Unskilled Labor Research Articles

SOCIO-ECONOMIC CONDITIONS AND OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH CHALLENGES OF WOMEN CONSTRUCTION WORKERS: A CASE STUDY IN MADURAI DISTRICT, TAMIL NADU

The construction sector plays an important role in the livelihoods of rural poor populations, contributing significantly to their economic sustenance. This study focuses on the status and significance of women construction workers in the Madurai district of Tamil Nadu. More than 3 lakh construction workers are employed in Tamil Nadu facing various challenges on a daily basis. Women in this sector encounter numerous issues including socio-economic hardships, environmental risks and health problems at the worksite. The present study investigates the socio-economic conditions and occupational health problems faced by women in Madurai’s construction industry. The construction sector a key employer in developing countries like India predominantly hires unskilled and semi-skilled labour. Women workers in construction industry endure long working hours, wage discrimination and adverse working conditions often with limited access to social security or healthcare. Data collected from 60 respondents through purposive sampling reveals that most of the women workers are between 30 and 50 years old and have only a primary level of education. Despite their significant contributions these women face a multitude of challenges such as health issues like neck and shoulder pain, anaemia and asthma with minimal awareness of medical insurance. The study highlights the urgent need for targeted interventions aimed at improving economic security, health awareness, and working conditions for women in the construction sector. KEYWORDS: construction women workers, marginalized, health problems, wage discrimination, livelihood.

Epidemiologic trends and clinical outcomes of imported malaria in a tertiary care hospital, Bangkok, Thailand: A retrospective analysis (2013–2022)

BackgroundDespite a significant declined in malaria incidence in Thailand, the rising global travel has resulted in an increase of imported malaria cases, posing a threat to the goal of malaria elimination. This study aims to understand the epidemiological trends and clinical outcomes of imported malaria cases in Thailand. MethodsMedical records of all imported malaria cases admitted from 1st January 2013 to 31st December 2022 at the Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Thailand, were retrospectively examined. Demographic data, travel details, severity of illness, and clinical outcomes were described. Logistic regression was performed to identify factors associated with severe disease outcomes. ResultsIn total, 335 cases of imported malaria were identified, with 33 % classified as transnational malaria and 67 % as border malaria. Transnational malaria cases (79 % P. falciparum) were mostly acquired from Sub-Saharan Africa for business or visiting friends and relatives (VFRs). Border malaria cases (81 % P. vivax) involved unskilled labourers and were acquired from land-border countries. The proportion of imported malaria in business travelers increased from 13 % to 50 % over the ten years. Risk factors for severe imported malaria included male gender, age 40 and older, infection with P. falciparum, and acquired malaria from Africa. ConclusionsUnderstanding unique demographic and socioeconomic characteristics in both border and transnational cases is crucial for effective malaria prevention. The increasing imported malaria among business travelers highlight the need for targeted prevention in this high-risk group.

Health impact of the COVID-19 in Spanish non-healthcare workers by gender: Use of sickness absence for surveillance.

At the beginning of the pandemic, the identification of transmission chains was biased towards more closely monitored sectors, such as healthcare and sociosanitary centers. The objective of our research is to describe the impact of the pandemic on the Spanish non-healthcare workers measured through health-related workplace absences. A descriptive study of the cases of COVID-19-related temporary disability (TD) between February 15th and September 17th, 2020, was carried out. TD quarantine/infection ratios were calculated for every economic sector of activity. Rates of COVID-19 TDs per 100,000 affiliated workers were obtained, by gender, age, economic activity of the company or occupation of the worker. A total of 1,126,755 TDs were recorded, 45.4% in women. The overall TD rates were 5,465 quarantines and 1,878 illnesses per 100,000 women, and 4,883 quarantines and 1,690 illnesses per 100,000 men. The highest incidence rates of TD due to illness were observed in younger age groups, under 30. The median TD quarantine/infection ratio was 2.6 (Interquartile range [IQR] 1.5-3.9), and Postal and Courier activities had the highest value: 4.7 quarantines per case (IQR: 3.75-6.12). The TD rates were higher in female workers in most sectors of activity and occupations compared to men in the same sectors and with the same occupations. The results show the uneven impact of COVID-19 by occupation, with a higher rates in less qualified occupations (unskilled workers and laborers) versus the first categories of the table (directors, managers, technicians, and professionals). The results confirmed the high impact of COVID-19 on Spanish non-healthcare workers and it's inequalities. They also confirmed the potential use of TDs as an alternative source for epidemiological, public health surveillance and early warning of new emerging infections.

Abe’s incrementalism: an institutionalist analysis of immigration policy reform during the second Abe administration

The late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s second stint in power 2012 to 2020 oversaw numerous ambitious reforms to Japan’s immigration regime whilst still maintaining the country’s status quo of ‘no immigration policy’. This status quo was established through the 1990 system and denies both the admittance of unskilled foreign labor and formal immigration policy, instead relying on ‘side-door’ policies to recruit most foreign workers. The goal of this article is to evaluate the policy outcomes of Abe’s reforms by taking a macro-level approach and using a historical institutionalist methodological framework. Through classifying Abe’s major policy initiatives utilizing the mechanisms of institutional change, I analyze whether despite Abe’s own insistence, he has changed the immigration status quo in a fundamental way. In the conclusion, I argue that in combination with recent reforms by his successors, the potential for a fundamental change in Japan’s immigration policy trajectory is present – even though this change has not taken place yet.

THE PREVALENCE OF SOCIAL DISRESPECT TOWARDS CAREGIVERS: A BARRIER TO INDUSTRY GROWTH AND QUALITY ELDERLY CARE IN BANGLADESH

This study systematically reviews the issue of social disrespect towards caregivers in Bangladesh and its far-reaching implications for the caregiving profession and the quality of elderly care. Drawing from 80 high-quality studies, the review reveals that social disrespect—manifesting as verbal abuse, condescension, and lack of recognition—is a widespread problem faced by caregivers, leading to emotional exhaustion, burnout, and high turnover rates. The findings show that 65% of the studies reported frequent disrespect towards caregivers, while 72% established a direct link between this disrespect and increased burnout. Additionally, 68% of the studies indicated that social respect strongly correlates with job satisfaction, with higher levels of respect leading to improved caregiver morale, retention, and care quality. Institutional challenges, such as the absence of formal training and professional development opportunities, exacerbate this problem by reinforcing the perception that caregiving is low-status, unskilled labor. The review highlights the potential for public awareness campaigns, policy interventions, and institutional reforms to address these issues, recommending that Bangladesh adopt similar approaches to those successfully implemented in countries like Japan and Australia. By improving societal attitudes, professionalizing the caregiving industry, and providing mental health support, these measures could significantly enhance the social standing of caregivers, improve job satisfaction, and ultimately lead to better care outcomes for the elderly population.

THE IMPACT OF MGNREGA ON TRIBAL POPULATION: A CASE STUDY OF JALPAIGURI DISTRICT IN WEST BENGAL

National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) was passed in 2005 and went into effect on February 2, 2006, covering 200 districts across India. Later on, this scheme was renamed the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) in 2009.This act was passed to improve the stability of rural livelihoods by offering every household whose adult members agreed to perform unskilled manual labour 100 days of guaranteed pay employment in each financial year.The Ministry of Rural Development implements this scheme in partnership with state governments. The local governance bodies, such as Panchayati Raj Institutions, play an important role in the project development and implementation ofthis scheme in rural India. MGNREGS programs include water conservation, drought mitigation, land development, rural connection, and other rural infrastructure-building initiativeschosen according to local requirements and priorities.We selected the Jalpaiguri district for our study because it has several problems such as seasonal lockouts of tea plantations, shuttered tea gardens, unemployed laborers in isolated and closed forest villages, no heavy industry since independence, etc. In this paper we attempt to find out whether the implementation of the MGNREGA program in the Jalpaiguri district has improved the livelihood of the Tribal Population in the district and also how effective this program is in dealing with the unemployment problem among the ST population in the district.This study is based on both primary and secondary data from two blocks of Jalpaiguri district i.e. Mal and Nagrakata blockscovering the period 2017-18 to 2022-23. And from each block, I have chosen the two most populace GPs within the blocks.Although the MGNREGS is a good program for reducing rural poverty and unemployment, our primary survey reveals inadequate results in terms of job creation for tribal peoples and those living in the remote tea garden areas within the district. Furthermore, this scheme does not improve Scheduled Tribes (STs) standard of living by providing jobs and promoting their participation in village affairs, hence it is less effective as the participation of ST workers against active workers currently stands at only 12.86 percent.

Infection externalities and social welfare

ABSTRACT This paper investigates the effects of infection externalities on social welfare through constructing several general equilibrium models. The main findings are as follows. When the government increases the degree of controlling infection externalities of the urban skilled sector and the rural sector, social welfare will rise. However, for the urban unskilled sector, the change of social welfare is determined by the elasticity of substitution between unskilled labor and infection rights in this sector.

Here to stay? The rapid evolution of the temporary staffing market in Iceland

In recent years there has been a significant shortage of workers in Iceland. The traditional method of arranging temporary work, through direct contracts between employees and employers, has not sufficed. Moreover, there is a skills mismatch that compounds the shortage of workers as the sectors that have grown most rapidly in recent years mainly employ unskilled labor. This study examined the historical background of temporary work in Iceland, recent developments and in particular the growing importance of temporary staffing agencies, as well as the economic rationale for temporary staffing agencies, and the segmented labor market in Iceland. The study employs expert opinion approach, together with content and statistical analysis. Experts placed strongest emphasis on temporary workforce dependency on economic conditions, closely followed by sector triggered temporary workforce fluctuation. Socio-legal infrastructure for temporary workforce had the third strongest emphasis with other themes being less emphasized. These dramatic changes to the Icelandic labor market have undoubtedly had a significant impact on Icelandic society but there is surprisingly little research available into this. The efforts of unions and the Federation of Employees have helped to push through legislation on temporary staffing agencies and the rights of foreign workers, however, as long as there is economic rationale for their operation and a legal and regulatory framework that accommodates them the agencies can be expected to continue bringing temporary staff to Iceland. The impact on the labor market and society thus seems likely to be permanent.

INVESTIGATING THE KEY LIMITATIONS AND IMPROVEMENTS INFLUENCING THE COMPETITIVE SUCCESS OF SOUTH AFRICA’S ORANGER EXPORTERS.

The objective of identifying constraining factors is to reveal that the key obstacles affecting the competitiveness of South Africa's domestic orange industry include issues such as the "quality of unskilled labor," "trust in the honesty of politicians," "electricity suppliers," "health," "South Africa’s land reform policy," "South Africa’s BEE policy," and "crime." Additionally, challenges related to the lack of quality infrastructure, bilateral agreements with trading countries, and poor performance of ports relative to their global counterparts have been identified. The constraining factors were ranked, with the top issues aligning closely with the industry's current challenges. In contrast, enhancing factors play a crucial role in boosting industry competitiveness in both domestic and international markets. The key elements contributing positively include the availability of unskilled labor, local input suppliers, scientific research institutions, technological quality, the cost of unskilled labor, soil conditions, and the sustainability of local input suppliers. Attention to maintaining and improving these factors is crucial for the sustained competitiveness of the South African orange sector.

1920~1930년대 초량토목출장소 낙동강개수공사의 시행과 성격

The Nakdong River Improvement Project, part of the larger Joseon River Improvement Initiative, spanned fifteen years and was largely coordinated through irrigation associations, which included lands owned by Japanese and some Korean landlords and capitalists. Despite the project’s ostensible goal of protecting the lives and properties of local residents—including both Koreans and Japanese—from flood risks, it was principally designed to advance the interests of the colonial regime and the landlord-capitalist class. This project showcases the blend of colonial and modern elements in infrastructure development, led and executed under Japanese direction with their technological expertise. The Choryang Civil Engineering Office and related facilities operated within a colonial employment structure, relegating Koreans mostly to unskilled manual labor and minimizing their roles in management or skilled positions. Contractors and suppliers were predominantly Japanese, using non-competitive contracts that largely excluded Korean involvement. Consequently, the main beneficiaries of the hydraulic and irrigation improvements were primarily the landowning classes, specifically Japanese and some Korean landlords and capitalists. The implementation of the Nakdong River Improvement Project catalyzed a multifaceted interplay of interests that extended beyond basic ethnic or socioeconomic dichotomies such as Korean versus Japanese or capitalists versus laborers. Despite this complexity, the execution of the project distinctly embodied the dynamics of colonial power, demonstrating the modern correlation of capital and technology with authority.

The role of robotization in reducing the perception of unskilled labor in food and beverage businesses

PurposeThis study aims to examine the use of robot technologies in the food and beverage sector, an important component of the tourism industry, to reduce unskilled labor in the sector. The discussion is based on a review of the literature.Design/methodology/approachThis paper presents a qualitative study that explores the impact of robotization on the perception of unskilled labor in the food and beverage business in general.FindingsRobotic technologies, which have become prominent in the industry 4.0 era, can potentially eliminate the perception of “unskilled labor” in the tourism sector and make it a more desirable field to work in. This shift could encourage people to pursue skilled jobs with a stronger cognitive aspect, leading to an improvement in quality of life due to time savings and greater employment stability.Originality/valueThis research emphasizes the significance of implementing robotics in the food and beverage business, which is an important component of the tourism sector, to reduce the number of unskilled workers in the sector.

Dynamics of automation in economic growth and the labor market

AbstractThis study delves into the intricate dynamics of technology, labor markets, and economic growth within the context of Industry 4.0. By integrating automation capital into a dynamic general equilibrium model, we examine its implications for economic performance and social equity. The empirical analysis highlights the substitutability of unskilled labor by automation, revealing a nuanced relationship between automation adoption, the skill premium, and economic growth. Contrary to conventional wisdom, our findings suggest that a reduced ratio of unskilled to skilled labor, driven by automation, can lead to both an increase in the skill premium and sustained economic growth, even in the face of demographic challenges such as declining populations. However, this trend also exacerbates income inequality, underscoring the imperative for policy interventions aimed at promoting skill enhancement and ensuring equitable distribution of technological advancements.

CHILD LABOUR IN INDIA AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS - AN ASSESSMENT

Child labour refers to the exploitation of minors through any type of employment that robs them of their youth, prevents them from attending a regular school, or is detrimental to their mental, physical, social, or moral development. Child labour enriches minors and infringes their rights. MGNREGA lacks funding but offers unskilled labour. By utilizing women's self-help groups and microfinance, UBIS hopes to eradicate child labour in rural areas by 2025. Prioritizing knowledge production and evidence translation, rescuing and rehabilitating labourers, and implementing free education are essential. By 2025, governments have to prioritize law enforcement, coordinated policies, and small labour rights. Over 75% of Indians are farmers, and large-scale income strategies like MGNREGA and agro-based enterprises are needed to reduce child labour and poverty. By 2025, UBIS, increased budgets, social safety nets, and stronger public policy are needed.

A task-based approach to inequality

Abstract This article reviews recent work on how automation and task displacement have contributed to labour share declines and inequality in the US labour market. We summarize the basic building blocks of a task-based framework in which a set of tasks is allocated between capital, skilled labour and unskilled labour. Automation, which corresponds to the use of new technologies expanding the set of tasks that can be performed by capital, always reduces the labour share in value added and may depress overall wages and employment. The negative effects of automation on labour share and its potentially adverse consequences for labour demand can be counterbalanced by the creation of new labour-intensive tasks, which can reinstate labour into the production process. We also show that when automation displaces unskilled labour from the tasks in which they used to specialize (which has been its modal impact so far), it increases the demand for skills and inequality. New tasks may or may not limit the increase in the demand for skills depending on whether they are mostly targeted at skilled workers. We then provide a range of evidence supporting the basic predictions and implications of this framework. Most importantly, the decline in the share of labour in national income and the increase in the demand for skills appear to be related to an acceleration in the pace of automation and a deceleration in technological changes complementing humans during the last 30 years. We end with a discussion of the potential bias towards automation in the development and adoption of digital technologies, and how this will affect the nature of work in the face of recent advances in artificial intelligence.

Publication and Attenuation Biases in Measuring Skill Substitution

Abstract A key parameter in the analysis of wage inequality is the elasticity of substitution between skilled and unskilled labor. We show that the empirical literature is consistent with both publication and attenuation bias in the estimated inverse elasticities. Publication bias, which exaggerates the mean reported inverse elasticity, dominates and results in corrected inverse elasticities closer to zero than the typically published estimates. The implied mean elasticity is 4, with a lower bound of 2. Elasticities are smaller for developing countries. To derive these results, we use nonlinear tests for publication bias and model averaging techniques that account for model uncertainty.

Welfare Effects of Food Tariff Changes on Urban and Rural Households

This study aims to analyze the effects of food tariff changes on the welfare of urban and rural households in Iran. The study considers the role of households as consumers, producers, and workers, as well as the market structure over the past fifteen years. Firstly, the study estimated the consumption behavior for the main food groups using the QUAIDS and pseudo-panel data. Then, the extent of tariff pass-through to domestic food prices was determined, and after that, price-wage elasticity and wage changes as a result of tariff changes were estimated. Finally, it calculated the effect of tariff changes on household purchasing power and income through an indirect utility function to get welfare effects. The results indicate that tariff pass-through to food prices is incomplete and varies between urban and rural areas. The study has found that skilled labor is more sensitive to food tariff reductions than unskilled labor, particularly in rural areas. The results reveal that tariff changes positively affect urban households' welfare, while rural households experience a loss due to these changes. Urban areas benefit from reduced household expenditure, while food prices are increasing in rural areas due to weak or absent tariff pass-through. Although these increases favor producers, they do not compensate for the loss suffered by consumers, resulting in reduced welfare in rural areas. The findings show that the effects of tariff changes vary across regions, not only between urban and rural areas but also among different provinces. Furthermore, the tariff reductions have been a boon for consumers, but a bane for producers, ultimately harming production in the long term. The findings suggest that regional markets may be either sufficient or insufficient to convert pass-through-the-border prices into domestic prices. Therefore, policymakers can use this study as a useful guide to reform the regional market structure to raise household welfare, food security, and income inequality.

Illegal Sri Lankan Female Migrant Domestic Workers in Gulf Countries: An Analysis on Push and Pull Factors

The implementation of new restrictions by the Government of Sri Lanka to discourage unskilled female labour migration through the mandatory ‘Family Background Report’ has resulted in an increase in the number of female illegal migrations. This study efforts to uncover the reasons that motivate women to migrate as domestic workers disregarding the government’s strong discouragement. I argue that gendered push factors coupled with financial motivations trigger illegal and circular migration among women. This explorative research utilizes primary data collected through structured interviews from a sample of sixty-five migrant women which is complemented by secondary data collected from statistics and reports published by the Government of Sri Lanka. The research concludes that government’s inability to address strong push factors that motivates unskilled female labour migration, and its effort to use blanket solutions such as restricting movements through laws have forced women to migrate using illegal measures which makes their situation more vulnerable. It also suggests that affirmative action such as to create more occupational opportunities and the equal distribution of resources to rural areas to address this issue is needed.

Sustainability Investigation of Batik Production at Seraci Batik Betawi

Abstract The textile industry is one of the sectors that plays a crucial role in economic and environmental sustainability efforts. Batik, as a distinctive textile industry of Indonesia, has a significant role in sustainable development. This research analyzed the sustainability practices of Seraci Batik Betawi in the environmental, social, and economic aspects using a descriptive approach based on the results of interviews and observations. The company used eco-friendly natural dyes, minimized waste, and managed wastewater effectively. They empowered their workers through training, provided fair wages, and hired unskilled laborers. Seraci Batik Betawi also maintained market share with unique motifs and collaborated with the garment industry. The result is a contribution to social, cultural, environmental, and local economic sustainability. This research provides valuable insights for the textile and batik industry in achieving higher sustainability.

Exclusion and the growth of AI technology: a trade-theoretic analysis

This study provides a four-good general equilibrium framework with international trade for assessing the impact of the advancement of automation and artificial intelligence (A&AI) on the welfare of a group of agents who are excluded from both owning productive assets, such as capital and land, as well as consuming digital output (digital exclusion). We show that, depending on the magnitude of the factor intensities, the accumulation of A&AI capital may negatively affect the income of the excluded group, who provide unskilled labor, or the owners of land. In doing so, we bring out the conflict of interests that may arise between the owners of A&AI capital and other groups within society, which has implications for the pressure that exists to slow down the adoption of A&AI in an economy.

‘Morphing between the margins’: how youth make a living across multiple spaces in South Africa and beyond

ABSTRACT Young South Africans regularly generate livelihoods on the move, as they morph across a mainstream economic field and two translocal sub-fields. While a field implies sets of relations operating under common conditions, translocal sub-fields are local spaces of exchange and practice, where resources are utilised, in a relationship with other linked spaces. In South Africa, the mainstream economic field largely consists of an urban labour market with some good jobs and unskilled labour. Alongside it a rural sub-field consists of farm and off-farm activities, reciprocal exchange and state grants. Finally, on the outskirts of urban areas a township sub-field consists of young people hustling resources in the informal sector. After describing how mobile young South Africans make a living across these spaces, I show how this case is both similar and different to other post-colonial contexts with substantial informal economic sectors like India and Brazil. In these places, youth strive to make a living by accumulating resources as they move across spaces that include, but transcend, the labour market. A particular form of mobile, global South youth livelihood generation occurs across the mainstream capitalist economy and informal urban and rural contexts, where economic relations remain largely embedded in social life.