Median Wage Research Articles

Measuring the Monetary Value of Online Volunteer Work

Online volunteers are a crucial labor force that keeps many for-profit systems afloat (e.g. social media platforms and online review sites). Despite their substantial role in upholding highly valuable technological systems, online volunteers have no way of knowing the value of their work. This paper uses content moderation as a case study and measures its monetary value to make apparent volunteer labor’s value. Using a novel dataset of private logs generated by moderators, we use linear mixed-effect regression and estimate that Reddit moderators worked a minimum of 466 hours per day in 2020. These hours are worth 3.4 million USD based on the median hourly wage for comparable content moderation services in the U.S. We discuss how this information may inform pathways to alleviate the one-sided relationship between technology companies and online volunteers.

Income protection in the New Zealand tax-transfer system

This research note investigates income-replacement rates provided by the New Zealand welfare system when an individual loses their employment. We utilise New Zealand Treasury’s microsimulation model, based on tax and transfer rules from April 2018 to March 2019, for a variety of household scenarios. Results indicate that replacement rates are higher (above 50 percent) for those with children and for those earning low and median wage rates. These findings are highly relevant to policymakers, as they provide indicators of the adequacy of the welfare system and can inform design aspects of a potential unemployment insurance scheme.

A taxonomy of back-shoring initiatives in the US

The study develops an empirical taxonomy of manufacturing back-shoring initiatives to the US, based on the drivers the location decision. Results identify six patterns of back-shoring, which highlight the importance of concurrently considering different theoretical lenses to interpret the phenomenon. Back-shoring initiatives are significantly driven by non-price related costs, which include the costs of governance. Institutional pressures coming from customers demanding country-of-origin branding and from political bodies are also important drivers, while the exploitation of distinctive resources that allow firms to compete in high-segment markets is less relevant. The study also highlights that back-shoring patterns are significantly related to within-border location advantages, such as state-level median wages, productivity, and innovation capacity.

Income and wealth distribution in the European Union and Russia: comparativ analysis

The subject of the study is the features of economic relations between income and wealth distribution/redistribution in Europe and Russia from the perspective of the need to overcome excessive socio-economic inequality. The aim of the article is to determine the level of existing socio-economic inequality, to make cross-country comparisons of income and wealth differentials in society, and then to substantiate the possibilities of applying the best practices of foreign countries to reduce socio-economic inequality in Russia. The methods of research are philosophical (dialectical, critical), general scientific (methods of scientific abstraction, the unity of the historical and logical, analysis and synthesis, induction and deduction, analogy, classification), private scientific (economic and mathematical, statistical, functional). The theoretical significance of the study lies in the development of the theory and methodology of A. Ya. Kiruta and A. Yu. Shevyakov on excessive inequality. The recommendations proposed by the authors to reduce excessive inequality in Russia represent the practical significance. The study shows that the EU countries, which are characterized by smooth income distribution, are extremely unequal in wealth distribution. The Russian economy has excessive levels of inequality in terms of both income and wealth. At the same time, there is a polarization of Russian society and a concentration of income in the hands of the upper percipient. The Gini coefficient, the Kaitz index, and the ratio of median and minimum wages demonstrate the extreme degree of inequality in income distribution among Russians. The research investigates the losses from existing levels of inequality in the EU countries and Russia through changes in human development indices. The authors conclude that socio-economic policy aimed at reducing excessive inequality in Russia should be based on the principle of social federalism. Russia needs a comprehensive strategy to combat social stratification and a consistent policy aimed at the formation of a full-fledged middle class. The authors consider it necessary to introduce in Russia a non-taxable minimum income tax, a progressive scale of gift and inheritance taxes, and the introduction of a new wealth tax.

Productivity loss outcomes and indirect costs among patients (Pts) with cholangiocarcinoma (CCA).

392 Background: CCA pts, often diagnosed at older age with advanced disease, face poor prognoses and economic burden. Despite increasing CCA incidence in working age pts, little is known on financial impact on working pts. This study describes the impact of CCA on productivity loss and indirect costs due to workplace absence, short-term disability (STD), and long-term disability (LTD). Methods: Retrospective claims data from IBM MarketScan Commercial and Health and Productivity Management (HPM) databases between 7/1/2010 to 12/31/2019 were used. Eligible pts were ≥18 years, had ≥1 non-ruleout claim for CCA ( ICD-9/ -10: intrahepatic [iCCA]: 155.1/C221; extrahepatic [eCCA]: 156.1, 156.9/C240, C249) in the index period (1/1/2011 – 12/31/2019), and had ≥6 months of continuous medical and pharmacy benefit enrollment before and ≥1 month of follow-up and full-time employee eligibility after index date. Productivity loss as absenteeism, STD, and LTD among iCCA and eCCA was reported per pt per month (PPPM) for a work month of 21 days. Absenteeism was defined as absence days for illness; STD and LTD were defined as days on disability leave. Indirect cost was estimated using wage equivalent to median hourly wage rate and salary replacement rate of 70% from US Bureau of Labor and Statistics. Results: A total of 1065 CCA pts (iCCA, n=624 [58.6%]; eCCA, n=380 [35.7%]) were identified. The number of productivity benefit–eligible pts for analysis in absenteeism, STD, and LTD were 107, 617, and 549, respectively. Across cohorts, mean age ranged from 51.9 to 53.9 years; >60% were men. Mean (SD) follow-up time (days) was 725.0 (730.4) for absenteeism, 639.7 (587.0) for STD, and 614.4 (583.2) for LTD. The most notable comorbidities across cohorts were moderate/severe liver disease (58–63%) and pain (67–71%). Among pts with productivity claims, more CCA-related absences and higher related indirect costs were observed in iCCA than eCCA pts. The trend in all-cause disability outcomes of STD, LTD, and related costs was less clear between iCCA and eCCA pts; however, medical costs were higher in iCCA pts. Conclusions: CCA pts had high productivity loss and indirect costs, which is pt costs due to days missed from work in addition to medical costs; iCCA pts incurred substantially more absences, related indirect costs, and medical costs than eCCA pts.[Table: see text]

Social and fiscal impacts of statutory minimum wages in EU countries: a microsimulation analysis with EUROMOD

Abstract This paper analyzes the effects of hypothetical MW (HMW) increases on social and fiscal outcomes in 21 European Union (EU) countries with a statutory national MW (NMW) based on a microsimulation approach using EUROMOD. The methodological challenges related to the use of available EU household survey data are described, along with the choices made to address these challenges. The paper assesses hypothetical scenarios in which countries with a statutory NMW increase their minimum wage (MW) to various reference values, set in relation to the gross national median and average wage. The model simulations suggest that MW increases can significantly reduce in-work poverty, wage inequality, and the gender pay gap, while generally improving the public budget balance. The implied wage increases for the beneficiaries are substantial, while the implied increases in the aggregate wage bill are generally modest. Extensions explore possible effects on employment and labor supply at the intensive margin.

The minimum social guarantee of employees’ wages in Russia: 2020-2021

In 2021 the methodological approaches to the assessment of the minimum wage and the subsistence minimum level (SML) undergone significant changes. According to federal law No 473-FZ of December 29, 2020, these minimum social guarantees are to be calculated relative to the median wage (at 42%) and the median per capita income (at 44.2%) for the past year. This article reviews the changes in the minimum social guarantees as regards employees’ wages in Russia and its regions in the past two years. A new methodology for estimating the median wages had not been developed by the start of 2021. According to Law No 473-FZ the federal minimum wage was set using the Pension Fund data at the rate of 12792 rubles per month. The majority of regions used the federal minimum wage as the basis for defining regional minimum wages. A comparative analysis of regional minimum wages in 2020 and 2021 was carried out for two groups of regions, the regions with regular climate conditions and the regions with special (extreme) climate conditions where the regional coefficient for wages is applied. The analysis shows that in 2021 the minimum wage increased by 5,5% compared to 2020 in most regions. The exception is 11 regions of the Russian Federation, where the minimum wage was set at an increased rate compared to the federal level. The article analyses the ratio of the minimum wage and means wage of all employees in 45 regions of the Russian Federation with normal climate conditions and in 16 regions with extreme climate conditions, where a unified rayon coefficient is set up at the territory of the region. The dynamics of this indicator allows for estimating the trends in wage inequality

Wages, Religion and the Great Recession in the United States

This study examines the relationship between wages and religious affiliation for non-Hispanic whites in the United States before and after the Great Recession, utilising the Panel Study of Income Dynamics 2005 and 2011 data. Wage differentials were estimated at the mean using longitudinal Generalised Least Squares models and along the wage distribution using quantile regressions. The results suggest a strong association between wages and religious affiliation for both men and women during both periods. Before the Recession, wage differentials by religious affiliation followed similar patterns for men and women except that gender differences were apparent for Mormons — women earned lower wages, whereas men earned higher wages than their mainline Protestant counterparts. After the Recession, all groups experienced wage declines at the mean. However, the quantile regression estimates revealed that men at low wages and women at high wages experienced wage decline, while women at low wages and men at median wages experienced wage increases.

Seattle's local minimum wage and earnings inequality

AbstractDuring the past 6 years, a wave of local minimum wage laws passed in the United States with policymakers and advocates framing the policy as a means of reducing income inequality. This report evaluates whether one of the first of these efforts, Seattle's $15 minimum wage ordinance, lowered inequality of earnings of workers in the city. I find that inequality among workers who earned less than the city's median wage was modestly reduced, yet overall earnings inequality substantially increased during the period in which the ordinance was phased in, likely for reasons unrelated to the minimum wage law.

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act: Searching for Supply-Side Effects

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA) instituted the most substantial changes in taxation in decades and was designed to boost the economy via supply-side incentives. This paper reviews these changes and examines the impacts on economic aggregates through 2019. The act clearly reduced revenue. The effect on gross domestic product is difficult to tease out of the data. Investment growth rose after the TCJA was enacted, but it was driven by trends in aggregate demand, oil prices, and intellectual capital that were unrelated to the TCJA’s supply-side incentives. Growth in business formation, employment, and median wages slowed after the TCJA was enacted. International profit shifting fell only slightly, and the boost in repatriated profits primarily led to increased share repurchases rather than new investment.

Time and Personnel Costs Associated with Adverse Event (AE) Management Among Patients with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) Treated with Acalabrutinib, Ibrutinib, or Venetoclax

IntroductionGuidelines recommend chemoimmunotherapy and novel agents such as Bruton's tyrosine kinase inhibitors and B-cell lymphoma 2 inhibitors for the treatment of CLL. AE profiles differ across therapies, and management of AEs in patients with CLL treated with novel agents incurs burden on healthcare professionals (HCPs) and oncology practices. Time and personnel costs associated with AE management are not well understood for patients with CLL and are overlooked while assessing the value of oncology drugs. To assess practice burden, this study quantified HCP time and personnel costs related to AE management for patients with CLL who received a novel agent, either acalabrutinib, ibrutinib, or venetoclax.MethodsHCPs (i.e., oncologists, pharmacists, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and registered nurses) who actively treated ≥5 patients with CLL during the past year with >1 patient receiving acalabrutinib, ibrutinib, or venetoclax in the past month were recruited through a physician panel vendor to participate in a longitudinal, observational, prospective survey. This study was conducted in two phases (November 2020-January 2021; April-June 2021). Over the 2-month data collection period, HCPs reported on a daily basis the time spent performing AE management activities for CLL patients receiving a novel agent, which included 1) interactions with patients in-person or via remote consultation (telephone, video, or email), 2) interactions with other HCPs, and 3) other management activities that did not include interactions with patients or other HCPs (e.g., recording notes in patient's charts, ordering lab tests). Mean time and personnel costs per AE management activity were summarized using descriptive statistics. Personnel costs (USD) were calculated by multiplying median wage information reported by the ureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics survey by HCP-reported time spent managing AEs.ResultsAmong 49 HCPs enrolled in the survey, 36 (73%; Table 1) reported managing ≥1 AE during a total of 1,106 AE management activities (229 for acalabrutinib; 500 for ibrutinib; 377 for venetoclax) for 421 patients with CLL during the 2-month study period. Among all patients, 108 (26%), 186 (44%), and 129 (31%) received acalabrutinib, ibrutinib, or venetoclax in any line, respectively (Table 2). Anemia was the most frequently managed AE reported among all patients (19%), but differed by treatment: 11%, 19%, and 26% for patients treated with acalabrutinib, ibrutinib, and venetoclax, respectively (Table 2). Other AEs reported among ≥10% of patients with a reported AE management activity also differed by treatment. For acalabrutinib, this included only headache. For both ibrutinib and venetoclax patients, thrombocytopenia, diarrhea, and myalgia were managed in ≥10% of patients. For venetoclax patients, back pain and arthralgia were also managed in ≥10% of patients. Mean (standard deviation [SD]) time spent managing AEs per activity was 11.8 (7.7) minutes (min) overall, 12.1 (7.4) min for acalabrutinib, 11.6 (6.9) min for ibrutinib, and 11.8 (8.9) min for venetoclax (Table 3). Mean time per AE management activity was numerically similar across the three treatments overall and stratified by type of HCP, treatment duration, and line of therapy. We noted differences in the type of HCP managing AEs by treatment, with a lower proportion of oncologists managing acalabrutinib AEs compared to the other two therapies. Corresponding mean (SD) personnel costs per AE management activity were $16.0 ($10.6) overall, and $14.4 ($9.8) for acalabrutinib, $16.3 ($9.8) for ibrutinib, and $16.7 ($11.9) for venetoclax.ConclusionsThis study demonstrates the importance of accounting for time and labor costs related to AE management, as results suggest that the burden to HCPs related to AE management for patients with CLL treated with acalabrutinib, ibrutinib, and venetoclax is substantial. During the 2-month study period, almost three-quarters of HCPs reported managing ≥1 AEs and an average of 12 AE management days was observed across these HCPs. While mean time and personnel costs were similar, differences in types of AE and types of HCPs managing AEs were observed across treatments. Future research should confirm our observed differences in types of AE and types of HCPs managing AEs by treatment to comprehensively assess the burden of managing AEs for patients with CLL. [Display omitted] DisclosuresWahlstrom: AstraZeneca: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. DerSarkissian: Analysis Group, Inc.: Current Employment. Kunzweiler: Apellis: Other: Employee of Analysis Group, Inc., Research Funding. Castriota: Analysis Group, Inc.: Ended employment in the past 24 months. Chang: Analysis Group, Inc.: Current Employment. Cheung: Analysis Group, Inc.: Ended employment in the past 24 months. Gu: Analysis Group, Inc.: Current Employment. Guo: Analysis Group, Inc.: Current Employment. Duh: Novartis: Other: I am an employee of Analysis Group, a consulting company that received funding from Novartis for this research study.. Ryan: AstraZeneca: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company.

Quantifying the Invisible Labor in Crowd Work

Crowdsourcing markets provide workers with a centralized place to find paid work. What may not be obvious at first glance is that, in addition to the work they do for pay, crowd workers also have to shoulder a variety of unpaid invisible labor in these markets, which ultimately reduces workers' hourly wages. Invisible labor includes finding good tasks, messaging requesters, or managing payments. However, we currently know little about how much time crowd workers actually spend on invisible labor or how much it costs them economically. To ensure a fair and equitable future for crowd work, we need to be certain that workers are being paid fairly for all of the work they do. In this paper, we conduct a field study to quantify the invisible labor in crowd work. We build a plugin to record the amount of time that 100 workers on Amazon Mechanical Turk dedicate to invisible labor while completing 40,903 tasks. If we ignore the time workers spent on invisible labor, workers' median hourly wage was $3.76. But, we estimated that crowd workers in our study spent 33% of their time daily on invisible labor, dropping their median hourly wage to $2.83. We found that the invisible labor differentially impacts workers depending on their skill level and workers' demographics. The invisible labor category that took the most time and that was also the most common revolved around workers having to manage their payments. The second most time-consuming invisible labor category involved hyper-vigilance, where workers vigilantly watched over requesters' profiles for newly posted work or vigilantly searched for labor. We hope that through our paper, the invisible labor in crowdsourcing becomes more visible, and our results help to reveal the larger implications of the continuing invisibility of labor in crowdsourcing.

Impact of sleep disturbances on employment and work productivity among midlife women in the US SWAN database: a brief report.

Objective:Menopause is associated with an increased prevalence of sleep difficulties. We evaluated the economic burden of sleep disturbances among working midlife women.Methods:This retrospective, longitudinal cohort study collected data from the US Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN) database of women age 42-52 years at enrollment. We assessed the association between sleep disturbances (trouble falling asleep, waking early, or nocturnal awakenings) and workplace productivity (employment [yes/no] and work hours/wk) for women who were employed at the baseline visit and had ≥1 follow-up visit. We estimated overall economic burden by multiplying changes in productivity by median age-specific hourly US wages. Each woman's data were compared from visit to visit and were excluded after the first observed unemployment. Regression analysis was used to estimate associations between changes in sleep and changes in workplace productivity while controlling for relevant characteristics that varied over time.Results:The analysis included 2,489 working women (19,707 visits); 31% became unemployed during follow-up. Risk of unemployment was 31% higher for women with versus without new-onset sleep disturbances (P = 0.0474). Onset of sleep disturbances was associated with a 0.44-0.57 hours/wk reduction in work time (not significant). Using the more conservative reduction (0.44 h), sleep problems were associated with an annual loss of $517 to $524 per woman and $2.2 billion/yr in lost productivity among women age 42-64 nationwide.Conclusions:New-onset sleep problems in midlife women are associated with significant increases in risk of unemployment and ∼$2 billion/yr in lost productivity nationwide.Video Summary:.

Treatment Seeking Behavior, Treatment Cost and Quality of Life of Head and Neck Cancer Patients: A Cross-Sectional Analytical Study from South India.

Background:Head and neck cancer constitute one-third of all cancers. Due to the complex nature of Head and Neck Cancer treatment, expenditure on cancer treatment are higher and the Quality of Life of patients is also compromised. The objectives of the study were to determine the time taken by patients for seeking care from registered medical practitioners, time to definitive diagnosis and treatment initiation, expenditure incurred, and Quality of Life. Methods: The present study was a cross-sectional descriptive involving outpatient with head and neck cancer reported to the department of radiotherapy, regional cancer center, JIPMER. The quality of life was assessed using validated FACT-H and N scales. Results:The preferred first contact for seeking care for most was the private sector (52%). The median (IQR) presentation interval, diagnostic interval, and treatment initiation interval were 36.5 (16 - 65.7), 14 (7 - 31.5), and 65.5 (45 - 104) days respectively. The average indirect cost incurred was INR 8424 (4095-16570) in JIPMER, which was spent over an average duration of 240 days. The median (IQR) wage loss by the patients and/or caregivers was INR18000 (5250-61575). The source of expenditure was mainly from their family savings (56%). Functional well-being was severely impaired. The patients with occupation, head of the family, and early stage of cancer had a statistically significant quality of life. Conclusion:The majority of the patients were diagnosed in the regional cancer center, JIPMER although their preferred first point of contact was private practitioners. The average time interval from diagnosis to treatment initiation was more than two months. The expenditure during the treatment was mainly because of indirect cost and wage loss. The functional quality of life was severely impaired for the majority of the cases.

Real wage growth in the U.S. health workforce and the narrowing of the gender pay gap

BackgroundHealthcare has been identified as a job engine during recent recessions in the U.S. Whether the healthcare sector provides better than average pay remains a question. This study investigates if wages grew with the expanding demand for healthcare workers between 2001 and 2017. Wage growth in the (1) physicians and surgeons, (2) nurse, (3) healthcare practitioner and technical, (4) healthcare support, and (5) direct patient care jobs are examined. The gender pay gap in each occupation is investigated.MethodsThe American Community Survey (ACS) public use microdata sample (PUMS) for 2001, 2004, 2008, 2013, and 2017 were used to derive hourly wages for full-time, full-year workers aged 18–75. The cumulative percent change in unadjusted, median hourly wages between 2001 and 2017 was calculated for each occupation. Quantile regression estimates predicted a median hourly wage for men and women by year and job after adjusting for differences in demographics, industry, and hours worked.ResultsUnadjusted median wage growth was 9.92% for nurses, 5.68% for healthcare practitioners, and 37.6% for physicians between 2001 and 2017. These rates are roughly above the estimated national rate of wage growth at the 50th wage percentile. In healthcare support and direct patient care occupations, workers experienced either stagnant or negative wage growth. Women had lower occupational wages than men.ConclusionThe slow or negative median wage growth in all but the physician occupation between 2004–2008 and 2008–2013 confirms that healthcare wages in the U.S. are not recession-proof, unlike healthcare employment. Generally, women's earnings grew at rates that were higher or less negative than rates for men. This trend contributed to narrowing the gender pay gap in every occupation except for nurse.

Socioeconomic Status of Second-Generation Southeast Asians: New Evidence and Analysis

Over a million refugees and other immigrants arrived in the United States from Southeast Asia starting in 1975. Forty-five years later, their adult children have completed their education in the U.S. and entered the labor force. This study uses a large microdata sample from the American Community Survey to describe and compare the socioeconomic status of Southeast Asian American adults and native-born white adults. Results are disaggregated by gender, generation (Generation 1.5 and Generation 2), and ethnic group (Hmong, other Laotian, Cambodian, and Vietnamese). Regression analysis – controlling for age, educational attainment, and other factors – shows that native-born white men generally have higher predicted median hourly wages and earnings and higher labor force participation rates than Southeast Asian men, although Vietnamese men surpass white men in some measures. On the other hand, Southeast Asian women’s predicted median wages, earnings, and labor force participation rates exceed those of native-born white women.

Are You Ready for Some Football? Estimating the Effect of American Football Season on Labor Supply in the United States

American football season reduces the Monday labor hours of employed men by two-thirds of an hour. A similar effect is found for Friday labor hours. We term these effects the “hangover effect” and “happy hour effect.” Consistent with a wide class of labor market models, the labor supply effect varies over the business cycle, increasing in expansions. The hangover effect implies an intertemporal elasticity of labor supply on the order of 0.014. Evaluated at the median hourly wage, our estimates imply an annual economic cost of foregone earnings associated with football season in the neighborhood of $5.06 billion.

Associations between state scope of practice laws and US physician assistant wages from 1997 to 2017: a longitudinal analysis

ObjectiveThe purpose of this study is to determine whether, and to what degree, variations in physician assistant (PA) state scope of practice (SOP) laws across states are associated with (1)...

Economic impact of abrocitinib monotherapy and combination therapy in patients with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis: Results from JADE MONO-2 and JADE COMPARE

Economic impact of abrocitinib monotherapy and combination therapy in patients with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis: Results from JADE MONO-2 and JADE COMPARE

Change in occupational tasks and its implications: evidence from a task panel from 1973 to 2011 for Western Germany

The change of tasks in occupations is of interest to economic and sociological research from three perspectives. The task-based technological change approach describes tasks as the link between capital input and labor demand. In human capital theory, tasks are used to distinguish between general and specific human capital. Moreover, in institutional economics or sociology, it is argued that the specificity of occupations influences the marketability of the corresponding skills and tasks. However, data sources that illustrate task change within occupations are rare. The objective of this paper is therefore to introduce a task panel, which is created based on 16 cross-sectional surveys from between 1973 and 2011 of the German microcensus (Labor-Force-Survey), as an additional source to monitor task change. I present and discuss the harmonization method for eleven main activities that are exercised by the incumbents of the occupation within 176 occupational groups. To demonstrate the research potential of this novel data source, I develop an alternative theoretical view on the task-technology framework and classify the harmonized tasks according to their relationship to technological inventions in the third industrial (micro-electronic) revolution (technologically replaceable, technology-accompanying, technology-complementary and technologically neutral). Matching the task panel to an already existing Occupational Panel (OccPan) for Western Germany from 1976 to 2010, I can use fixed-effect regressions to show that changes of tasks within occupations correspond with theoretical expectations regarding the median wage growth of an occupation. The task panel can be matched to any data set containing a German classification of occupations from 1975, 1988 or 1992 to investigate further effects of task change on individual labor market success.