Wage Costs Research Articles

ANALYSIS OF THE DYNAMIC RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN INDUSTRIAL, ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS, AND THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE. AN ECONOMETRIC APPROACH

ABSTRACT: The sustainability of socio-economic and industrial systems is a key concern, particularly within the framework of the 2030 agenda. A holistic understanding of the functioning and relationships of these systems is essential if we want to implement practical actions to achieve sustainability. This study uses econometric techniques, such as the distributed lag autoregressive model, to explore the interactions between industrial and environmental factors and the unemployment rate. The variables analyzed include working hours, wage costs, and tropospheric ozone concentration, over two periods: 2008-2020 (reduced period) and 2008-2024 (extended period). Between both periods, substantial differences have been found in the variables significantly influencing the unemployment rate. The significance of working hours and ozone (O3) concentration, determinants of the unemployment rate in the reduced period, are replaced by wage costs, determining the unemployment rate in the extended period. The results show that an initial increase in worked hours reduces unemployment, while wage increases and high levels of O3 tend to increase the unemployment rate. Granger causality analysis suggests bidirectional relationships between unemployment, wage costs, and O3 concentration, highlighting the connection between the different aspects and feedback collateral effects. The study underscores the need for balanced socioeconomic policies that promote both economic growth and environmental sustainability and the promotion of fostering of technological innovations. The importance of policies that mitigate the adverse effects of wage increases on employment is underlined, and that favor a more sustainable development model capable of decoupling economic well-being from intensive resource consumption. Keywords: Sustainability, Socioeconomic systems, ARDL techniques, Granger causality, unemployment, O3 concentration, working hours, hourly wage.

Robotic Button Mushroom Harvesting Systems: A Review of Design, Mechanism, and Future Directions

The global demand for button mushrooms has surged in recent years, driven by their health benefits, creating a significant challenge for the mushroom industry in meeting this increasing demand. The increasing reliance on human labor, which is becoming unsustainable due to labor shortages and rising wage costs, highlights the urgent need for automated harvesting solutions. This review examines the integration of automated systems in button mushroom harvesting, delving into the key components such as robots, mechanisms, machine elements, programming, and algorithms. It offers a thorough analysis of the performance, design, operational mechanisms, and advantages and limitations of robotic systems, comparing the different methods employed in automated harvesting. This paper compares the performance of all the mushroom harvesters, including the commercially available ones with manual harvesting, and identifies their potential and limitations. The commercial harvesters are shown to pick 2000 mushrooms per hour on average, which is similar to how much a skilled worker picks at the same time. However, commercial automation harvesting has a relatively low success rate, high initial cost, high operating cost, and energy consumption, identifying areas for future research and challenges. This paper serves as a valuable resource for researchers and industry professionals striving to advance automated harvesting technology and improve its efficiency in meeting the rising demand for button mushrooms.

Die Effekte einer Lohnnebenkostensenkung für die Volkswirtschaft und die Wettbewerbsfähigkeit

Abstract The tax and social contribution ratio in Austria is very high by European standards, taxes on income in particular. This is reflected in a very wide tax wedge between labour costs and net income. The particularly high inflation in Austria in recent years has led to high wage increases and a loss of competitiveness. Based on a model analysis, it is shown that a reduction of taxes on the wage-sum by 1.4 % of GDP dampens the development of wage costs and increases employment by around 0.9 % or 40,000 persons. In addition, the reform reduces the GDP deflator by 0.9 to 0.7 percentage points and implies an increase in the real export volume by 1.4 % in the first three years.

Do Firm Profits Adversely Impact Wage Growth and Employment Generation: Evidence from Firm-Level Data in India

With growth in the economy examining how much of the increase in net profit margins of firms translates into growth in wages and employment is useful for gaining insights on local income equalities. Using the firm data for the period 2011–2021, this study probes the trend of growth in wage cost and employment in firms belonging to different sectors in India. As the data collected vividly depicts inequality in wages and employment provided by firms in different sectors of the economy, a panel data analysis is done for different sectors of the Indian economy. The study finds evidence of inequality in the transfer of firm profits into wage and employment growth despite sectoral revenue and ownership status positively affecting wage growth as well as negative association of employment growth with private ownership. The findings of this study have policy implications for both firms and policymakers in both emerging economies as well as developed countries.

Cost of Cholera for Households and Health Facilities, Somalia

IntroductionCholera remains a substantial public health challenge in Somalia. Ongoing droughts in the country have caused significant outbreaks which have negatively affected the lives of many individuals and overwhelmed health facilities. We aimed to estimate the costs associated with cholera cases for households and health facilities in Somalia.MethodsThis cost-of-illness study was conducted in five cholera treatment centres in Somalia and 400 patients treated in these facilities. Data collection took place during October and November 2023. Given that a significant portion of the patients were children, we interviewed their caregivers to gather cost data. We interviewed staff at the centres and the patients. The data obtained from the household questionnaire covered direct (medical and non-medical) and indirect (lost wages) costs, while direct costs were estimated for the health facility (personnel salaries, drugs and consumables used to treat a patient, and utility expenses). All costs were calculated in US dollars (USD), using 2023 as the base year for the estimation.ResultsThe average total cost of a cholera episode for a household was US$ 33.94 (2023 USD), with 50.4% (US$ 17.12) being direct costs and 49.6% (US$ 16.82) indirect costs. The average total cost for a health facility to treat an episode of cholera was US$ 82.65. The overall average cost to households and health facilities was US$ 116.59. The average length of stay for a patient was 3.08 days. In the households, patients aged 41 years and older incurred the highest mean total cost (US$ 73.90) while patients younger than 5 years had the lowest cost (US$ 21.02). Additionally, 61.8% of households had to use family savings to cover the cost of the cholera episode, while 14.5% had to borrow money. Most patients (71.8%) were younger than 16 years– 45.3% were 5 years or younger– and 94.0% had never received a cholera vaccine.ConclusionOur study suggests that preventing one cholera episode in Somalia could avert substantial losses for both the households and cholera treatment centres. The findings shed light on the expenses associated with cholera that extend beyond healthcare, including substantial direct and indirect costs borne by households. Preventing cholera cases could lead to a decrease in this economic burden, consequently our study supports the need for preventive measures.

Analisis Pendapatan Petani Jagung yang Ditinjau dari Modal dan Harga Jual: Studi pada Petani Jagung di Desa Tudi Kecamatan Monano

In Indonesia, corn is a food ingredient that can contribute to the development of the agricultural sector. Development of the agricultural sector is synonymous with efforts to increase community income and welfare. There are various factors that can influence farming income such as capital, selling price, production, land area, and labor. The aim of this research is to determine the income of corn farmers in terms of capital and selling price. This research uses a descriptive qualitative method using primary data obtained through observation, interviews and documentation. The results of this research show that the average level of income of farmers in terms of selling prices produces income for one harvest which is quite high because the average selling price received during the last harvest by farmers was IDR 4,800/kg. This is also a high selling price. will produce a large income, while the farmer's income level in terms of capital to produce one harvest is quite low due to the varying differences in capital expenditure. This can occur because the purchase price of tools, materials and wage costs incurred by each informant is different, this causes large the small amount of capital spent will affect the level of income generated.

Cost Budget Analysis for Equal Distribution of Labour for Multi-Storey Buildings Construction

Although all resources on a construction project have their respective roles, the availability of labour significantly impacts how far the project moves forward and is completed. According to Kastor and Sirakoulis (2009), calculating the number of workers according to the construction schedule is crucial because, without this consideration, the resulting schedule may not be effective and efficient. process used for construction project resources to reduce fluctuations (Waluyo & Aditama, 2017). This research compares labour allocation, duration, and labour wage cost budgets under several conditions. These conditions include actual project conditions, planning, and results after levelling using an auto schedule. In project planning, the fluctuations obtained are pretty sharp. After the auto schedule levelling, the manpower no longer experienced overallocation, but fluctuations between weeks were still relatively high. This can happen because the quantity of work and labour in the construction projects under review is not comparable to the effects of project delays. The results obtained from the comparisons analyzed on the X-storey building construction project are that the auto schedule does not change the initial planning duration, which remains at 133 days. There was a disparity of 0.02% in auto schedule planning costs from 1,098,345,000.00. Meanwhile, in actual conditions, the labour cost budget increased by 0.12% from IDR 967,880,000.00 after the auto-schedule levelling process. It can be concluded that before resource levelling is carried out, it is necessary to review project scheduling and accelerate the duration of implementation, specifically if construction projects experience delays and other factors, so as not to cause fluctuations caused by the uneven quantity of work over some time.

The Minimum Wage in Germany: Institutional Setting and a Systematic Review of Key Findings

Abstract The introduction of a statutory minimum wage in Germany in 2015 aimed at improving the welfare of low-wage workers but was also accompanied by concerns about distortions in Europe’s largest economy. This paper provides a comprehensive survey of results from the evaluation of the German minimum wage by compiling recent descriptive evidence and a systematic literature review on causal effects through 2022. On 1 October 2022, the minimum wage was raised legislatively by 15 percent to 12 euros per hour, which affected approximately 5.8 million employees and 23 percent of companies. The war in Ukraine and the coronavirus pandemic hit minimum wage workers and minimum wage firms harder than the rest of the economy. The minimum wage thus far had the strongest causal effects directly after its introduction. Hourly wages increased, while working hours decreased, resulting in mixed effects on monthly wages. Overall employment fell slightly, with a decline in marginal employment in particular. Companies’ wage costs increased, and as productivity did not change, profits declined.

The Effects of Increased Distance Travel on the Operating Costs of Freight Truck Vehicles

Transportation industry is an important part of most countries’ economies with significant effects on productivity and social welfare. However, refrigeration has dramatically altered global food transportation efficiencies in the cold supply chain. Hence, a key factor to optimize transportation is by lowering operational costs, with distance travel having a considerable impact. The paper examines how the operational costs of different truck classes is influenced by the distance travelled. The operating cost equation was utilized to make a comparison between vehicle operating costs and to assess how these costs change in relation to travel distance. The equation consists of influential parameters such as fuel cost, driver wage, and maintenance cost of a vehicle. The result showed that the operating cost rate varies among trucks of different classes. According to the results of the equation and effective parameter analysis, 18-ton trucks had the highest cost, followed by 5-ton trucks. This is due to fact that the cost is influenced by factors of travel distance, tolls, and fuel consumption. Furthermore, based on transportation costs, a green practice framework can be constructed to reduce truck costs for each delivery while reducing CO2 emissions to the environment. By taking into account transportation cost factors in the framework of green practices, effective and practical information can be generated such as product delivery schedules to customers and better routes to improve business performance. Finally, effective transportation management can improve inventory flow by enhancing warehouse efficiency, reducing overall lead time, and saving on storage costs.

Analisis Penentuan Harga Pokok Produksi dan Harga Pokok Penjualan pada Usahatani Jagung di Desa Owalanga Kecamatan Bongomeme

This research aims to find out how the analysis determines the cost of production and cost of goods sold in Owalanga Village, Bongomeme District. This research uses a qualitative approach with descriptive methods. The sample in this study was 30 people. Data collection uses observation, interviews and documentation. Data analysis techniques use reduction, data presentation, and conclusion verification. The results of this research show that corn production is one of the main commodities that makes a significant contribution to the local economy. Based on the research results, there are several factors that influence the cost of production. (1) The majority of farmers in Owalanga Village, Bongomeme District use the NK 212 seed type. (2) The basic production costs of corn farming in Owalanga Village, Bongomeme District consist of variable costs and labor wage costs. The biggest variable cost is the purchase of NK 212 corn seeds for Rp. 600,000 per bag, and for one planting season with a land area of ​​1 hectare, 4 bags of seeds are needed. Thus, the total cost required for corn seeds in one hectare of planting season is IDR 2,400,000. (3) Labor costs in corn farming refer to the total expenditure incurred by farmers to pay salaries or rewards to workers involved in corn farming activities. These costs involve compensation for various types of work, including planting, maintaining, and harvesting corn crops. The largest cost for labor wages in corn production in Owalanga Village is land clearing costs of IDR 900,000 for 3 workers with a planting area of ​​1 ha.

Negotiating job security and capital investments in response to deindustrialization: the case of Canada’s auto sector

ABSTRACT Job security has always been a paramount concern for the trade union movement. This article explores the ways that unions used collective bargaining to gain a measure of job security for their members in the face of deindustrialization as unionized factories in North America began to close in large numbers after the 1970s. These new measures included advance notice, severance pay, plant closing moratoria, restrictions placed on plant movements, transfer rights, and expanding the scope of collective ‘social’ bargaining to cover training and adjustment. In some sectors, such as automotive, collective bargaining has also been extended into areas normally left to management. The price was often high. Eventually some unions, notably the Canadian Auto Workers (established 1985; part of Unifor after 2013), prioritized winning new capital investments and product lines for unionized plants in their negotiations, though often at the cost of jobs, wage freezes or reductions, and other concessions. By focusing upon auto sector deindustrialization in Canada since the 1980s, we draw lessons from more recent union bargaining strategies, and how they constitute an important element of worker responses to industrial job loss and manufacturing closure.

U.S. dementia care spending by state: 2010-2019.

Dementia is the fourth largest cause of death for individuals 70 years of age and older in the United States, and it is tremendously costly. Existing estimates of the indirect costs of dementia are dated and do not report on differences across the United States. We used data from multiple surveys to create cost estimates and projections for informal dementia caregiving at the U.S. state level from 2010 through 2050. In 2019, the annual replacement cost of informal caregiving was $42,422 per prevalent case, and the forgone wage cost was $10,677 per prevalent case. In 2019, it would have cost $230 billion to hire home health aides to provide all this care. If past trends persist, this cost is expected to grow to $404 billion per year in 2050. The cost of informal care varied substantially by state and is expected to grow through at least 2050. In the United States in 2019, foregone wages due to informal dementia care was $58 billion. Replacing informal dementia care with health aides would have cost $230 billion. These costs vary dramatically by state, even when assessed per prevalent case. These costs are expected to nearly double by 2050.

From Natives to Foreigners: Bolivian Migration, Discrimination, and Ethnic-Labor Subsidiarity in Chuquicamata During the Guggenheim Ownership (Chile, 1912–1925)

AbstractThe War of the Pacific (1879–1883) between Chile, Peru, and Bolivia marked a turning point in the political and socio-economic development of the Atacama Desert. Formerly part of Bolivia, this area came under the control and jurisdiction of Chile in 1884. This shift in sovereignty substantially altered the tri-national geopolitics, forcing the local Bolivian population to flee. The newly annexed region's rich mineral resources became subject to a mining colonization process. In 1912, the Guggenheim family founded The Chile Exploration Company and began the industrialization of the Chuquicamata copper mine. Located in the heart of the Atacama Desert, this was the world's largest copper mine during the twentieth century. Although the local Bolivian population had fled the Atacama Desert following the war, many returned to work in the Guggenheim mine almost thirty years later. Between 1912 and 1925, 239 Bolivians labeled as foreigners and “Indians” were employed in diverse production stages or subsidiary services. Bureaucratic migratory documents and newspaper archives allow us to quantify and characterize Bolivian migration to Chuquicamata. We argue that an ethnic-labor subsidiarity emerged, a historical process resulting from ethnic discrimination, expressed in the disposition and physical costs of mining work and low wages. While the war altered the mining territory of Atacama, ethnic-labor subsidiarity of the Bolivian workforce sustained the expansion of U.S. capitalism in the Chuquicamata copper mine.

Cost analysis of water charge rates in the Czech Republic – Case study

The article was conceived as an initial insight into the issues related to the representation of individual type costs (e.g. material, labor costs, property depreciation, etc.) in the price of water in the Czech Republic. The aim of the article was to point out the possibility of dependence between the size of the company operating the infrastructural property of water supply and sewerage and the representation of individual costs in the water price within the framework of the case study. As a sample that formed the outputs of the case study, 14 companies were taken, which were selected according to the unified regions of the Czech Republic. Both basic mathematical methods and elementary methods used in financial analysis were used in the analysis. Within the scope of the case study, it can be stated that there is no dependence between the size of the companies and the representation of costs. Among the largest costs from the point of view of financial representation are other direct costs, where the costs of depreciation, property repairs, rental property, as well as wage costs and material costs are mainly represented. Insignificant costs include, for example, energy costs, which are only represented in the range of 1.39–5.70% of the total costs. Therefore, in order for the results included in the case study to be considered statistically relevant, it is necessary to expand the sample and confirm or refute the initial findings published in this article.

Analysis Of The Influence Of Minimum Wages, Central-Regional Transfer Cost Allocation And Fiscal Decentralization On Regional Income Inequality

In any nation, income disparity is a crucial issue for development. The disparity in income distribution is the primary cause of income inequality. The increasing income disparity is a sign of the growing inequality in the allocation of income in society. The authors of this study aim to investigate how income inequality is affected in the regencies and cities of one of provinces minimum wage in Indonesia, central-local transfer cost allocation, and fiscal decentralization. The Fixed Effect Model (FEM) approach is used in this study's panel data analysis. The author's analysis indicates that while there is no significant association between income inequality and fiscal decentralization, there is a substantial relationship between income inequality and the allocation of central-regional transfer costs and the minimum wage. Income inequality is significantly impacted by fiscal decentralization, minimum wage, and central-regional transfer cost allocation.

Nothing comes for free: Evidence from a tax reduction of China

Using data from the National Taxation Survey from 2009 to 2015, this paper conducts a quasi-natural experiment on the tax reduction reform of "replacing business tax with value-added tax" (RBTVT) in China to empirically explore the impact of the fiscal pressure caused by the turnover tax reduction on the corporate income tax burden. The paper tries to explain why it is difficult to reduce the tax burden through tax reduction from the perspective of fiscal pressure. According to the empirical results, an extensive tax reduction creates a "tax substitution" effect, i.e., the stronger the tax reduction effect of the RBTVT, the greater the motivation of local governments will be to shift the fiscal pressure to enterprises through taxation, resulting in an increased local corporate income tax burden. In regards to "who pays the tax", the paper indicates that non-state-owned enterprises, small and micro enterprises, and non-RBTVT enterprises are the main bearers of the local fiscal pressure shift. With further examination, the paper finds that there is an obvious "tax substitution" effect in regions with poor business environments or large governments. In the mechanism section, the paper finds that strengthening tax administration, decreasing tax-rate reductions for enterprises, and levying excessive tax are the primary "tax substitution" methods. In the extended analysis, our results suggest that enterprises are not the ultimate bearers of fiscal pressure because they can shift the pressure on them to workers by reducing the cost of wages and benefits. Besides, the results show that cutting fiscal expenditure and improving fiscal expenditure efficiency can effectively alleviate the "tax substitution" effect. Finally, we find that the "tax substitution" effect discounts the impact of tax reduction, but does not entirely nullify it.

Монетарні впливи на ринок праці в умовах невизначеності

The aim of the article is to study the features of the impact of monetary policy on the domestic labor market during the wartime. The main trends in the labor market of Ukraine both before the full-scale invasion of the russian federation and under martial law are determined. The indicators of official statistics on the number of unemployed are studied, assumptions about the real level of this indicator are made, and short-term trends in the revival of registration of persons in the employment center as unemployed or job seekers are predicted. The impact of the bank rate policy pursued by the central bank on employment of the population has been proved. It is determined that the overall impact of changes in the bank rate in the country depends on the ratio between small and large enterprises, as well as on the share of employees with high and low levels of education. Reserve requirements for banking institutions are mentioned as a monetary instrument for influencing the labor market. It is emphasized that one of the main obstacles to doing business in wartime is the lack of working capital. It is calculated that in the structure of loans granted by the banks of Ukraine, the dominant value (more than 70%) belongs to economic entities. Considerable attention is paid to business lending (including within the framework of the state program «Affordable Loans at 5-7-9%») as a prerequisite for the creation of new jobs. The problems of growth in the volume of non-performing loans during the wartime are considered. The catastrophic position of Ukraine in the ranking of countries by the level of NPLs in the total volume of loans issued, compiled according to the World Bank data, is underlined. The trends in the level of NPLs in Ukraine before the full-scale invasion and the reasons for the growth in the volume of non-performing loans in 2022–2023 are analyzed. It is proved that the high cost of credit resources limits the availability of working capital in business and forces it to optimize wage costs, which leads to a decrease in the level of remuneration and reduction of jobs. It is substantiated that the monetary aspects of the influence on the preservation of the labor potential of the nation acquire special importance during the war.

ПРИМЕНЕНИЕ ТЕХНОЛОГИИ ИНФОРМАЦИОННОГО МОДЕЛИРОВАНИЯ В РАМКАХ УМЕНЬШЕНИЯ СЕБЕСТОИМОСТИ СТРОИТЕЛЬСТВА ОБЪЕКТОВ НЕДВИЖИМОСТИ

Subject. The use of information modeling tools within the framework of organizational and methodological support for the process of reducing the cost of construction of a single real estate object within the framework of saving private and public funds. Purposes. Reduction of the cost of construction of real estate objects as a result of the use of information modeling tools, as well as the development of practical recommendations for the formation of this approach. Methodology. A comparison method has been applied to determine the advantages and disadvantages of methodological approaches to determining the cost of construction. Analysis and synthesis were used to determine the directions of reducing the cost of construction and information modeling functions. Also, when forming the concept of increasing the economic efficiency of investment and construction projects, the abstraction method was used. Abstract-logical method was used to formulate the conclusions of the study. Results. The provisions formed in the work represent practical recommendations and proposals for reducing the cost of construction and improving the mechanism for increasing the economic efficiency of investment and construction projects in the context of public-private partnership. The introduction of information modeling technology into the production process of a construction company contributed to the optimization of its organizational structure. This eventually led to lower wage costs. Conclusions. The analysis of cost reduction directions has demonstrated that generally accepted methods are based on the rationalization of construction production and the use of material and technical resources. But the current pace of development of the industry requires the introduction of modern information technologies to maintain competitiveness in the construction services market and fulfill the main task - careful attitude to the costs of public and private funds, as well as reducing the cost of construction of real estate.

Экономическая эффективность подготовки спортивного резерва в вузе физической культуры и спорта

The development of student sports is an important socially significant state task. In the current conditions, in the absence of direct return on investment in student sports, the preparation of a sports reserve on a state assignment can become the economic basis for the development of sports at universities. The first sports reserve training programs in Russian universities were opened in 2023. The purpose of the study was to assess the economic efficiency of training a sports reserve under an additional sports training program using the example of a university subordinate to the Ministry of Sports of the Russian Federation, in the interests of further directions for the development of student sports and its state support. A generalization of the preliminary results of training the sports reserve for additional educational programs of sports training was carried out. Data on basic cost standards established by the Ministry of Sports and the Committee on Economic Policy and Strategic Planning of St. Petersburg were used. The accepted standards of basic unit direct costs encourage the university to form sports training groups that match the number of students with the maximum allowed group size. Integration of educational activities and sports training makes it possible to reduce the cost of wages for coaches involved in sports training programs. The integration of educational activities and sports training also allows us to solve the problem of reducing the workload of coaches per one salary due to the harmonization of legislation in the field of physical culture and sports and education.

NURSING HOME WORKFORCE CHALLENGES: INCREASED NURSING STAFF LABOR COSTS AND USE OF AGENCY STAFF FROM 2017 TO 2021

Abstract Nursing homes face rapidly increasing wages and change their input mix as they face workforce shortfalls. For 15,959 freestanding NHs from 2017-2021, the proportion of hours worked by agency staff and the median wage cost per hour of agency and directly employed nursing staff were calculated from Medicare cost reports and Payroll-Based Journal data. The median hourly wage cost of directly employed staff (wage and fringe) increased 18.1% for RNs (to $41.99 in 2021), 19.8% for LPNs ($32.29), and 27.5% for CNAs ($19.62). The median hourly wage cost of agency staff (amount paid to staffing agency) increased at a faster rate and was substantially higher: 22.8% for RNs ($64.19); 28.3% for LPNs ($52.42), and 34.9% for CNAs ($33.73). The use of agency staff increased, starting from approximately 2% of all nursing staff hours for each of the nursing staff types in Q1 2017 to 5.6% hours for RNs, 9.4% hours for LPNs, and 8.8% hours for CNAs in Q4 2021. These observations have implications for quality and access to nursing home care. High use of agency staff may affect quality of nursing home care, and substantial wage differences between agency and directly-employed staff may affect worker satisfaction and attachment of directly employed workers. Hourly wage costs for all nursing staff have increased more rapidly than nursing home revenues, which only increased 16.6% over the study period; this suggests that, without payment rate increases, nursing homes may reduce labor inputs to contain costs, or may go out of business.