Wage Labor Research Articles

Beyond the leaves: Unveiling the societal impact of research on the self-perceived quality of life among indigenous female tea garden workers

Most indigenous women in the sub-Himalayan region of Northern Bengal have been engaged in wage labor within tea gardens. The payment system within these gardens has often lacked transparency, resulting in these workers receiving compensation below the legal minimum wage. This persistent uncertainty has had a profound impact on social behavior and self-satisfaction among the workforce. Notably, no prior study has explored the quality of life experienced by these women workers through a comprehensive examination of their perceptions, determinants, and narratives. The study, conducted in a district of West Bengal, meticulously selected 10 Tea Gardens (TGs) for investigation. This research project employs a mixed type of ethnographic data collection, encompassing both qualitative and quantitative methods, and utilizes the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire. The findings of the study reveal a consistent pattern of deprivation and inequality experienced by tribal women at various stages of their lives. Furthermore, the research outcomes have provided valuable insights into the overarching societal impacts, encapsulated as follows: 1) the self-reported quality of life sense of the tribal women merely touched by other researchers signifies that these women rarely lived a decent life with utmost priority in every aspect, such as their physical strength, psychological health, and societal well-being; 2) Policymakers can address the factors contributing to the challenges faced by these women, fostering improvements in their overall quality of life.

Pengaruh Upah Minimum Dan Tingkat Partisipasi Angkatan Kerja Terhadap Tingkat Pengangguran Terbuka Di Jawa Timur Periode 2018-2022

This research aims to determine the effect of minimum wages and labor force participation on open unemployment in East Java Province 2018-2022. The dense population makes Indonesia face economic problems such as open unemployment. This happens because the number of job seekers is not balanced with the number of jobs available. The level of open unemployment occurs in every region, especially in East Java Province. Based on BPS data for the 2018-2022 period, East Java Province experienced an increase in open unemployment in 2020 with a percentage of 5.84%. The research method used uses a quantitative descriptive model approach with combined data between time series and cross-sections. The analytical method used in this research is the multiple regression test method, panel data model which is processed using SPSS version 26. The data collection technique is taken from secondary data from BPS East Java Province in 38 regions. The research results show that the influence of minimum wage instruments and labor force participation on open unemployment in East Java Province can be seen from the statistical probability values of the t test and f test. The results of the t test showed that the minimum wage instrument (X1) had a significant effect on the open unemployment rate (Y) in East Java Province. Meanwhile, the labor force participation instrument (X2) does not show a significant influence on the open unemployment rate (Y) in East Java Province. Meanwhile, the results of the f test research show that the two instruments (X1 and X2) simultaneously have a significant influence on the open unemployment rate (Y) in East Java Province.

Return migration and labour market outcomes in South Asia: a CGE exploration

ABSTRACTThis paper explores the impact of return migration on labour market outcomes, more specifically, wage, consumption and welfare outcomes for workers in South Asia. The unprecedented changes brought about by the pandemic have led to mass upheaval and the return migration of millions of workers over the past two years. This return migration is likely to lead to an expansion of the labour force and employment in South Asia. The impact of this labour force supply shock is evaluated using the GMig2 version of the GTAP model. We find heterogeneous results in terms of labour returns by levels of skill and industry. The sectoral demand composition changes with manufacturing and services gaining demand over agriculture and primary industries.

Global value chains, wages, employment and labour production in China: A regional approach

In this study we analyse the relationship of trade and global value chains (GVCs) to the labour market in 31 Chinese provinces for 25 sectors, by means of a system of structural equations. We firstly distinguish between provincial value chains (PVCs) and interprovincial value chains (PRVCs) in order to outline their distribution and evolution over time. Then, we investigate to what extent participation in GVCs, PVCs and PRVCs – along with trading in final goods and services – is associated with labour market outcomes, i.e., wages, employment and labour production. The results suggest that provinces/sectors with greater export penetration have higher employment and labour production, but lower wages. On the other hand, however, GVCs are found to impede growth in employment and labour production.

On the positive relation between the wage share and labor productivity growth with endogenous size and direction of technical change

This paper combines induced innovation and endogenous growth to investigate two issues: the relation between the wage share and labor productivity growth and the potential influence of the saving rate on the steady state wage share. We assume that myopic competitive firms choose the size and direction of technical change to maximize the growth rate of profits. First, we find technological conditions sufficient to ensure that labor productivity growth is a positive function of the wage share. Second, we show that the steady state wage share depends on the saving rate if, and only if, R&D investment affects the marginal rate of transformation between labor and capital productivity growth. Both results have important policy implications as they clarify under what conditions any factor affecting the wage share or the saving rate will have an impact on labor productivity growth or steady-state income distribution.

The Role of Colonialism in the Transformation of the Indigenous Naming System of the Amuthambi of Tharaka Nithi County, Kenya, 1920-1963

Naming is a universal phenomenon and as old as human history. In traditional Africa, naming was complex and authentic. The cultural values, traditions, beliefs and norms were highly linked with the African naming. However, colonial policies, practices and activities such as taxation, cash crop farming, wage labour, modern health care, Christianity and Western education impacted heavily the traditional naming system of the Amuthambi. The current research focused on establishing the role of colonialism in the transformation of the indigenous naming system of the Amuthambi from 1920 to 1963. The research was conducted among the Amuthambi of Mitheru and Muthambi wards in Tharaka Nithi County, Kenya. The study employed the structural functionalism theory and the acculturation theory. A descriptive research design based on a qualitative approach was used to describe the phenomena. A purposive sampling procedure and snowballing technique were employed to identify the respondents. The concept of data saturation was applied and the information was mainly gathered using primary sources including; oral sources and archival. Secondary sources including books, journals, dissertations, articles, thesis and electronics were also used to corroborate the primary data. An interview guide was used to aid in collecting the oral data. Data was analyzed thematically and later presented in narrative form. The findings of the study established that the introduction of taxation, forced labour, cash crop farming, wage economy, western education, modern healthcare and Christianity weakened the traditional naming principles, patterns and procedures and a new naming system emerged. At the end of the colonial period the society became more individualistic, and matters about the birth and naming of the child became more of a private affair contrary to the traditional setup. Consequently, a new version of the naming system that characterizes the hybridity of both traditional and modern naming systems became evident among the Amuthambi. The study documents the historical influence of colonialism on African cultural practices by investigating the influence of colonialism on the transformation of the indigenous naming system of the Amuthambi.

Post Service Labor Market Performance of Immigrant Veterans

ABSTRACTMy research examines the labor market performance of prime-age (20-54) male immigrant veterans in the all-volunteer era, using the American Community Survey (2010-2019) and a linear regression model. I compare them with two reference groups: U.S.-born male veterans and non-veteran male immigrants. Immigrant veterans show higher labor force participation and employment rates compared to U.S.-born veterans. Conversely, when compared to non-veteran immigrants, the trend is reversed. Overall, no statistically significant disparities are found in labor income and wage analysis. However, heterogeneous effects emerge based on education level, race, and birthplace. Immigrant veterans earn less income compared to U.S.-born veterans in the non-Hispanic White group, while no significant differences are observed in other races. Furthermore, compared to non-veteran immigrants, Hispanic/Latino and non-Hispanic Black immigrant veterans have higher labor incomes or wages, especially for those with a high school education as their highest level of attainment. In contrast, non-Hispanic White immigrant veterans earn less, particularly among individuals with a college education. Additionally, immigrant veterans from developed countries have lower incomes and wages compared to their non-veteran counterparts, whereas no such disadvantage is observed for immigrants from developing countries. These findings suggest potential advantages associated with military service in minority groups.

Peran Perusahaan Multinasional Dalam Meningkatkan Sektor Perekonomian Di Indonesia

Multinational corporations are involved in a country's economic sector because they are important in absorbing labor and increasing a country's per capita income. The purpose of this study is to highlight the importance of detailed knowledge about multinational companies that may have some impact on Indonesia's economy. The research method used is a qualitative research method using the technique of collecting library research data using multiple references and information from relevant institutions of the Indonesian economy. The findings show that the role of multinational corporations has both positive and negative impacts. On the positive side, the role of Multinationals could provide Indonesia with adequate opportunities to develop the country's economic sector through Indonesia's foreign exchange contributions. Apart from that, Indonesia is attracting attention from other countries as other countries believe that Indonesia can increase foreign investment due to Indonesia's rich resource potential and emphasis on labor wages in developing countries like Indonesia increasingly recognized. On the negative side, the Indonesian government does not emphasize multinational companies in terms of domestic trade and industry regulations, providing opportunities for domestic companies to compete domestically.

Labour Force Composition and Labour Shortage in North-Western Romania: A Cross-County Comparison1

Abstract The paper analyses the labour force composition of two adjacent counties in north-west Romania: Maramureș and Sălaj. Regionally, employers stress the lack of available labour force and resort to commuter networks from nearby rural areas and immigrant labour. Why labour shortage? It is argued that Romania’s FDI-reliant export-led growth model factors in. Namely, the growth model’s reliance on low-cost labour that reduces employment incentives to a minimum (often minimum wage) and employment in repetitive labour-intensive activities make the prospect less attractive. If technological upgrading – requiring skilled employees – is absent, regional labour availability tends to be an issue. Alternative subsistence methods are favoured: seasonal transnational migration, household agricultural subsistence and remittances from relatives. Tying livelihood to families and households, these methods pool resources to replace (even if in part) wage labour under global market-dependency conditions.

THE IMPACT OF LABOUR, WAGE, AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT INDEX ON ECONOMIC GROWTH

Introduction: This study aims to estimate the impact of Labor Level, Wage Level, and Human Development Index on economic growth in DKI Jakarta Province between 2012 and 2021. Methods: This study employed quantitative research methodologies utilizing secondary data as its data source. Central Statistical Agency data on GRDP, Human Development Index, Manpower, and Provincial Minimum Wages were gathered (www.bps.go.id). This study used a multivariate linear regression model to determine the impact of variables using the Least Squares Equation. Results: The results of this study reveal that the macroeconomic variables HDI, Labors, and Wages have no substantial influence on GRDP. Conclusion and suggestion: To influence the increase or reduction in the level of economic growth, however, the rate of economic growth (GRDP) is not only affected by macroeconomic variables but also by religiosity-related factors.

Analysis of the Effects of State Aid on the Development of Algerian Dairy Farms: The Case of National Unemployment Fund (CNAC)

This study is aimed at demonstrating the importance of public investment in developing the dairy sector through support schemes such as the CNAC (national unemployment fund). Fifty-five dairy farms benefiting from CNAC funding were surveyed. The results show that 63% of the beneficiaries have difficulties with the submission and processing of their administrative files. The lack of technical control by the CNAC services was reported by the vast majority of beneficiary farmers (83%). There has been an increase in the number of wage labourers from nine to 20% of the total farm labour force. There has been an increase in the number of farms with a small forage area (0-5 ha). Bovine livestock increased by 12%, the most important breed being the Montbeliarde. More than half of the farmers have increased the amount of concentrates distributed, from an average of 7 to 10 kg per animal per day. Green fodder is also appearing in the form of wrapped silage distributed throughout the year. Milk production increased by 7.3%, from 17.7 litres per cow per day to 19.1 litres per cow per day. Natural breeding is still practised by 42% of farmers, despite the prevalence of artificial insemination. Finally, 54 % of the farmers benefiting from the programme say that dairy production has become unprofitable because of higher production costs. It would be preferable for this mechanism to improve and simplify the administrative procedure and ensure effective follow-up of beneficiary farmers in order to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of CNAC funding.

Determinants of Labor Participation and Wages toward People with Disabilities in Indonesia

Reductions in the supply of labor and wages occur to people with disabilities. Disability conditions cause a decline in productivity so that the probability of being a labor is small, risk of unemployment and loss of income. The high prevalence of disabilities in Indonesia causes inequality of labor participation and wages for disabilities in Indonesia based on the type of disabilities. The data used is Indonesia Family Life Survey (IFLS) waves 4 and 5 by pooled cross-section. The analysis methods are logit and tobit models. The results showed that communicative disabilities have a higher chance of labor participation and wages. Factors of the degree of severity, age, male, head of household, education, urban, chronic disease, ownership of insurance, and ownership of assets also affect labor participation and wages for disabilities. The labor activation program for disabilities is a succession and initiative as welfare reform, poverty alleviation and an indicator of inclusive development.

Profit Efficiency among Dairy Farmers in Southern India: An Application of Stochastic Frontier Profit Function.

Background: Dairy farming has emerged as an important profitable enterprise in India as it is a source of income, especially for small and marginal farmers;the study aims to understand the reasons for increased profit of dairy farmers of South Indian states. Methods: The present study was undertaken in Southern Indian states during 2020-21 to estimate the profit efficiency of milk producers across different herd-size categories. Result: Maximum likelihood estimates (MLE) of specified profit function revealed that overall, prices of green fodder (0.1873), prices of concentrate (0.1072), veterinary service rate (0.0569) and herd size (0.7545), had a positive and significant impact on normalized profits, whereas prices of dry fodder (-0.0277) and labour wages (-0.1652) had a negative and significant impact on normalized profits, respectively. Overall, the mean profit efficiency of dairy farmers was found to be 58.65 per cent indicating 41.35 per cent of profit efficiency was lost due to technical and allocative inefficiencies in milk production. Results from the profit inefficiency model revealed that overall, education, herd size, herd composition and experience in dairy farming had a negative and significant impact on profit inefficiency.

Constraint Analysis of Paddy Seed and Grain Production in Karimnagar District of Telangana Using Garrett’s Ranking Technique

The present study was conducted in Karimnagar purposively selected district of Telangana to identify the constraints perceived by farmers in grain and seed production of hybrid and open pollinated varities of paddy . From this district three mandals i.e Vinavanka mandal, Manakondur mandal and Shankarpatnam mandal, were selected randomly among seed growing mandals for collecting primary data. From each mandal, one village was selected as a sample i.e Elbaka village (Vinavanka mandal), Utoor village (Manakondur mandal) and Kannapur village (Shankarpatnam mandal). Sampling was done covering all farm size groups. In every chosen village, a total of 60 farmers were selected for sampling. This selection was designed to encompass 20 farmers engaged in the production of Hybrid seeds, another 20 involved in the production of OPV seeds, and an additional 20 farmers focused on grain production. Consequently, the complete sample consisted of 180 farmers distributed among the three villages. Garrett’ ranking technique was adopted to analyze the constraints as perceived by the respondents in Grain and seed production of paddy. The results revealed that major constraints perceived by rice growers were unfavourable weather conditions which ranked first with Garrett mean score around 85, followed by higher labour wage.

The neo-Goodwinian model reconsidered

This paper examines the relationship between aggregate demand and the wage share in the US using a vector autoregression methodology. It finds evidence of Goodwin-cycle effects – that is, profit-led demand and a profit-squeeze effect – in baseline estimates using assumptions traditionally used in the aggregative literature. However, estimates that examine the relationship between demand and the two components of the wage share (the real wage rate and labor productivity) indicate that these results are highly sensitive to ordering restrictions relating demand and labor productivity and that different types of shocks to the wage share may have differing effects on demand. The results suggest two possible interpretations of the initial Goodwin-cycle finding, depending on the assumptions used to identify the demand–productivity relationship. One suggests that the initial estimates reflect a causal relationship in which the effects are driven by a positive effect of productivity on demand and a negative effect of demand on productivity. The other suggests that the initial Goodwin-cycle finding may be spurious, as it interprets contemporaneous pro-cyclical variation in labor productivity as a profit-led demand effect, thereby obscuring an underlying wage-led relationship.

Do cleaner production standards upgrade the global value chain position of manufacturing enterprises? Empirical evidence from China

The harmonious development of trade and environment is extremely crucial for developing countries that face challenges posed by extensive economic models and environmental pollution as they strive to engage more deeply in the global economy. This article utilizes micro-level data from the Chinese Industrial Enterprises Database (CIED) and the Chinese Customs Trade Database (CCTD) from 2000 to 2012. It takes China's implementation of cleaner production standards (CPS) since 2003 as a quasi-natural experiment and applies staggered DID to investigate the impact and mechanisms of exogenous shocks from environmental policies on upgrading and transformation of enterprise value chains. The aim is to provide comprehensive empirical evidence regarding the availability of environmental regulations and the GVC position of Chinese enterprises. Thus, we also offer valuable insights for similar developing countries seeking a path toward high-quality advancement. The research findings are as follows. First, CPS exerts a significant upgrading effect on enterprise value chains, and this conclusion is highly robust. Second, heterogeneity analysis reveals that the upgrading effect of CPS on value chains is predominantly influenced by factors including the enterprise's asset scale, ownership structure, geographical location, trade pattern, as well as the technological level and pollution intensity within its specific industry. Third, further tests through mechanism analysis reveal that CPS expedited the integration of Chinese manufacturing enterprises in GVC by promoting innovation and R&D capabilities, enhancing total factor productivity, and improving labor wages.

Financial Strain, Covid-19 Anxiety and Suicidal Ideation Among Wage Workers During the Pandemic Crisis 2019

The global lockdowns owing to the Covid-19 pandemic have sparked attention in the relationship between financial strain, anxiety and suicidal thoughts among wage workers in India, the worst hit. This study was inspired by the lack of data on wage labourers’ financial strain, Covid-19 anxiety and suicidal ideation during the pandemic. This study is supported by the General Strain Theory, which states that economic or financial stress causes dissatisfaction, sadness and anxiety, which can lead to suicide ideation ( Agnew, 1992 ). Wage labourers from Jammu and Kashmir (India) in the informal sector were studied. However, the sample frame was unavailable. Thus, the researchers used convenience sampling to choose respondents from all Kashmir valley districts. Questionnaire item count determined sample size. According to Hair et al. (1998) , the sample size should be 10 times the questionnaire items. A sample of 395 wage workers was selected. Path analysis showed that financial strain causes suicidal ideation and anxiety (Covid-19), while wage workers’ worry leads to suicidal ideation. Financial stress and suicidal ideation are partially mediated by anxiety (Covid-19). These findings imply wage workers take specific steps to improve themselves and prepare for future crises like Covid-19. The survey found wage employees were hardest harmed by the pandemic. This experience shows that government, non-government organizations and religious communities are necessary and supportive. The government should provide food security and health insurance to wage earners in emergencies. For schemes, compensation and other benefits, the government should help workers to register with labour and employment organizations. Future studies would seek to identify other pandemic-related factors that drive wage workers to suicide. In a crisis, revealing additional factors might help create wage-earning programmes. Further investigations in diverse situations are needed to derive context-specific findings to validate this study.

Architectures of Coloniality

The Owens Valley Paiute, traditional caretakers of the “Land of Flowing Water,” face continued threats to their livelihood due to decades of water extraction from the region by the city of Los Angeles. The precarious state of Indigenous lands and peoples across California is entangled with historical processes supported by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and the off-reservation boarding school system. During the first half of the twentieth century, Paiute, Mission Indian and other Indigenous youth were sent to the Sherman Institute in Riverside, the last of twenty-five boarding schools to be built and operated by the BIA. Accompanying its Mission Revival style façade and the associated narratives of racial uplift, the school aimed to distance students from tribal affiliations, teaching them Anglo, heteropatriarchal forms of domesticity, and training them to become wage laborers in the farming, construction, and domestic service trades. After graduation, many students were employed by the federal government to convert tribal lands to agricultural plots and private property, while many others found low-wage, unskilled positions in the building and maintenance of Southern California’s expanding metropolis. This paper investigates the role of the Sherman Institute in the exploitation of Indigenous lands and labor for regional development, and therefore, the production of racialized precarity for Indigenous peoples. By engaging with Indigenous epistemologies, the paper works to stretch the limits of history/theory, to expose systems of confinement for their racialized underpinnings, and to introduce more fluid conceptions of land, property, and personhood.

Commercial timber plantations and community livelihoods: Insights from comparative case studies in southern Laos

The social impacts of industrial wood plantations (IWP) in Southeast Asia are extensively contested. Whilst productive, well-managed IWPs can offer a range of benefits to broader societies, they have also been criticised as driving community displacement and economic marginalisation. There is benefit to comparative case studies that identify the conditions whereby IWPs can support improved rural well-being. This paper assesses changes in resource tenure and livelihoods following plantation establishment in three selected case communities in southern Laos, using a rural appraisal approach. The study finds that IWPs can contribute positively to local livelihoods in Laos, under conditions. These occur when sufficient land is reserved for diversified land uses; local people secure plantation employment; there is adequate compensation for formal and informal land claims; and there are tangible contributions to village infrastructure and development. The availability plantation wage labour alone was found to be inadequate for driving broad livelihood improvement. Fieldwork identified the lingering negative social impacts of uncompensated land dispossession. Assessments of realised community benefits of plantation schemes should be considered in relation to the increasing underlying value of forest-lands in Laos. The paper provides updated policy options for an improved balance between stakeholder interests in Laos' strategic plantation sector.

The impact of extreme temperature on labor wage: Evidence from Chinese manufacturing firms

Labor wage is a common focus of welfare economics and public policy, but little is known about its response to climate factors. With random year-to-year variation in temperature based on county-level data while using comprehensive and nationwide manufacturing data in China, this paper identifies the effect of extreme temperatures on firm-level labor wage. The result shows an inverted U-shape relationship between temperature and firm-level labor wage. We find that extremely high and low temperatures affect labor wage through different channels. Specifically, extremely cold temperatures lower labor wage by reducing the average wage from the intensive margin, whereas the negative impact of high temperatures on labor wage is mainly driven by the decrease in the number of employees from the extensive margin aspect. The temperature effect is more pronounced for labor-intensive firms, firms with employees with lower education levels, and low-tech firms. Areas with a hot climate are more sensitive to extremely cold temperatures but are not affected by extremely high temperatures because of the adaptation to climate change. We also find that the high-temperature subsidy policy has not achieved the expected goal of protecting workers’ welfare during this period. Our results suggest that China should raise public awareness of the danger of extreme temperatures and take various adaptive measures to deal with extreme temperatures.