Retail Trade Industry Research Articles

Real Exchange Rate Fluctuations and the Dynamics of Retail Trade Industries on the U.S.-Canada Border

Consumers living near the U.S.-Canada border can shift their expenditures between the two countries, so real exchange rate fluctuations can act as demand shocks to border areas' retailers. Using annual county-level data, we estimate the effects of real exchange rates on the number of establishments and their average employment in border counties for four retail industries. In three of the four industries we consider, the number of operating establishments responds either contemporaneously or with a lag of one year, so 'long-run' changes in net entry in fact occur quickly enough to matter for short-run fluctuations.

External cause‐specific summaries of occupational fatal injuries. Part I: An analysis of rates

Industries and occupations vary with respect to the incidence of fatal injuries and their causes. Fatalities from the National Traumatic Occupational Fatality database (years 1983-1994) serve as the basis for examining external cause of death code specific rates. Industries and occupations are compared with respect to rate and frequency of fatal injuries. In addition, external causes of injury (E-codes) are examined across all industries and occupations as well as within industries and occupations to evaluate which events would be identified by frequency ordered comparisons versus injury rate ordered comparisons. Machinery, electric current, homicide, falls, and transportation-related events are identified by high frequency and rate of occurrence. The external cause categories of homicide, machinery-related, motor-vehicle-related, electric current, and falls, account for over one-half of all occupational fatal injuries. Targeted interventions in homicide may be especially warranted in sales and service occupations and in the retail trade and services industries. In addition, younger workers might be targeted for special interventions designed to identify hazardous practices, procedures, and solutions to reduce fatalities associated with electrocution or falls from buildings.

Industrial Concentration and Regional Growth: Evidence from the Prefectures

In this paper, we estimate the impact of dynamic externalities, using direct measures of total factor productivity (TFP) growth at the regional level. We find that, at the one-digit level, significant dynamic externalities exist for the finance, services, and wholesale and retail trade industries, but-contrary to the findings of most previous research-these externalities do not exist for the manufacturing industry.

都市規模別に見た産業別就業構造の実態とその変容に関する研究

This study aims to identify the secular change and the characters of the industrial employment structure from the viewpoint of the city scale in Japan. The main conclusions are as follows, 1) From 1965 to 1995, the manufacture industry has been stable element of the industrial employment structure, and the industries that have become specific at the small city are wholesale and retail trade, while the wholesale and retail trade and the services at the big city. 2) The factors of diversity of the industrial employment, the light industry in the manufacture industry, the wholesale industry in the wholesale and retail trade industry and the business service in the service industry.

Real Exchange Rate Fluctuations and the Dynamics of Retail Trade Industries on the U.S.-Canada Border

Consumers living near the U.S.-Canada border can shift their expenditures between the two countries, so real exchange rate fluctuations can act as demand shocks to border areas' retail trade industries. Using annual county-level data, we estimate the effects of real exchange rates on the number of establishments and their average payroll in border counties for four retail industries. In three of the four industries we consider, the number of operating establishments responds either contemporaneously or with a lag of one year to real exchange rate movements. For these industries, the response of retailers' average size is less pronounced. The rapid response of net entry is inconsistent with any model of persistent deviations from purchasing power parity that depends on retailers' costs of changing nominal prices.

Does Entry Regulation Hinder Job Creation? Evidence from the French Retail Industry

Are product market and entry regulation key sources of low employment growth in many European countries? We investigate this question in the context of the French retail trade industry. Since 1974, approval by regional zoning boards has been required for the creation or extension of any large retain store in France. We exploit a unique database that provides time- and region-specific variation in boards' approval decisions. We show that stronger deterrence of entry by the boards increased retailer concentration and slowed down employment growth in France.

A Comparison of Business Bankruptcies Across Industries in Canada, 1981-2000

We analyze the effect of bankruptcy law, free trade, the GST, and various macroeconomic variables on the number of business bankruptcy filings in each of the 7 major sectors of the Canadian economy from January 1981 to March 2000. Industry regressions indicate that the introduction of the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act in 1992 increased the number of bankruptcies in the Wholesale and Retail Trade industries and Service industries and decreased the number of bankruptcies in Primary industries and Transportation. We also find that the money supply and the exchange rate have significant impacts on the number of bankruptcies.

‘Revolutionary Bolshevik Work’: Stakhanovism in Retail Trade

In mid-November 1935, Serafima T. Borisova was awarded a thousand-ruble bonus and a portable gramophone in recognition of her accomplishments as a labor hero. Unlike Aleksei Stakhanov, for whom the honor was named, Borisova did not mine coal; she sold women's clothing. As an exemplary saleswoman, Borisova carefully organized clothing displays, beautified her sales section, procured new designs and fabrics to meet consumer needs, informed industries and cooperative artels about what consumers wanted, and listened to as well as advised customers carefully. In addition to meeting norms for sales, she provided excellent customer service. I In the months that followed August 1935, when the coalminer Stakhanov hewed 102 tons of coal instead of the daily norm of 6.5 tons, the Soviet regime promoted a movement to emulate Stakhanov's efforts. The ideal of a Stakhanovite model of work emerged in heavy industry. Soviet authorities applauded the super-productive, technically skilled, and individually heroic industrial who exceeded labor expectations and ostensibly contributed to the national drive for industrialization. The movement also spread to light industry and agriculture.2 Surprisingly, it was a significant presence in the retail trade industry as well. Salesclerks like Borisova were some of the least likely workers

Opportunities Lost? Race, Industrial Restructuring, and Employment among Young Women Heading Households

Among young household heads, black women are employed at lower rates than white women, following a pattern found among young men. The current article investigates whether theories of industrial restructuring account for the lower employment rates among young black women heading households. In particular, I investigate whether processes involving deindustrialization, spatial mismatch, and skills mismatch lead to different employment outcomes for white and black women. I find that young female household heads who reside in the central city experience a drop in employment with increases in the suburbanization of low-skill jobs. In addition, young black women are losing employment from the relative expansion of retail trade industries, while young white women are not.

Opportunities Lost? Race, Industrial Restructuring, and Employment among Young Women Heading Households

Among young household heads, black women are employed at lower rates than white women, following a pattern found among young men. The current article investigates whether theories of industrial restructuring account for the lower employment rates among young black women heading households. In particular, I investigate whether processes involving deindustrialization, spatial mismatch, and skills mismatch lead to different employment outcomes for white and black women. I find that young female household heads who reside in the central city experience a drop in employment with increases in the suburbanization of low-skill jobs. In addition, young black women are losing employment from the relative expansion of retail trade industries, while young white women are not.

Union Wage Effects in Nevada's Hotel and Casino Industry

I use the significant union presence in Las Vegas's hotel, gaming, andrecreation (HGR) industry juxtaposed to the near absence of unions in Reno's HGR sector to study union wage effects. I find wages of highly unionized occupations in Las Vegas's HGR industry to be significantly higher than wages of identical occupations in Reno. Furthermore, I detect little impact from Las Vegas's HGR unions on wages in the wholesale and retail trade (WRT) industry, a much less unionized sector.

Impact of Working Life Quality on Burnout

Six dimensions of the quality of working life were measured to find out the relationship of burnout and the quality of working life in retail trade and metal industry (N=2599). Burnout was measured by emotional exhaustion from the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI). Some demographic variables were included in the analyses. The result show the great impact of psychological job demands on burnout in both business lines. The impact of the other five indexes (conflicts, job control, work of superior, organization of work, and monotonous job) on burnout were different in these two business lines. Still variables had some impact on burnout in both the retail trade and in the metal industry. Age turned out to be a complicated factor in relation to burnout.

Examining the Employer-Size Wage Premium in the Manufacturing, Retail Trade, and Service Industries Using Employer–Employee Matched Data

Economists have long sought to understand why large employers pay higher wages than small employers. Despite decades of study and analysis, researchers have been unsuccessful in fully accounting for the employersize wage premium. One problem has been insufficient data. Most empirical efforts to examine the size-related wage premium rely on worker-level data that contain little information about a worker’s employer, or firm-level data that lack information on the characteristics of a firm’s workforce. Although more recent attempts exploit newly developed employer–employee matched data (Kevin T. Reilly, 1995; Troske, 1999), most matched data sets cover only limited segments of the population, thus raising doubt about the generality of the findings. In this paper, we use the recently created New Worker Establishment Characteristics Database (NWECD) to examine the employer-size wage premium. Unlike other matched data sets, the NWECD contains information on workers and employers in all sectors and regions of the econ-

Years of Potential Life Lost Due to Occupational Fatal Injury in the United States

Fatal injury surveillance data coupled with life expectancy data may be used to assess the impact of occupational fatal injuries on years of potential life lost (YPLL).We compare three definitions of YPLL and trends over time in YPLL. Two definitions determine YPLL as expected life lost to fixed life expectancies of 65 or 85 years. The third definition uses actuarial adjustments of life expectancy given survival to a given age stratified by gender and race. Fatalities from the National Traumatic Occupational Fatality (NTOF) database are used to illustrate the three definitions of YPLL.The three YPLL measures were similar in magnitude and direction of the trend in YPLL over 1980-1992. Proper interpretation of these trends can only be made in conjunction with other measures (e.g., rates). Almost all YPLL trends are declining, implying that over time fatal injuries are shifting to older workers. The exception is the increasing trend in YPLL for the retail trade industry, injury rates have also been increasing over time for this industry. Mining and construction have the highest YPLL among all industries. This analysis suggests efforts to prevent the occupational fatalities of younger workers should focus on the retail trade, mining, and construction industries.

In Search of the High Road in a Low-Wage Industry

When faced with rising wage inequality and large numbers of low-wage jobs, policy makers are increasingly looking to innovations in the business community for solutions. Advocates argue that “high performance systems” will both strengthen the competitiveness of American firms and improve the quality of jobs. But the proposed benefits for workers remain largely untested. Drawing on a series of case studies, we therefore examine the effect of firm restructuring on job quality, defined in terms of wages, benefits, and the opportunities for skill acquisition and promotion. The firms were chosen from the traditionally low-wage retail trade industry and each had implemented some level of reform in both the “production” and the service ends of their operations. Ultimately, however, it is unclear whether the high performance model holds much promise, at least in this sector. The reforms did create somewhat more interesting and varied jobs. But regardless of the extent of innovation and despite the strong performance of these firms, we found very little improvement either in wages or in the chances for upward mobility from entry-level positions. These findings question the simple delineation between an efficient “high road” and an inefficient “low road.” In some contexts, a highly rationalized and lowwage business strategy may be more efficient. And even where high-road innovations are implemented, low wages may still persist, because productivity gains are translated into price cuts instead of wage increases. In those firms where job quality was above average, employers turned to college students and experienced workers rather than investing in the training of lowskill workers. These points have several implications for public policy, which are taken up at the conclusion of the paper.

The Employment Effect in Retail Trade of California's 1988 Minimum Wage Increase

In this article, we study the labor-market effect of California's 1988 minimum wage increase in the retail trade industry. Two different approaches to evaluating the minimum wage effects suggest that the textbook economic analysis of minimum wages pertains; employment growth in California's low-wage retail trade sector appears to have been tempered by the minimum wage increase.

Women's paid and unpaid labor: the work transfer in health care and retailing

List of Tables Acknowledgments Introduction Part I: Changes in Women's Lives 1. From Paid to Unpaid Work 2. The Work Transfer in the Service Economy 3. Women's Work: Linking Separate Spheres Part II: The Retail Trade Industry 4. The Restructuring of Retailing 5. From Salesclerk to Cashier 6. The Clerkless Customer: Doing Away with Wasteful Labor Part III: The Health Services Industry 7. Capital and Labor: Restructuring Health Services 8. Changing Hospital Work 9. Changing Home Care 10. The Home as Workshop: Amateur Nursing--Medical Caregivers 11. Conclusions Appendix Notes References Index

Industries and occupations at high risk for work-related homicide.

Homicide is the third leading cause of injury death in the workplace. The death certificate-based National Traumatic Occupational Fatalities surveillance system and estimates of annual employment were used to calculate average annual rates of work-related homicide for detailed industries and occupations for the nation for 1980 to 1989. Workers in the taxicab industry had the highest rate of work-related homicide (26.9 per 100,000 workers). High rates were also identified for workers providing public and private security, and in a number of retail trade and service industries. For many high-risk industries, the risk was excessive for male workers only. Differences between rates for black and nonblack workers varied across industries and occupations. Immediate efforts to protect workers, and long-term efforts to describe and study work-related homicide thoroughly and to evaluate interventions are needed.

Land Use Change of the Surrounding Areas of the CBD in Fukuoka City

In 1975 and 1976, the problem concerning the surrounding areas of the CBD was taken up as a theme by the Association of Japanese Geographers. These symposiums gave us substantial results but left certain problems.In order to solve these problems, this paper aims to clarify urban land use changes of the surrounding areas of the CBD in a large Japanese city. Furthermore, inner city problems which are noticeable in European and American cities should be investigated in Japanese cities.Fukuoka City is selected as the study area, because functional differentiation is developed as a result of rapid urban growth and the urban core area and its surrounding area are easily identified.In this paper, the author analyzes spatial patterns of land use using the grid square data of land uses (published by the Fukuoka Municipal Office) and examines the relation between these patterns and the movement of enterprises and population. He also investigated land use changes in the surrounding areas of the CBD by an intensive field survey. After examining factors which caused these land use changes, he considered the expansion process of the urban core. The results are summarized as follows:1) Spatial patterns of urban land uses in Fukuoka City reveal an obvious areal differentiation. In general, land uses are arranged from the core to the periphery as follows: Around the central business district, mixed land-use districts of residences and industries are located in the northern and eastern parts, while those of residences and commercial facilities are located in the southern and western parts. In the periphery of the study area, residences are dominant in western and southern parts, and the industrial district lies in the eastern part and along the coast.2) In the mixed district of residences and industries around the CBD, population density reaches a high degree but there can been seen a fall in population itself. The number of enterprises has neither increased nor decreased, apparently. On the other hand, in the mixed district of residences and commercial facilities, the population is not decreasing seriously and this district is experiencing a decline of manufacturing activities, but a growth of service and retail trade industries.3) Land use changes in the areas surrounding the CBD are classified into three types: 1. the districts where land use is more intensified and urban core functions are concentrated. 2. the districts where transitional land uses such as parking lots or vacant land are dominant. 3. the districts which have mixed land uses of residential and commercial functions or of residential and industrial functions.4) These land use changes are caused by several factors such as functions of the hinterland, areal movement of the urban core, the direction of urban growth (development of transportation, infrastructure, etc.) and city planning.5) The urban core area in Fukuoka City is expanding to the southwest. However, this horizontal growth has its limit, because accessibility to the urban core is declining. Vertical growth is becoming distinctive.

Workplace homicides of Texas males.

A review of Texas death certificates for 1975-84 identified 779 civilian males whose deaths were homicides that occurred in the workplace. Injuries from firearms caused 81 per cent of the deaths. The overall rate of workplace homicide was 2.1/100,000 male workers/year. Males employed in taxicab service had the highest rate of workplace homicide. 78.2/100,000 male workers/year. Males employed in certain retail trade industries, law enforcement, and the private-security industry also had high rates of workplace homicide. Male workers greater than or equal to 65 years old were at especially high risk, with a workplace-homicide rate 3.5 times that of younger workers. A review of medical examiners' records in five urban counties indicated that 32 per cent of victims who had worked in eating-and-drinking places and 5 per cent of other workers had blood or cerebrospinal-fluid alcohol levels greater than or equal to 0.10 g/dl. These results provide a base for designing effective strategies to prevent workplace homicides.