between 25 000 (February 2023) and 103 000 (June 2023) more working age Australians reported being unable to work due to long term sickness than would have been predicted based on pre-COVID-19 trends. This does not appear to have translated into increased claims for Disability Support Pensions, but numbers of working age Carer Allowance recipients have grown markedly since 2022. Long COVID likely imposed a small but significant aggregate toll on the Australian economy, while exposing tens of thousands of Australians to substantial personal economic hardship and contributing to labour market supply constraints. Yet while some signal from long COVID is discernible in the labour force data, Australia lacks adequate direct surveillance data to securely guide policy making.

How Do Demographic Characteristics of Homeschooling Households Influence the Way Homeschooling is Practiced?

ABSTRACT We articulate a theory suggesting that the way families practice homeschooling is based on practical constraints imposed by household demographic characteristics and ideological considerations. These theories are empirically tested using the 2012, 2016, and 2019 waves of the National Household Education Survey and a sample of 1,468 homeschooling families. Findings indicate that specific household characteristics such as family structure, labor force participation, and parents’ educational background are associated with how long a child is homeschooled and the resources families use to homeschool their children. Comparisons between homeschooling and non-homeschooling families are also made.

Influence of Women Head of Government on the Human Capital of Women in the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam

Purpose: This study aims to explore the influence of women heads of government on human capital development and gender inequality, specifically focusing on education and health in the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam from 1991 to 2021. Despite the increasing presence of women in leadership roles globally, their impact on human capital indicators remains underexplored. Methodology: To investigate this, the research employs a comparative approach that includes the Levin-Lin Chu Test, Im-Pesaran-Shin Test, Fixed Effects, Random Effects, and Ordinary Least Squares to analyze data from countries with female leaders and evaluate changes in educational attainment and health outcomes during their tenures. Findings: The findings reveal that while higher educational attainment among women and increased representation of women in political leadership do not automatically result in greater labor force participation, female life expectancy has a significant and positive effect on female labor force participation (FLFP), indicating that healthier women are more likely to engage in the workforce. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy This research uniquely contributes to understanding the role of female leadership in fostering inclusive growth and emphasizes the importance of gender representation in political leadership for advancing human capital.

The Financial Inclusion Question in Zimbabwe’s Post-COVID -19, New Normal: Implications for Adoption of Financial Technology (FinTech) on Service Providers

Financial inclusion will be accelerated by the technological opportunities for online financial transactions brought forth by the COVID-19 outbreak. As a result, because there were fewer digital financial transactions, the threats to COVID-19 that were present previously are now more substantial. The aim of this article is to assess the dangers, challenges, and opportunities for financial inclusion brought forth by the use of technology by COVID-19. According to the article, the inherent characteristics of financial technology (FinTech) in connection to financial inclusion allow it to reduce the negative economic and social effects of the ongoing COVID-19 situation. Under COVID-19, the introduction of digital financial transactions has sped up corporate operations and cut expense on doing business. As a result, women now have greater access to transactions involving financial technology (FinTech). The growth of digital financial transactions has made contactless and cashless purchases possible throughout the COVID-19 crisis. The expansion of digital financial inclusion makes it easier to swiftly and effectively implement public assistance programs, such as those for epidemic-affected women. Financial inclusion is being boosted by digital finance, which may eventually replace or improve traditional banking institutions. Working from home has undergone a "revolution" in a number of industries during COVID-19, including banking. Businesses should identify the optimal operating model mix for the future and make sure they have the infrastructure to support widespread, mass flexible working. This calls for reevaluating the function and application of corporate real estate. Since the labor force is likely to become more automated at the same time, resilience is essential. Conceptual Framework of this study is based on the financial inclusion and FinTech concepts which are the main variables guiding the study and it is underpinned by the theories of diffusion of innovation and the Financial Intermediation.

Research on Methods for Integrating Craftsmanship Spirit into Vocational Education

This paper explores effective methods to integrate the concept of craftsmanship spirit into vocational education. By analyzing the principles of craftsmanship—such as dedication, precision, and innovation—this research highlights the importance of fostering these values among vocational students. Drawing on both theoretical frameworks and practical examples, the paper proposes several strategies for embedding craftsmanship values into the curriculum, including the enhancement of practical training, mentoring programs, and industry partnerships. The integration of craftsmanship spirit is crucial for the professional growth of students and the development of high-quality, skilled labor forces in today’s economy.

The Complex Relationship Between Education And Female Labour: The Curious Case Of India

It is widely believed that improvement in education access leads to better employment statistics. India has defied this basic assumption when it comes to its Female Labour Participation Ratio. Despite the increase in education access across India, why has there not been a proportional increase of women in the labour market participation ratio. Though the Indian government claims to have taken active steps towards a safer and more inclusive environment for women through empowerment schemes and improving education access to girls and women, the data regarding the number of females in the workforce speaks otherwise. In 2024, only 36 percent of the labour force are women, and it is showing even further decline in some pockets. This research analyses the reasons for the astounding inverse relationship between education advancements in terms of accessibility and women’s participation rate. It also touches upon the ground impact of key policy decisions taken by the government in this regard.

Repeal of Subminimum Wages and Social Determinants of Health Among People With Disabilities.

People with disabilities experience pervasive health disparities driven by adverse social determinants of health, such as unemployment. Section 14(c) of the 1938 Fair Labor Standards Act has been a controversial policy that allows people with disabilities to be paid below the prevailing minimum wage, but its impact on employment remains unknown despite ongoing national debates about its repeal. To estimate whether state-level repeal of Section 14(c) was associated with employment-related outcomes for people with cognitive disability. This quasi-experimental, synthetic difference-in-differences study used individual-level data from the 2010-2019 American Community Surveys. Outcomes before and after subminimum wage law repeal in 2 states (New Hampshire and Maryland) that repealed Section 14(c) were compared with a synthetic group of control states that did not implement repeal. Individuals aged 18 to 45 years who reported having a cognitive disability were included. Data were analyzed from May 2023 to May 2024. Repeal of Section 14(c) in New Hampshire (2015) and Maryland (2016). Primary outcomes were labor force participation and employment rates. Secondary outcomes were annual wages, annual hours worked, hourly wages, and proportion earning above state minimum wage among employed individuals. The sample included 450 838 individuals. Of these, 253 157 (55.7%) were male, and the mean (SD) age was 31.3 (8.4) years. In state-specific analyses, New Hampshire's labor force participation and employment had a statistically significant increase by 5.2 percentage points (β = 0.05; 95% CI, 0-0.10; P = .04) and 7 percentage points (β = 0.07; 95% CI, 0.01-0.13; P = .03), respectively, following Section 14(c) repeal. Labor force participation and employment both increased in Maryland, although estimates were not statistically significant. Pooling both states, Section 14(c) repeal was associated with a statistically significant 4.7-percentage point (β = 0.05; 95% CI, 0.01-0.08; P = .01) increase in labor force participation and a nonsignificant 4.3-percentage point (β = 0.04; 95% CI, 0-0.09; P = .07) increase in employment. In this study, repeal of Section 14(c), a policy allowing subminimum wages for people with disabilities, led to increases in labor force participation, though with heterogeneity at the state level. These findings suggest the importance of state-level factors in shaping program effects, especially as national-level Section 14(c) repeal is being debated.

Can digital factor participation create opportunities for “rags to riches”? Based on the perspective of intergenerational income mobility

Intergenerational hierarchical solidification threatens the sustainable development of economies and societies in countries worldwide. In this paper, we match macro data on digital factor participation at the city level with micro data from the Chinese Family Panel Studies (CFPS) from 2010 to 2018 to explore whether digital factor participation can break hierarchical solidification and create opportunities for “rags to riches” on the basis of the perspective of intergenerational income mobility. We find that digital factor participation contributes to facilitating upwards income mobility between generations, alleviating intergenerational hierarchical solidification. Additionally, its marginal effects are most pronounced in the low-income groups, indicating that digital factor participation serves as a booster for “poor second generations” to leapfrog rather than an accelerator for wealth accumulation among the “wealthy second generations”. Furthermore, our research reveals that digital factor participation potentially facilitates intergenerational occupational vertical “shift” channels and promotes the horizontal migration of the labour force, which in turn weakens intergenerational transmission effects, promotes intergenerational income mobility, and breaks intergenerational hierarchical solidification. Our study highlights the importance of seizing the opportunities presented by digital factor participation, as such participation offers more equitable opportunities for the lower class, which is particularly concerning in the context of the intensifying global trend of social stratification.

Labor Market Participation of Persons With Spinal Cord Injury Living in Switzerland Between 2012 and 2022: A Comparison to the General Population.

The aim of the study is to examine labor market participation of individuals with spinal cord injury living in Switzerland over the past decade and in relation to the general population. This is a descriptive study, using longitudinal panel data from the 2012, 2017, and 2022 community surveys of the Swiss Spinal Cord Injury Cohort Study and general population data from the Swiss Labor Force Survey. Employment rates among spinal cord injury responders were 56% in 2012, 61% in 2017, and 64.6% in 2022. Employment gaps between the spinal cord injury and the Swiss general population samples decreased from 22.5% (2012) to 15.4% (2022). This decrease was particularly evident for females, middle-aged individuals, and people with tetraplegia but contrasted with increased employment gaps in Southwestern Switzerland. By identifying increased employment rates among spinal cord injury responders along with decreased employment gaps in relation to the general population, our study indicates improved opportunities for persons with impairments in the Swiss labor market over the past decade. While there is still room to improve the labor market participation prospects among the Swiss spinal cord injury population, particular efforts at the regional level are required to ensure equal labor market participation opportunities for all individuals with spinal cord injury living in Switzerland.

Analisis Sosial Ekonomi Terhadap Pasar Tenaga Kerja Wanita yang Bekerja di Sumatera Barat

This research uses secondary data sourced from the SAKERNAS National Labor Force Survey, (2022) from the Indonesian Central Statistics Agency. This research aims to determine the influence of education, marital status, age, and regional on female workers working in West Sumatra. This type of research is quantitative research. This research uses the Logistic Regression analysis method. Based on the results of the analysis and hypothesis testing, it was found that the Education and Region variables had a positive and significant influence on the female workforce working in West Sumatra. Meanwhile, the age variable had a negative and significant influence on the female workforce working in West Sumatra, then the Marital Status variable was not significant on the workforce. Women working in West Sumatra.

How to fund unemployment insurance with informality and false claims: Evidence from Senegal

This paper studies the welfare effects from the provision of unemployment insurance (UI) benefits in a context where formal workers represent only a small proportion of the labor market and informal workers can submit fraudulent claims for UI benefits. We model these features and allow for varying degrees of enforcement and different funding sources. We then estimate the model’s key parameters by conducting a custom labor force survey in Senegal. Our findings show that the liquidity gains are large and the moral hazard response to the UI benefits among workers is relatively small: an extra dollar of UI benefits yields a consumption-equivalent gain of 60–90 cents, which exceeds comparable estimates from U.S. calibrations by a factor of three to sixteen. We then show that the welfare gains depend on the program design: UI funded through payroll taxes delivers the greatest welfare gains but becomes infeasible when there are few formal workers and high rates of fraudulent claims. On the other hand, UI funded through consumption taxes delivers lower welfare gains but remains feasible with high informality and false claims.