Labour Market Arrangements Research Articles

Labour Market Arrangements and Competition Law in Australia: Time for Change?

AbstractAs part of an ongoing review of Australia's Competition and Consumer Act (CCA) by Treasury, consideration is being given to removing the exemption from that law for conduct related to the labour market. This article considers whether there is sufficient justification to do so and, if so, how such conduct should be assessed under the CCA. No‐poach agreements are cartel conduct and other restrictive agreements may substantially lessen competition in labour markets. Nevertheless, in some circumstances there are legitimate reasons for some of these arrangements. Some suggestions are made as to how restrictive labour arrangements could be addressed by competition law.

Characterization of Market and Labor Dynamics of the Local Mango Industry in Island Garden City of Samal (IGaCoS), Davao del Norte, Philippines

Understanding the inherent characteristics of a local agricultural industry is imperative in designing policies that are responsive to the context, needs, and challenges of its stakeholders. Grounded in this premise, this study unpacked the complexities of the mango industry in the Island Garden City of Samal, an agricultural city in the southern Philippines. Specifically, it aims to understand its labor dynamics and market arrangements using a qualitative approach. This study presents an overview of the mango production cycle in the garden city, which includes the corresponding labor requirements and market of the local mango industry. In terms of labor, aside from the quantity and quality of labor needed, this paper also presents the roles of men and women that are inherent in local mango production. Likewise, the study also enumerates the different issues and challenges faced by the local mango producers. These issues and challenges were concerns related to erratic prices, labor needs, and high production costs. Moreover, the study offers explanations for the existing labor dynamics in the garden city. This includes the interplay between the material nature of the commodity and the gender dynamics in the labor force. In addition, a discussion on the varying quality standards of different target markers is also provided. Finally, this study also explained the rationale behind the prevailing contractual arrangements within the local mango industry. The results presented in this paper offer insights into designing context-based programs and policies, which could further support the local mango industry.

Policy resistance to paradigm shifts: Inclusive growth and innovation in Canada

AbstractWe assess Canada's labour market policy mix in order to determine whether the inclusive growth and innovation agenda indicates that technological change has triggered a policy paradigm shift. Our analysis of four policy areas concerning labour market access indicates no paradigm shift has occurred. Instead, the agenda is an example of policy resistance: first‐ and second‐order policy changes (changes to policy settings) maintain the status quo of labour market arrangements. The result is a revised set of supply‐side policies unlikely to reorganize the labour market. Technological disruption and the COVID‐19 pandemic offer opportunities to reorganize Canada's labour market policies' current policy mix, but, even under the banner of inclusive innovation, this shift is unlikely to happen.

Migrant carers in Europe in times of COVID-19: a call to action for European health workforce governance and a public health approach.

The present study explores the situation of migrant carers in long-term care (LTC) in European Union Member States and the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic from a public health perspective. The aim is to bring LTC migrant carers into health workforce research and highlight a need for trans-sectoral and European heath workforce governance. We apply an exploratory approach based on secondary sources, document analysis and expert information. A framework comprising four major dimensions was developed for data collection and analysis: LTC system, LTC health labour market, LTC labour migration policies and specific LTC migrant carer policies during the COVID-19 crisis March to May 2020. Material from Austria, Italy, Germany, Poland and Romania was included in the study. Results suggest that undersupply of carers coupled with cash benefits and a culture of family responsibility may result in high inflows of migrant carers, who are channelled in low-level positions or the informal care sector. COVID-19 made the fragile labour market arrangements of migrant carers visible, which may create new health risks for both the individual carer and the population. Two important policy recommendations are emerging: to include LTC migrant carers more systematically in public health and health workforce research and to develop European health workforce governance which connects health system needs, health labour markets and the individual migrant carers.

School-to-work transitions support: ‘cruel optimism’ for young people in ‘the state of insecurity’

In this paper, I argue that current arrangements for school-to-work transitions support in England, now school-based, are designed to contribute towards ensuring the consent of the population for what I refer to as the ‘state of insecurity’ (Lorey, 2015): the neoliberal relationship between the individual and the state in which insecurity is promoted as freedom. Based on an analysis of policy, the paper argues that the government careers strategy for young people aims to contribute to shaping the precarious subjects which inhabit the state of insecurity, by encouraging them to internalise neoliberal values around freedom and individualism which accompany governmental precarisation. Drawing also on the work of Judith Butler (2011), I suggest that throughout the careers strategy, neoliberalism functions as performative or hegemonic norm which is cited to constitute notions of ‘good’ or ‘normal’ labour market arrangements, aspirations and selves. I suggest that this strategy is an example of Berlant's (2011) ‘cruel optimism’, which constitutes a fantasy of a ‘good life’ which is in fact likely to be unattainable to many young people, especially the more disadvantaged.

The diversity of labor market institutions and entrepreneurship

Abstract Substantial literature demonstrates that flexible labor market institutions promote entrepreneurial activity. We re-evaluate this finding by considering the complementarity between institutions as advocated by the varieties of capitalism literature. We study the relevance of labor market regulations, wage-setting institutions and social security, and their complementarity for different types of entrepreneurial activity in 19 European countries and the USA. Two findings stand out. First, the four distinct bundles of labor market institutions characterizing Europe support different forms of entrepreneurial activity, and that innovative entrepreneurial activity also exists in less-flexible and -regulated labor market arrangements. Second, the relationships between single labor market institutions and entrepreneurial activity vary across the four institutional constellations. Therefore, to promote entrepreneurship in Europe, there is a need for tailored reform strategies that consider the diversity of the institutional constellations.

How do telecommunications reforms affect labour market arrangements? Evidence from Central and Western Europe

AbstractThis paper exploits variations in the timing of telecommunications reforms across Europe to investigate the relationship between the rise of alternative work arrangements and the emergence of the Internet. We evaluate whether sectors that are technologically more dependent on information and communication technologies (ICT) experienced disproportionately larger changes in their employment outcomes after telecommunications reforms were introduced. Our main results point to a disproportionate increase in total employment, part‐time work and home‐based work among ICT‐dependent sectors after the implementation of telecommunications reforms. These results suggest that telecommunications reforms affected labour market arrangements by fostering the adoption of ICT. The results are robust to several specifications.

CAUSALITY BETWEEN FEMALE FERTILITY AND FEMALE LABOUR FORCE PARTICIPATION IN ASEAN-5

Researches on whether female fertility determines labour force participation or vice versa have reached mixed results. A high participation of females in the labour market can limit the family size, and conversely, low female fertility can free up their time and increase their participation in the labour market. As such, this paper sets out to answer the question of “What causes what?” Having established the existence of cointegration for Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines and Indonesia (hereafter ASEAN-5) using time-series data for the 1980 to 2012 period and also for a panel for the ASEAN-5 countries, we found the presence of bidirectional causality between female fertility and female labour force participation. Other studies (Mishra & Smyth, 2010; Salamaliki, Venetis, & Giannakopoulos, 2013) concur with this results. We therefore conclude that for the ASEAN-5 countries to increase female labour force participation rate and offset fertility declines, there should be supportive policies in the form of more flexible labour market arrangements, better access to childcare and increased maternity benefits.Keywords: female fertility, female labour force participation, causality

Social policies and intergenerational support in Italy and South Korea

ABSTRACTThis article explores the interactions between social policies and exchanges of support between parents aged 50 and over and their adult children in Italy and South Korea. In both countries, families are predominantly responsible for financial and care support to dependent members. However, in the mid-2010s, social security systems, labour market arrangements and family policies allocated resources between age groups in different proportions, favouring pensioners in Italy and prime-age workers in South Korea. Arguably, this difference may influence and interact with exchanges of support within families. Harmonised data for 2012–2013 from surveys of ageing are used to compare exchanges of financial support, instrumental care and intergenerational co-residence between parents aged 50 and above and their adult children. In Italy, where societal transfers favour older generations, intergenerational transfers from parents to children are large, and children provide complementary forms of help to ageing parents. In South Korea, where later-life protection is limited, parents are more heavily dependent upon adult children for financial and care support. The findings add to the existing literature on the relationship between societal and family transfers in European welfare regimes by exploring these interactions in broader contexts and policy areas.

The labor market in the Netherlands, 2001–2016

The Netherlands is an example of a highly institutionalized labor market that places considerable attention on equity concerns. The government and social partners (unions and industry associations) seek to adjust labor market arrangements to meet the challenges of increased international competition, stronger claims on labor market positions by women, and the growing population share of immigrants and their children. The most notable developments since 2001 are the significant rise in part-time and flexible work arrangements as well as rising inequalities.

Impact of Labour Market Arrangements and Regulations on the Workers in the Indian Garment Industry

Massive restructuring of the production systems at the global level has opened up considerable opportunities for the developing countries. However, the effect of globalisation on low-income countries, especially on the labour market, is a much-debated issue. These countries often compete through lowering the costs by exerting a downward pressure on wages. India’s segregated labour market based on gender, caste and religion creates an uneven plane for the disadvantaged sections, especially in terms of wages. This paper analyses whether certain enterprise conditions based on the size and nature of firms overcome discriminatory labour practices or rather take advantage of existing societal discriminatory labour norms. Whether labour legislations, which play crucial role in ensuring justice, are better implemented by large and medium export-oriented firms compared to small firms and workshops in the domestic market is also investigated in this paper. The study is based on National Capital Region (NCR) which has global product chains and export processing clusters. The results from this study have important implications for Indian policy makers for increasing overall opportunities for various social groups, reducing social discrimination and increasing post-implementation accountability.

The relationship between unemployment and fertility in Italy

(ProQuest: ... denotes formulae omitted.)1. PremiseDuring the last four decades of the 20th century, the average total fertility rate (TFR) has continuously dropped in Europe, as it generally has in Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries. The aggregate trend covers considerable differences across Europe, with the main differences appearing between northern and southern European countries (Eurostat 2012).During the same period, important changes have also occurred in the labour market arrangements of both men and women, with changes in individuals' and couples' economic conditions. Whereas by the 1980s the fall in fertility was coupled with a rise in female employment, since the late 1980s the fall has been accompanied by a rise in unemployment, particularly among women.Explaining the determinants of such a fall in fertility and the links with changes in the labour market statuses of both men and women has become a major topic over the last years (D'Addio and Mira d'Ercole 2005; Kreyenfeld 2010).The rise in unemployment for women and men in southern and central European countries that occurred during the 1990s has been proposed as an explanation for the more pronounced decrease in the TFR in these countries, as in other countries with low female labour force participation rates (Ahn and Mira 2002; Adsera 2005; Engelhardt and Prskawetz 2004). This evidence highlights the need to further examine the role of unemployment in fertility behaviour.This paper seeks to describe the connections between fertility and unemployment in Italy from a gender-based and geographic perspective. Italian workers have experienced a rising trend of unemployment - with gender and regional differences - since the mid-nineties, resulting in a feeling of uncertainty about the future. We are in agreement with the hypothesis that macro-level economic conditions are likely to be related to fertility (Brewster and Rindfuss 2000): in particular, economic uncertainty can induce a short-term reduction in fertility that is presumably due to the postponement of decisions to have an (additional) child until the economy recovers.We utilised time series of aggregate data on fertility and unemployment during the interval 1995-2012, which includes the period of economic downturn that began at the end of 2007.We began from the hypothesis that the connection between unemployment and fertility differs among the various Italian regions, and we used a regression dynamic model to evaluate whether changes in fertility in different Italian geographic areas are more related to changes in male or female unemployment, as well as the strength of the link. Moreover, we paid particular attention to specific temporal links between the two series in different geographical areas.The structure of the paper is as follows:- Discussion of the literature and previous research on the relationship between fertility and unemployment of both men and women. We utilised aggregate data, but we also referred to studies of individual-level data to understand how the issue has been addressed by different approaches;- Discussion of these relationships in Italy within the European context;- Methodological approach and analysis of aggregate trends of fertility and unemployment in Italy by gender and geographic area; and- Discussion of the results.2. Unemployment and fertility: A complex relationshipA modern discussion on fertility in developed countries began in the 1960s and focused on the importance of socio-economic factors at the community or country level, 4 the incompatibility between work and family, increasing female education, and the roles of women in different contexts related to specific welfare policies (Oppenheimer 1988; McDonald 2006; Pison 2009).The decrease in fertility rates in the 1960s and 1970s in most industrialised economies was correlated with an increase in female employment (Adsera 2004). …

From Pyramids to Diamonds

In this article, the authors argue that offshoring of legal work from the United States has contributed to the fracturing of the long-established internal labor market arrangements in large U.S. law firms. Drawing on evidence from the United States and India on legal employment, the growth of offshoring, and the rapidly changing nature of work that is offshored, the authors contend that the changes in employment systems in law firms are likely to be permanent, in contrast to other researchers who suggest they are temporary adjustments to the financial crisis. As U.S. law firms are dismantling their internal labor market systems, Indian law firms are partially recreating them.

Greece After the Crisis: Still a south European welfare model?

ABSTRACTThe debt crisis that broke out in Greece in 2009 and the conditions accompanying the bail out loans received, led to a dramatic decrease in social spending and social benefits. At the same time the need to curb spending led to major reform initiatives that transformed key aspects of the welfare state, such as the pension and health systems. The paper tries to understand to what extent the changes introduced since the outbreak of the crisis constitute a radical departure from past institutional arrangements. To this end, it examines how the reforms introduced in key welfare institutions, the austerity measures adopted, alongside changes in the labour market and family arrangements have transformed the welfare state. It concludes that while the crisis has indeed triggered the introduction of radical reforms, it is premature to speak of a complete model change.

Transitions of Tertiary Educated Korean Women in Australia

This paper examines life course transitions of tertiary educated Korean women who arrived in Australia during the 1980s and 1990s as skilled migrants or dependent migrants of their husbands. The study attempts to find an informed theory or frame of reference by which to explain the circumstances of Korean women’s life experiences post migration to Australia, women whose transitions were constrained by micro-level family situations underpinned by cultural values, macro-level migration policies and labor market arrangements. The constrained choices made by these women can be seen as ways in which they exercise agency in negotiating work and family. Some of their choices differ from mainstream expectations as reflected in government policies and academic discourse. This article draws on life stories to explore the contradictions and tensions experienced by tertiary educated Korean women following their migration to Australia.

Precarious Employment, Ill Health, and Lessons from History: The Case of Casual (Temporary) Dockworkers 1880–1945

An international body of scientific research indicates that growth of job insecurity and precarious forms of employment over the past 35 years have had significant negative consequences for health and safety. Commonly overlooked in debates over the changing world of work is that widespread use of insecure and short-term work is not new, but represents a return to something resembling labor market arrangements found in rich countries in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Moreover, the adverse health effects of precarious employment were extensively documented in government inquiries and in health and medical journals. This article examines the case of a large group of casual dockworkers in Britain. It identifies the mechanisms by which precarious employment was seen to undermine workers and families' health and safety. The article also shows the British dockworker experience was not unique and there are important lessons to be drawn from history. First, historical evidence reinforces just how health-damaging precarious employment is and how these effects extend to the community, strengthening the case for social and economic policies that minimize precarious employment. Second, there are striking parallels between historical evidence and contemporary research that can inform future research on the health effects of precarious employment.

Changing Boundaries: The Policies of Workfare in the U.S. and Europe

AbstractIn recent decades, workfare‐style policies have become part of the institutional architecture of welfare and labor market arrangements around the world. In this article, we offer a comparative, historical view of workfare's advance. Our analysis recognizes the complexity and diversity of what we call the “policies of workfare” and highlights the different paths through which these policies have developed in the U.S. and parts of Europe. We argue that it is necessary to look beyond familiar policy labels and language in order to consider workfare‐style policies as part of a broader political project that is altering the boundary between the democratic welfare state and the market economy. We see workfare policies as boundary‐changing, with potentially profound implications both for individuals disadvantaged by market arrangements and for societies seeking to grapple with the increasing instability and precariousness of work in the “new” economy.

Complement or competition: Latino employment in a nontraditional settlement area

The migration of Latinos to nontraditional settlement areas in the United States is renewing interest in how an established low-skilled work force is affected by the inflow of a minority group whose members tend to have a weak basket of human capital. Some scholars focus on how the incoming group creates head-to-head competition with established workers. An alternative view posits that, depending on the context of the receiving labor market, incoming workers may primarily fill roles that complement preexisting labor market arrangements. I study these issues in the region of the country that has experienced the most pronounced in-migration of Latinos during the past few years. The findings indicate migrating Latinos tend to complement preexisting labor market conditions rather than spark job competition and undercut the earning power of non-Latinos.

The Effects of the Recent Economic Crisis on Social Protection and Labour Market Arrangements Across Socio-Economic Groups

The Great Recession did not only affect European countries to a varying extent, its impact on national labour markets and on specific socio-economic groups in those markets also varied greatly. Institutional arrangements such as employment protection, unemployment insurance benefits and minimum income support, working time flexibility and wage setting played a crucial role in determining to what extent the economic crisis led to higher unemployment, wage cuts or income losses and rising poverty. As the crisis gained momentum, the action of automatic stabilisation mechanisms built into the national tax-benefit and social protection systems was accompanied by heterogeneous sets of discretionary policy measures. While these factors can explain cross-country variation in labour market developments, they also lead to an unequal distribution of economic risks associated with the crisis across socio-economic groups. The present paper aims to investigate and assess to what extent the financial and economic crisis that hit the global economy in 2008-2009 impacted these labour market developments and to what extent different socio-economic groups were affected.

Where Are the Babies? Labor Market Conditions and Fertility in Europe

Cross-country differences in both the age at first birth and fertility are substantial in Europe. This paper uses distinct fluctuations in unemployment rates across European countries during the 1980s and the 1990s combined with broad differences in their labor market arrangements to analyze the associations between fertility timing and the changing economic environment with close to 50,000 women from thirteen European countries. First, it employs time varying measures of aggregate market conditions in each woman s country as covariates and second, it adds micro-measures of each woman s labor market history to the models. High and persistent unemployment in a country is associated with delays in childbearing (and second births). The association is robust to diverse measures of unemployment and to controls for family-friendly policies. Besides moderate unemployment, a large public employment sector (which provides security and benefits) is coupled with faster transitions to all births. Women with temporary contracts, mostly in Southern Europe, are the least likely to give birth to a second child.