Job Skill and Black Male Wage Discrimination*

Objective. Debate over the causes of wage inequality have raised suggestions that, rather than discrimination, skill differences may be the reason for racial wage disparities. The purpose of this research is to examine what impact on‐the‐job skill differences have on wage inequality. Method. I regress the log wage onto race and a measure of skill. The Multi‐City Study of Urban Inequality Employer Survey is particularly useful in this analysis because it contains the employer's evaluation of the worker's relative skill against other workers. Result. When white and black men have the same employer's competitive performance rating, rather than decreasing racial wage differences, the differences actually increase. Conclusion. The wage gap is not a skills gap, but evidence of racial discrimination in the labor market.     

We're All in This Together: Context, Contacts, and Social Trust in Canada

How do conditions of diversity and inequality affect the sense of solidarity with each other that is manifested as social trust? This article brings together the literatures on racial heterogeneity, inter-group contact and relative deprivation to test and enrich the existing theoretical understanding of trust. It explores the effects of city and neighborhood contexts, individual experiences of inter-group relations, and their moderating effects on social trust. Findings suggest that the influence of a city's level of ethnic/racial diversity and income inequality is conditioned by inter-group social ties and experiences of discrimination. By considering the characteristics of neighborhoods, racial diversity of cities no longer has any significant association with trust in others. However, income inequality at the city level interacts with experiences of discrimination to undermine trust. Public policies aimed at improving social cohesion would benefit from considering the joint impact of economic and social policies that regulate resource distribution and hence shape inter-group relations.     

Combating Racial Discrimination: The Effectiveness of an International Legal Regime

Correspondence to Dr Kwong-leung Tang, Social Work Program, University of Northern British Columbia, 3333 University Way, Prince George, BC, Canada V2N 4Z9. E-mail: tangk{at}unbc.ca Summary The use of an international legal regime as an avenue of redressfor racial discrimination has a long history. The introductionof an International Convention on the Elimination of All Formsof Racial Discrimination in 1965 signalled the world's commitmentto end racial discrimination. This article reviews the individualcommunications procedure under the Convention and analyses afew successful cases of complaint against racial discrimination.It argues that this mechanism provides a potent avenue of redressfor racial discrimination. Social workers have much to offerin helping their clients to bring their cases to the internationalarena. In concert with NGOs and legal professionals, they couldwork to ensure that racial discrimination is tackled on boththe domestic and international stages. Linking the global andlocal levels of intervention against racial discrimination shouldbecome the practice of every social worker, whatever their countryor field of expertise.     

The historical patterns of occupational attainment of racial minorities in Massachusetts: An analysis of the 1974–2002 Current Population Survey Data

In the past three decades numerous studies have been conducted to document structural changes in the labor market and their impacts on occupational attainment at the national level. However, few systematic studies have been conducted to assess racial disparity in the labor market at the state level over time. As Massachusetts has become more racially diverse than ever before and is prepared for greater challenges in the global economy, the state has to make sure that its labor force is ready to embrace the challenges. Thus, it is critically important to review the historical patterns of racial disparity in the state labor market over time and to explore factors that may help address occupational disparity. Relying on the human capital theory, this study will use the state data from the Current Population Surveys to assess the extent of labor market segmentation and examine factors that may contribute to racial occupational attainment over time.     

Where have the social sciences come in understanding racial discrimination? An economist’s viewpoint

Following a brief assessment of the postwar literature on discrimination, this essay tracks black economic progress from 1940–2000. During the postwar period, social scientists studying discrimination have focused on three areas- the origins of prejudice, antidiscrimination policy and measuring whether equals are treated unequally. The emphasis in the literature, particularly in economics, has been on the third area. It is well documented that during 1940–80, blacks made significant relative economic progress. The consensus in the literature is that this progress was due to a significant narrowing of the racial educational gap, improved quality of black schools and the migration of blacks to the North. However, little is known about the extent of racial discrimination during this period. The 1980–2000 period is characterized by nearly complete stagnation in black economic progress and social scientists know relatively little about the reasons for the stagnation. The extent of racial discrimination during the later period is virtually unknown. The uncertainty about the post-1980 period can only be resolved through scrutiny of newly emerging data sets.     

Racial Diversity,Representative Bureaucracy,and Equity in Multiracial School Districts*

Objective. This study examines the conditions under which minorities will face policy inequity within the educational system. It turns to the theory of representative bureaucracy as one possible explanation, and extends the literature by considering whether African‐American students benefit from the presence of Latinos on teaching faculties and vice versa. This study also tests competing theories of how racial context influences minority educational policy outcomes. Methods. This study combines original survey data with data gathered by the U.S. Census to predict levels of academic grouping in U.S. school districts as reported by the Office of Civil Rights. Results. Minority teachers lower levels of discrimination among all minority students, not just co‐ethnics. Moreover, minority teachers do so consistently and with a substantive impact that occasionally rivals that of co‐ethnic teachers. The findings also suggest that greater levels of racial/ethnic diversity within a district are associated with lower levels of discrimination. Conclusion. Theories of race relations must move beyond black‐Anglo or Latino‐Anglo relations to consider how multiple racial/ethnic groups interact, and how such interactions affect the lives of minority groups differently.     

Together They Become One: Examining the Predictors of Panethnic Group Consciousness Among Asian Americans and Latinos*

Objective. This article examines panethnic consciousness as it applies to the two fastest‐growing minority groups in the United States: Asian Americans and Latinos. Given the challenges of diversity and immigration faced by these two communities, I examine the individual‐level factors that help strengthen their panethnic group identity. Methods. Drawing from data provided by the 2000 Pilot National Asian American Political Survey and the 1999 National Survey on Latinos, I use ordered probit models to determine the predictors of panethnic consciousness among both Asian Americans and Latinos. Results. The models confirm that for Asian Americans, high income, involvement in Asian‐American politics, being a Democrat, and the role of racial discrimination encourage panethnic consciousness. For Latinos, the important factors are higher levels of education, gender, being foreign born, involvement in Latino politics, and perceptions of discrimination. Conclusions. The findings here stress the importance of social contextual factors such as racial discrimination on the formation of panethnic identity.     

快速发展的北京物流配送业

文章提出在新世纪快速发展的物流配送行业将成为社会前进、经济发展的重要基础性产业。本文从物流配送业的历史沿革和国内外的发展状况 ,分析了 2 1世纪的企业竞争是供应链与供应链之间的竞争 ,论述了北京市物流配送业快速发展的有利条件、广阔前景及影响其发展的因素。     

Training and the Earnings of Immigrant Males: Evidence from the Canadian Workplace and Employee Survey*

Objective. To improve on the existing research on earnings differentials between visible minority immigrants and the native‐born, and on the role of discrimination in producing that difference. To do this we introduce into the analysis: (1) access to training and (2) training effects on earnings growth. Method. Using a panel data set containing information on training we test cross‐sectional models of access to training, cross‐sectional models of wage determination, and panel models of wage growth. Results. Visible minority immigrants are disadvantaged in both access to training and earnings; education reduces the disadvantage; and they do better than the other two groups in wage growth. Conclusions. Some results are consistent with a discrimination interpretation but, considered together, the complete sets of results are difficult to reconcile with any relatively straightforward discrimination account.     

Social energy and racial segregation in the university context

Objectives: Universities often promote their diversity as a selling point, but are students of different races at these universities integrated socially? Using theories on social energy, I examine racial segregation among university students. Methods: Quantitative data were collected on student residence patterns and social groupings formed at lunch tables at a case study university. In addition, interviews were conducted with 25 students. Results: Students are substantially more segregated than chance predicts. Blacks and Hispanics are particularly segregated. Interviews reveal that these students spend large amounts of social energy coping with prejudice and discrimination as well as functioning in a student culture they find unwelcoming and foreign. Conclusions: Social energy drains on minority students from discrimination and an unwelcoming campus culture reduce energy left for interracial interaction, making these racial groups more segregated. The study highlights the need for understanding segregation as a function of the interaction of out-group preferences, in-group preferences, and the larger social context.     

鸦片战争前明清对外经济关系的比较分析与启示

明代中国如能顺利通过传统经济走向衰亡的危机 ,资本主义发展的历史将会完全改写 ;清王朝本身有足够时间进入新的发展舞台并融入最早时期的全球化之中 ;经济的矛盾被严格限制于国内市场 ,高度的政治统一扼杀了制度性竞争的发展 ,使新制度难以出现、胜出甚至被创造性地模仿 ;为维持大一统的封建专制体制而耗尽对外经济所获巨额收入及全球化初期的有利环境是中国落后挨打的主因 ;全球化发展中当代人类要解决的问题不过是 1840年前明清中国问题的放大。当代中国在加强对外经济联系 ,融入世界大市场的同时 ,必须加快实现文化和政治的去旧迎新     

Gender differences in labor market wages: A comparison of industrial sector effects and a decomposition within four occupations

Women earn less than men. The reason may be due to either industrial segmentation or occupational segregation or both according to the current research. Researches focusing on one structure tend to neglect the other or to use an inadequate representation. This article examines the simultaneous impact of industrial sector and gender on imputed wages with labor force incumbents in four detailed occupations. These occupations are from a set identified as relatively internally homogeneous on measures of task performed from the Dictionary of Occupational Titles. Thus, within-occupational differences in work performed between males and females are minimized. The findings reinforce the importance of industrial sector for economic outcomes and demonstrate the value of an improved representation of occupation. The decomposition shows wage discrimination exists against females in each of these occupations, and in two sector-by-sector occupation comparisons, females should earn more than males.     

Immigration and wage inequality in the 1990s: Panel evidence from the current population survey

In spite of record economic growth in the 1990s, income inequality continued to escalate in the United States. One popular explanation is that the proportion of unskilled immigrant inflows has increased due to policy reforms over the last four decades. This study evaluates the impact of immigrant skills on inequality using a panel data set of states derived from the March Current Population Survey (CPS). The data set provides unique insights into local impacts of immigration due to its ability to discern shorter-term annual adjustments versus the traditional longer-term focus of the Decennial Census. Using a basic theoretical model to develop testable hypotheses, the dynamic analyses reveal that increased relative inflows of unskilled immigrants indeed increase wage inequality. The impact on native wage inequality is especially pronounced, with an effect nearly twice as large as that on overall wage inequality.     

日美对外贸易政策的取向及启示

日本和美国的对外贸易政策是随着国内外经济环境的变化而不断地进行调整和完善的。一方面,对外贸易政策在总体趋势上呈现自由化;另一方面,又根据各自经济贸易发展的实际大力推行管理贸易。中国在对外贸易政策的选择上,既要将贸易自由化作为对外贸易政策的基本取向,更要适应国际贸易发展趋势,加大实施管理贸易的力度。     

Diffusion and policy transfer in armed UAV proliferation: the cases of Italy and Germany

In a 2015 policy change, the U.S. State Department released guidelines governing the sale of armed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to other countries, and several export agreements were signed shortly later. While considerable scholarly effort has been devoted to the impact or consequences of UAV proliferation, few studies have analyzed the actual diffusion process. This article applies the insights from both diffusion theory and policy transfer to examine the various diffusion mechanisms while using the experiences from Italy and Germany to illustrate distinct cases policy convergence and divergence, respectively. While the competition mechanism is typically constrained to policy adopting jurisdictions, evidence on armed UAV diffusion suggests policy transfer decisions can also hinge on competition among exporting jurisdictions. Consequently, we seek to point attention to the interaction between diffusion mechanisms (such as competition) and various domestic conditions, demonstrating that diffusion is neither apolitical nor necessarily neutral in character.     

Immigration,terrorism, and the economy

In this paper, we look at the interaction of terrorism with immigrants’ quality of life (measured by the foreign-born unemployment rate and globalization level) for OECD countries, and its impact on GDP per capita. We find strong evidence that GDP per capita is adversely affected by domestic terrorism. The magnitude of this effect is also substantial: at the sample mean, a one-standard-deviation increase in the number of domestic incidents is found to decrease GDP per capita between 5.7 % and 7.8 % of the sample average depending on the specification used. These results contrast with previous research which finds that transnational terrorism primarily affects these economic indicators. We find strong evidence that when we factor in the interaction of the foreign-born unemployment rate with either type of terrorism, an increase in the foreign-born unemployment rate decreases GDP per capita. On the policy front, we show that peace is valuable, and OECD countries will benefit by adopting policies to reduce the problem of terrorism. We also find that an increase in the foreign-born unemployment rate has a large negative impact on GDP per capita and policies that close the gap between foreign-born and native-born unemployment rates (for example, those aimed at reducing discrimination against immigrants) help the economy.     

Macroeconomic impact of public debt and foreign aid in Sri Lanka

Accumulation of public debt in Sri Lanka is raised significantly since the independence. It exceeded 100% of gross domestic products (GDP) in the late 1980s and the early 2000s. Although it has been declined in the recent past and becomes 79.3% of GDP in 2016; the high level of debt in a weak fiscal position of the small economy Sri Lanka is an issue of concern. In this backdrop, this paper examines the impact of public debt and foreign aid on income, price level and interest rate in Sri Lanka for the post-reform period. It is found that public debt in general and foreign debt, in particular, depresses income and stimulates price level. Domestic debt has some impact on the price level. On the other hand, foreign aid has a deleterious effect on both the income and price level. The foreign debt and aid have raised interest rate both in the short-run and in the long-run, while no significant impact of the domestic debt on interest rate is found. Based on these findings, the paper elaborates on some long-term measures for reducing the dependence on debt and aid in Sri Lanka.     

Job Mobility and Early Career Wage Growth of White,African‐American,and Hispanic Women*

Objective. This article examines whether and how young women's job mobility influences racial and ethnic wage‐growth differentials during the first eight years after leaving school. Methods. We use the NLSY‐79 Work History File to simulate the influence of job mobility on the wages of skilled and unskilled workers. Results. African‐American and Hispanic women average less job mobility than white women, especially if they did not attend college. Unskilled women who experience frequent job changes during the first four postschool years reap positive wage returns, but turnover beyond the shopping period incurs wage penalties. Job mobility does not appear to boost wage growth for college‐educated women. Conclusions. Among unskilled women, race and ethnic wage disparities partly derive from group differences in the frequency of job changes, but unequal returns to job mobility drive the wage gaps for skilled women. We discuss several explanations for these disparities.     

Exchange rate and wage policies in Central and Eastern Europe

After the eastern enlargement of the European Union (EU) and due to increasing labor market integration, wage determination in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) has become a key issue in European economic policy making. In addition, a controversial discussion concerning the monetary integration of CEE countries into the EMU has emerged. Both issues have earned particular academic and political interest because Eastern and Western Europe are at different stages of economic development and volatile international capital flows seem to require either a higher degree of wage or exchange rate flexibility. Based on the Scandinavian model of wage adjustment by Lindbeck (1979), we analyze the role of exchange rates in the wage determination process of the Central and Eastern European countries to identify which exchange rate strategy contributes to faster wage convergence in Europe. Panel estimations suggest that workers in countries with fixed exchange rates are likely to benefit in the long run from higher wage increases.