Today's Labor Research Articles

What Constitutes Substantial Employment Gains in Today's Labor Market?

The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) has tied its asset purchases to a "substantial improvement" in labor market conditions. While we don't speculate on what the FOMC means by substantial improvement, we do explore the level of monthly job gains that would gradually deliver the underlying trend unemployment rate within a reasonable timeframe, under several plausible scenarios. We find that the path of monthly job gains, which is highly dependent on a few key parameters, is likely to be smaller than the path associated with previous recoveries.

The Grand Domestic Revolution GOES ON

Taking inspiration from Dolores Hayden's book Grand Domestic Revolution: A History of Feminist Designs for American Homes, Neighborhoods and Cities, published in 1982, this travelling exhibition and its accompanying events aim to work outwards from, and augment, the main postulates of the material feminists' revolutionary designs for communities in the US in the nineteenth century, which Hayden analysed. The Grand Domestic Revolution GOES ON: the domestic sphere is still at the centre of the struggle, although we may think that we have not lived in a traditional family centred setting for a full century now. Consequently, women’s struggles are rendered obsolete. Women already deserted the home as a workplace in association with mass industrialisation, but the post-Fordist era enforced this trend. Through this liberation, in turn, the role of the domestic in working lives has changed, although the representation of both still holds an important place in designating social relations (albeit excluding some). For the curatorial team of The Grand Domestic Revolution GOES ON (henceforth GDR), the question remains: in which positions in the overall deinstitutionalised discourse of art is the domestic sphere to be mapped, and how, in the time of post-industrial, postclass, post-feminist and post-colonial social struggles? In which ways are today's societal and labour forms dependent on today's differentiated domestic sphere, and vice versa?

Development of Mathematics Competences in Higher Education Institutions

The changes in society require revision of the content of higher education. Mathematics as a classical subject has played an important part in higher education until now, especially in engineering education. The introduction of mathematics IT programmes (MathCad, MathLab, Matematica, Maple…) in labour market caused the reduction of the practical application of the classical mathematics, therefore it is important to draw attention to the development of mathematical competences. The theoretical part of the paper deals with the notion of competence, its aspects and types, considers the question of the essence of mathematics, examines general competences driven teaching of mathematics, describes organisational model underlying the curriculum in mathematics that is based on the division of the content of mathematics into levels. The paper describes the main issues of the development of teaching of mathematics discussed by European mathematicians (SEFI Math Working Group). The paper presents the results of the ERDF project “Cross-border network for adapting mathematical competences in the socio-economic development (MatNet)”, which studied the role of mathematics in today's labor market in the context of modern education (“Mathematics in professional activities”) and the role of mathematics in studies at the Latvia University of Agriculture (LUA) and Siauliai University in Lithuania (“Mathematics in professional studies”). The paper describes the LUA experience in integration of IT programmes in the study process of mathematics, as well as the experience of organizing the self-directed study of mathematics' practical application based on didactic approach and e-learning features.

EHEA, competences and learning of Roman Law through the case method (II): prisoner of war

With the accomplishment of the writing, wich representing a continuation of the previous, we pretend to investigate what the current importance of applying the case method in the teaching of Roman Law, against the traditional theoretical and magistral classes. Influencing, especially, in the reach of the methodological requirements emerged with the new plans of study Law Degree under the EHEA; as well, in the development of a set of general and specific skills in students, that will be very helpful once time they finish the Degree and face the difficulties of today's labor market, because they are the true protagonists of the teaching and learning process. Therefore, with the implementation of this second case, wich now affects to the division of the inheritance and captivity for the war, once again we try to approach the students to casuism roman jurisprudence completing the ideas seen in the previous practice; in this way, they will understand that the important thing is not to give the solution to case proposed but legal reasoning, through discussions in groups and personal work, getting a deeper knowledge of applicable rules and institutions.

EHEA, competences and learning of Roman Law through the case method (I): double marriage

With the accomplishment of the writing that follow we pretend to investigate what the current importance of applying the case method in the teaching of Roman Law, against the traditional theoretical and magistral classes. Repairing, especially, in the reach of the methodological requirements emerged with the new plans of study Law Degree under the EHEA; as well, in the development of a set of general and specific skills in students, that will be very helpful once time they finish the Degree and face the difficulties of today's labor market, because they are the true protagonists of the teaching and learning process. Therefore, with the implementation of this first case on double roman marriage, lack of testament and legitimate heirs, we try to approach the students to casuism roman jurisprudence; in this way, they will understand that the important thing is not to give the solution to case proposed but legal reasoning, through discussions in groups, getting a deeper knowledge of applicable rules and institutions.

Apprenticeships in England: an overview of current issues

PurposeApprenticeships in England are currently experiencing a revival. The purpose of this paper is to provide a general overview of apprenticeships in England, examine current government policy, and explore current issues around the further development of apprenticeships.Design/methodology/approachDesk research, including reviewing other research articles and labour market intelligence has been carried out to provide a general overview of the issues.FindingsApprenticeships have traditionally been regarded as the vocational route to stable employment. Although they have sometimes suffered from a poor reputation they are now becoming an increasingly popular option for both younger and older people. The knowledge economy is driving up the demand for higher level skills and concurrent with this is the notion that, in today's competitive labour market, experience is vital. Not only has this impacted on the popularity of apprenticeships but also upon more traditional “academic” routes such as higher education (HE). In addition it has raised questions about higher level skills and vocational education. The introduction of Higher Apprenticeships and work experience/real world interactions built into HE courses are establishing synergies between the two elements of the skills/education system; however, developing these synergies further is a critical issue for future consideration.Originality/valueThere is a proliferation of publications tracking the nature and value of apprenticeships. This paper traces apprenticeships and their evolution and examines how practices adopted can be applied to newer vocational options being integrated into HE. The paper considers apprenticeships and other vocational options, building on the author's own discussions with employers and recent graduates.

The Economic Status of Asian Americans Before and After the Civil Rights Act

In contrast to their relative standing in today's labor market, in 1960 U.S.-born men in all Asian groups earned substantially less than comparable whites. We explore explanations for the wage gap and find that all of the variables that might plausibly account for it, such as Asian/white differences in schooling, labor force participation, entrepreneurial and agricultural employment, English proficiency, enclave activity, and foreign-born parentage, have either no effect or only modest effects on the 1960 wage gap and its subsequent reduction. Our findings suggest that anti-Asian labor market discrimination was the predominate cause of the 1960 wage gap and that most of the 1960 to 1980 improvement in the relative wages of U.S.-born Asian men stemmed from a decline in anti-Asian discrimination. Although much of the policy focus of the civil rights era was directed at reducing discrimination against blacks, our findings suggest a prominent post-Civil Rights Act labor market effect for Asians. If these results hold up to further scrutiny, one interpretation is that the Civil Rights Act and accompanying activities, and/or concomitant changes in societal attitudes, benefited all minorities.

Employment Discrimination Based on Immigration Status: Recent Cases Involving H-1B Visas

The worldwide economic downturn has seen a reversal in previous trends toward offshore staffing and an increase in protectionism toward home country labor. However, employers in the U.S. face potential legal liability if they favor American citizens over authorized foreign guest workers in layoffs, pay decisions, and other such actions. Thus far, employers have succeeded in defending most discrimination claims involving citizenship or immigration status—which often are made by out-of-work plaintiffs unable to afford legal representation—on technical grounds such as faulty pleading, failure to exhaust administrative remedies, filing with the wrong administrative agency, or mischaracterizing immigration claims as ones involving national origin status. These results notwithstanding, a closer reading of the cases suggests that substantive liability may be a matter of growing concern as plaintiffs or their counsel learn to correct such errors. The issues are important to both sides of the employment relationship in today's global labor market; foreign guest workers will want to better understand their responsibilities and rights, while businesses will want to better manage their legal risks. Because little if any scholarly research has addressed these matters, an exploratory case law review is presented in an effort to identify trends in fact patterns that have generated such issues. Based on the results, practical recommendations are offered for improving the management of U.S. employment relationships that involve foreign guest workers.

Embedding “insights from industry” in supply chain programmes: the role of guest lecturers

PurposeGuest lecturers (GLs) are a popular mechanism for transferring insights from industry into supply chain programmes. With a scarcity of capable supply chain (SC) talent in today's labour market, there is real value in executives contributing to SC programmes at schools and universities. By guest lecturing they can “light the fire” in students about how exciting the field and practice are and how much potential there is in considering a career in SC management. Students on SC programmes can be shown part of the way towards modern SC practice for which there is a real need for more talent. However, it may be difficult to ensure GL effectiveness; it is neither the executive's job nor his/her profession and academics often find it hard to recruit GLs.Design/methodology/approachBased on the hands‐on experience of GLs and academics from multiple backgrounds, this paper develops both a framework that can help ensure effective use of the GL, and 11 specific tips and suggestions for recruiting and using GLs in SC programmes.FindingsIt was found that there are more creative ways to use GLs in programmes than typically considered, as well as a wider recruitment of different types of GL than those most commonly sought after and most hard to recruit.Originality/valueThis paper aims to assist educators in curriculum development and to help to ensure that, when executives offer up scarce time and experience, they maximise the impact of their service.

Internationalization Efforts in United States Community Colleges: A Comparative Analysis of Urban, Suburban, and Rural Institutions

With community colleges educating up to one-half of all U.S. undergraduates, more focus on internationalization is warranted in order to ensure student competitiveness in today's global labor pool. This ex post facto study of 2006 survey data from the American Council on Education (ACE) found a low level of internationalization occurring at most community colleges. Delineating community colleges according to their urban, suburban, or rural Carnegie classification found classification to impact overall institutional internationalization: rural community colleges are experiencing significantly less internationalization than their urban and suburban counterparts. Of the four dimensions of internationalization examined, (a) institutional support; (b) academic requirements, programs, and extracurricular activities; (c) faculty policies and opportunities; and (d) international students, institutional support was the most important indicator of internationalization.

Babe Ruth as a Free Agent: What the Old-Time Greats Would Earn in Today's Labor Market for Baseball Players

While baseball fans will always argue whether the old-time players were better than today's players, one thing is clear Babe Ruth, Walter Johnson, and other greats from the past would welcome the opportunity to sell their talents to the highest bidder in the modern Major League Baseball (MLB) labor market. Using a salary equation and the performance statistics of these and other old-time All Stars we estimate the salaries “Old-Time Greats” would command in a modern market for MLB players. We find that Babe Ruth might have been ahead of his time in understanding the market value of a quality baseball player, but he was behind the times in his ability to generate a salary commensurate to his performance.

Workers' Protests in Contemporary Vietnam (with Some Comparisons to Those in the Pre-1975 South)

During 1995–2008, workers in Vietnam instigated over 2,600 strikes, two-thirds of which occurred in the last four years. This article investigates what workers are demanding, what happens during strikes, their degree of organization, and the reactions of employers and state authorities to these protests. It also compares these workers' protests to labor unrest in the Republic of Vietnam. The analysis shows some similarities between the two periods in what workers have sought and the consequences of their protests. The contrasts, however, are more remarkable and help to highlight the significance of today's labor unrest for the current political system.

現場から見た(介護〉の幾つかの特性と 介護労働の現状 政治改革の遅れに強いられる持久戦略

現場から見た(介護〉の幾つかの特性と 介護労働の現状 政治改革の遅れに強いられる持久戦略

Revealing Talent: Informal Skills Intermediation as an Emergent Pathway to Immigrant Labor Market Incorporation

In today's fast-changing urban labor markets, skill formation is crucial to long-term income security and occupational advancement. While most studies emphasize the skills that workers acquire through formal training and educational programs, a less understood but equally important concern is how workers acquire skills through informal means and then how they demonstrate and defend skills for which they have no formal credentials. This is especially important when considering the labor market participation of less-educated immigrant workers with limited formal training and credentialing support. How do these immigrant workers develop, demonstrate, and defend their skills in receiving community labor markets? What factors facilitate or hinder these processes? How might skill formation be institutionalized in order to enhance immigrant labor market incorporation? In this paper we examine these questions through a study of Latino immigrant workers in North Carolina's construction industry. In particular, we focus on the role that immigrant skills intermediation, and the informal learning processes it supports, play in the formation of emergent pathways for developing, demonstrating, and defending immigrant talent in mainstream labor markets. We conclude that informal intermediation by established immigrant workers can facilitate immigrant skill development and demonstration in mainstream labor markets and thus provides an important pathway for advancing the labor market status of less-educated immigrant workers.

Readers’ Forum Introduction Pro/Con/fessionals: (Re)defining Ourselves and the Profession

Moving between analysis and confession (and, really, can we have one without the other?), this readers' forum builds on the themes of the panels organized by the accute Committee for Concerns (cpc) at Congress 2010 in Montreal. first panels offered by the recently resurrected cpc, the papers presented on them were aimed, as our title here suggests, at addressing the various pros and cons of the academic profession and our relationships to it. forum that arose from these panels examines the ways in which the profession has been defined--either explicitly or through its often-unspoken assumptions and expectations--and queries how it is being redefined in our current moment. pieces here are particularly interested in the ways in which forces supposedly outside of the profession--economic, social, political, and, yes, even personal--interact with our lives and careers as academics and professionals. How might we best respond to the challenges facing our profession today? How, for instance, do we address the ongoing and systematic challenges faced by contingent faculty members, most recently addressed by accute President Heather Murray in her report The Sessional Situation: Sessional/Stipendiary Workers in Canadian Departments of English, 2009-11? How do we address merit and systemic inequalities and the realities of budget shortfalls? How, in other words, do we proceed ethically as a profession? contributions to this readers' forum offer, if not answers, then meditations on and complications to these and other questions. contributors most often drew from their papers for the three cpc panels, which addressed the topics Defining the Profession, Professional Transitions, and Labour and the Profession (organized by the cpc collectively but especially through the individual efforts of Doug Thorpe, Kit Dobson, and Clint Burnham, respectively). present forum thus touches on these topics, but in each instance we see how the boundaries between them break down. From Len Findlay's history of the modern university and its implications for today's academic labour force to Kel Morin-Parsons's pragmatic--and hopeful!--paper on moving one's doctoral degree beyond the narrow confines of the academy; from Erin Wunker's critical performance of the political position of the contract faculty member to Dave Gaertner's analysis of academic labour as a gift economy (and the power differentials involved therein); from Chris Keep's consideration of the long-term impacts of increased graduate enrolments to Nicholas Bradley's reckoning with the need for mindful mentorship of students wishing to pursue academic careers in a time of constraint and to Margery Fee's questioning of the biases that may inhere in our teaching of writing: all of these discussions of these and other topics, both conceptual and applied, offer often surprising takes on the pros and cons of professional academic work today, making us all fess up to our own positions in the profession. …

A Radical Vision for Today's Labor Movement: The Importance of Internationalism and Civil Rights

During the Cold War, many of the people with a radical vision of the world were driven out of our labor movement. Today, as unions search for answers about how to begin growing again, and regain the power workers need to defend themselves, the question of social vision has become very important. What is our vision in labor? What are the issues that we confront today that form a more radical vision for our era.This article can also be found at the Monthly Review website, where most recent articles are published in full.Click here to purchase a PDF version of this article at the Monthly Review website.

Investigating Business Schools' Intentions About Offering E‐Commerce Education Using an Extended Theory of Planned Behavior*

ABSTRACTThis study investigates business schools' intentions about offering e‐commerce education (ECE) using an extended theory of planned behavior (ETPB). The need for an adequate match between future supply and demand of e‐commerce skills constitutes the main motivation for the study. The results show that most business schools consider ECE important for an adequate preparation of their students for today's competitive labor market. In addition, the proposed ETPB fits well the empirical data and predicts 65.2% of the variances in the schools' intentions about offering ECE. The results can help business schools in their curriculum decisions in at least two ways: (1) through the likely effect of social contagion and (2) through the constructs in the ETPB. First, institutional theory clearly indicates that organizations tend to adopt a new behavior when there is evidence that other organizations in their population have adopted or are likely to adopt that behavior. Having provided such evidence for ECE, this study is likely to promote the adoption of this educational product innovation. Second, the fact that the postulated ETPB fits well the empirical data suggests that administrators of business schools may pay attention to the key constructs when making curriculum decisions. Overall, the study has both theoretical and practical implications. Theoretically, it contributes to a growing literature on the adoption of innovative educational products like ECE. Practically, it provides valuable insights that administrators of business schools can use in their strategic curriculum decision making.

Organizing at the Margins: Women Shape the Labor Movement

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Nurse Migration and the Global Health Care Economy

Health care services represent one of the most rapidly growing sectors in the world economy. Today's health sector labor market and workforce are international, fast becoming global. Migration on a massive scale offers countless business opportunities, not only for the private sector but also for the public sector. The migration pathway is often filled with a significant number of obligatory stops. Many people and circumstances along the way will either facilitate or prevent progress. There will be a need for certain services and a series of goods to complete the migration. These will be provided by a wide range of agencies, institutions, entrepreneurs, regulatory bodies, and businesses. This article looks at the current global workforce and explores the commercialization or the business of nurse migration and its impact.

Polish Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) as workplace resources: from the point of view of provinces with the highest unemployment

The main aim of this paper is to show NGOs as potential workplaces, both as paid or unpaid places of employment. The research was carried out through the use of telephone interviews, contacting NGOs that were chosen randomly from provinces with the highest unemployment rates in the Republic of Poland. The results clearly show that more than 70% of the selected groups of NGOs need additional staff for everyday tasks. From these data, it can be safely assumed that NGOs, in part at least, can have a positive influence on today's labour market difficulties. These organisations could offer the possibility of gaining some early work experience, especially for young people.