Good jobs and bad jobs for Indonesia's informal workers

In contrast to the majority of studies that have treated informal workers as a single homogeneous group, this article accounts for the possibility of “winners” and “losers” among informal workers. Applying unconditional quantile regressions to data from the Indonesian Family Life Survey, the authors are able to estimate the formal–informal wage gaps for different segments of the earnings distribution. Although the evidence confirms the existence of a substantial earnings penalty for many informal workers, there is also a group who earn roughly similar incomes to formal workers. The findings are consistent with Fields's (1990 and 2005) model of heterogeneous informal employment.     

Are unionized blue collar jobs more hazardous than nonunionized blue collar jobs?

The University of Michigan’s Quality of Employment Survey for 1977 (QES) contains 13 questions pertaining to health and safety conditions at the workplace. Using these questions, together with the injury rate associated with the worker’s industry, this study finds evidence that unionized blue collar jobs are more hazardous than nonunionized blue collar jobs whether hazards are defined as resulting in injury or disease. In addition, the evidence suggests that age, schooling, and being female are negatively associated with the probability of holding a hazardous job. Race has no apparent effect on the probability.     

Gender, technology and jobs

Men have traditionally gained more than women from access to technologies at work which bring prestige, job security, more satisfying work and higher pay. Typically female jobs have centred on technologies, if they have at all, which tend towards routine and possibly deskilled work. Typing is a prime example. It is possible that this is changing through computerization, which is extensive but also equally distributed by gender. Does the wage premium, which use of a computer has been found to confer on users, benefit women sufficiently to suggest some sort of equalization through technology, or possibly even a female advantage? This is tested using data from four European countries. There is no across‐the‐board benefit from the use of computers. For both men and women it depends on the nature of their occupation. Some, more routine usages of computers are associated with a negative outcome. However, this occupational balance itself varies by gender.     

Ergonomic analysis jobs in recovered factories

With the advent of the deep economic crisis in Argentina on 2001, the recovery of companies through to the creation of the Cooperatives Working Self-Management or Factories Recovered by its workers was constituted as one of the ways in which the salaried disobeyed the increasing unemployment. When the companies turn into recovered factories they tend to leave of side practices that have been seen like imposed by the previous organization and not understanding them as a primary condition for the execution of his tasks. Safety and ergonomics are two disciplines that are no longer considered relevant to the daily work. Therefore this investigation aims to revalue, undergo semantic to give back to a place in every organization analyzed. This research developed a self-diagnostic tool for working conditions, and the environment, present in the recovered factories.     

Hidden jobs: Good news for sociologists

Applied sociology, if defined broadly enough, is a ray of light for sociology graduates in an otherwise dismal career landscape. This is particularly true in the Washington, D. C. metropolitan area. Sociologists’ general or liberal arts skills are as valuable, if not more valuable, than research specialization. Finding a job in government requires a different strategy than a job with a government contractor. Unfortunately, in neither case is there a rational path or match-up between a person’s skills and finding the job which utilizes these skills. Local knowledge can help in making the match. Edward Sabin, Ph.D., University of Michigan 1970, taught sociology for five years in the Midwest. Since 1974, he worked for 8 years as a writer/researcher under a number of government contracts in the area of international health. Currently he is a writer/systems analyst for a NASA library automation project.     

Scheduling challenges among workers in low-wage hourly jobs: similarities and differences among workers in standard- and nonstandard-hour jobs

Work schedules are a central theme in the work–family challenges of low-wage hourly workers. Yet, research on scheduling patterns among this worker population has primarily focused on nonstandard schedules. We know very little about the scheduling patterns of workers in hourly jobs with standard fixed schedules. Knowledge about the key scheduling challenges by schedule type is necessary to develop targeted workplace solutions, such as flexible work arrangements, to enhance work–life fit among workers in low-wage hourly jobs. Using the 2008 National Study of the Changing Workforce, bivariate and multivariate analyses were employed to determine (1) the prevalence of rigid, unpredictable and unstable work schedules among low-wage hourly workers employed in jobs with standard and nonstandard schedules and whether there is variation in these scheduling practices among full- and part-time workers; and (2) the individual or job characteristics that influence the odds of experiencing rigid, unpredictable or unstable work schedules. Results indicate that rigid and unpredictable schedule practices are most prevalent among low-wage hourly workers in full-time standard-hour jobs and part-time nonstandard-hour jobs, while unstable scheduling practices are most prevalent among hourly workers in full- and part-time nonstandard-hour jobs. Implications and limitations of the research are discussed.     

Linking jobs in global supply chains to demand

The expansion of global supply chains (GSCs) has increasingly disconnected the location of jobs from the demand supporting them, both geographically and in terms of sector. Using data from the World Input–Output Database, the authors examine these linkages across 40 countries over the period 1995–2013, expanding on earlier analysis published by the ILO, and provide evidence of the number of GSC‐related jobs in terms of job location–export destination combinations. Their findings point to changing patterns in demand and supply of GSC‐related jobs, increasing the role of China as a demand generator, reinforcing production linkages between emerging economies and increasing the number of service jobs dependent on manufacturing GSCs.     

Quality upgrading and restrictive hiring practices in unionized jobs

Most previous work has suggested that unionized employers upgrade labor quality of new hires, but has been silent on the behavior of unions when they control hiring. In this paper, it is argued that unions also have the incentive to upgrade quality, but to an extent less than or equal to upgrading by employers. Empirical support for this argument is provided using data from the National Longitudinal Surveys of young men and young women, in conjunction with an industry measure of union control over hiring. Years of schooling and worker IQ measure labor quality. The author may be contacted at 9271-B Jamison Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19115. She thanks her dissertation committee members Masanori Hashimoto, Patricia Reagan, and especially Donald Parsons, for their detailed comments, and seminar participants at the Ohio State University for helpful suggestions on previous drafts.     

Foreign trade barriers and jobs in global supply chains

This article uses ILO global supply chain job estimates to study the impact on domestic jobs of foreign barriers to trade in goods and services. Empirical analysis largely confirms predictions derived from a theoretical model calibrated to WIOD data for 2000 and 2011. Barriers to trade in manufacturing and services are both found to have a cross‐border impact on jobs in their own sector and spill‐over effects in other sectors, the latter becoming stronger over time. This article shows the labour market consequences of the increased interconnectedness of countries and sectors through global supply chains, which suggests that trade policy can have significant external effects on foreign labour markets.     

Biomechanical modelling and evaluation of construction jobs for performance improvement

Occupational risk factors, such as awkward posture, repetition, lack of rest, insufficient illumination and heavy workload related to construction-related MMH activities may cause musculoskeletal disorders and poor performance of the workers, ergonomic design of construction worksystems was a critical need for improving their health and safety wherein a dynamic biomechanical models were required to be empirically developed and tested at a construction site of Tata Steel, the largest steel making company of India in private sector. In this study, a comprehensive framework is proposed for biomechanical evaluation of shovelling and grinding under diverse work environments. The benefit of such an analysis lies in its usefulness in setting guidelines for designing such jobs with minimization of risks of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and enhancing correct methods of carrying out the jobs leading to reduced fatigue and physical stress. Data based on direct observations and videography were collected for the shovellers and grinders over a number of workcycles. Compressive forces and moments for a number of segments and joints are computed with respect to joint flexion and extension. The results indicate that moments and compressive forces at L5/S1 link are significant for shovellers while moments at elbow and wrist are significant for grinders.     

Rural social workers and their jobs: An empirical study

Abstract

Results are reported from a national survey of 194 social workers commencing rural positions in Australia in 1994 and 1995. This paper focuses on: practitioner, position and community characteristics; which location the practitioners came from; their professional, rural practice and rural living experience; preparation for the positions by employers and educators; satisfaction with rural work and life; and anticipated length of stay. Results challenge myths about rural social workers and support key themes of rural practice literature. Respondents were mixed with respect to age and experience, scattered widely throughout Australia in different-sized communities, mostly living and working in the same communities and engaged predominantly in generic practice. There appears to be a pool of rural practitioners in Australia who are committed to living and working in rural places. Implications are developed for practice, employers, the profession, professional education, research and theory. Tentative explanations are offered for high rural staff turnover.     

Construction union programs to regain jobs: Background and overview

All union initiatives discussed herein are based on union demands for monopoly. Unable to compete with the open-shop contractors on an economic basis, the construction unions seek to offset economic considerations with political initiatives. They have been remarkably successful in so doing; yet their membership continues to lag.⁴⁷ The question for the future is whether politically assisted monopoly will smother economics with the public as the big loser. The author is Professor Emeritus of Management and was formerly, Director, Industrial Research Unit, and Chairman, Labor Relations Council.     

Health conditions and job hazards: Union and nonunion jobs

Blue-collar union members are more likely than nonunion blue-collar workers to report health conditions caused by job accidents and by bad working conditions caused by noise, smoke, heat, and dust. This is consistent with blue-collar union members’ evaluation of hazardous job conditions and with their indemnity claims filing behavior for industrial injury or occupational disease. Union members are also more likely to be found in industries with higher injury rates. Age and marital status are positively associated and being female and education are negatively associated with a self-reported job related health condition. We thank Steve Zrebiec for research assistance and Bill Greene for the maximum likelihood routines. The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the National Council on Compensation Insurance or Brigham Young University.     

Schedule flexibility in hourly jobs: unanticipated consequences and promising directions

This article considers the challenge of extending conventional models of flexibility to hourly jobs that are often structured quite differently than the salaried, professional positions for which flexibility options were originally designed. We argue that the assumptions of job rigidity and overwork motivating existing flexibility options may not be broadly applicable across jobs in the US labor market. We focus specifically on two types of flexibility: (1) working reduced hours and (2) varying work timing. We first review central aspects of the US business and policy contexts that inspire our concerns, and then draw on original analyses from US census data and several examples from our comparative case-study research to explain how conventional flexibility options do not always map well onto hourly jobs, and in certain instances may disadvantage workers by undermining their ability to earn an adequate living. We conclude with a discussion of alternative approaches to implementing flexibility in hourly jobs when hours are scarce and fluctuating rather than long and rigid.