Refugees and mass migration: Australia

Since World War II, Australia has experienced large-scale immigration, both refugee and other, averaging nearly 1% of the total population a year and totalling from 1947-1985 nearly 4.3 million persons. Despite a remigration loss of 23%, the net gain has totalled some 3.3 million. Refugees have been appreciable, totalling well over 500,000 and with a relatively low rate of remigration (about 7%), have comprised nearly 15% of total net migration. These refugees, however, have not come in a steady stream. From 1947-1951 and with the Indochinese refugees of 1976-1985, they contain a large number of unskilled workers who may have difficulty finding jobs, especially in their early months when they are still learning survival English. The refugees have not been homogenous in terms of culture, language, religion, or race. The 200,000 Eastern European refugees of 1947-1952 were mainly Slavic and Christian in origin; the Armenian, Assyrian, and Lebanese of the 1960s and 1970s were more oriental in language and religion; the Indochinese of recent years, although mainly Buddhist, are mixed in terms of language and ethnic origin. Refugee intake is now an important element in total immigration while special measures are taken to help refugees successfully resettle. After comparatively short time these refugees start to resemble other immigrants, and tend to become naturalized in relatively large numbers.     

The Impact of Institutional Change on Compensating Wage Differentials for Accident Risk: South Korea, 1984–1990

Institutional change can lead to substantial changes in the size of compensating differentials for workplace accident risk. The South Korean labor market experienced two major institutional changes between 1984 and 1990. First, a relaxation of restrictions on Korean labor unions in 1987 led to a sharp jump in the extent of strike activity and bargaining rounds which was associated with a reduction in the size of compensating differences. Second, reform of Korean workers' compensation in 1989 led to a substantial rise in benefits that also served to reduce the extent of compensating differentials.     

监狱民营化决策的决定性因素探析

目前,有相当多的关于政府服务民营化的研究。这些研究文献深入探讨了民营化的政策,政策的局限性及存在的问题,民营化的成本,政府的责任以及公共事业管理者如何处理相关的、复杂的合同关系。相比而言,却很少有通过实践研究合同外包的决定性因素。同时,大多数文献推论:民营化决策仅仅出于政治观点和象征主义的需要,却也没有通过实践研究过民营化的动力。本文考察国家政府部门进行监狱民营化的潜在决定性因素。通过对55个州的监狱民营化数据的分析,我们发现:与那些普遍提出的监狱民营化是出于诸如节约成本等财政和经济考虑的主张相比,一个州执政者的党派与政党文化等政治因素更有可能影响民营化决策。     

Uncertainty and Variation in Indirect Exposure Assessments: An Analysis of Exposure to Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-Dioxin from a Beef Consumption Pathway

Indirect exposures to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo- p -dioxin (TCDD) and other toxic materials released in incinerator emissions have been identified as a significant concern for human health. As a result, regulatory agencies and researchers have developed specific approaches for evaluating exposures from indirect pathways. This paper presents a quantitative assessment of the effect of uncertainty and variation in exposure parameters on the resulting estimates of TCDD dose rates received by individuals indirectly exposed to incinerator emissions through the consumption of home-grown beef. The assessment uses a nested Monte Carlo model that separately characterizes uncertainty and variation in dose rate estimates. Uncertainty resulting from limited data on the fate and transport of TCDD are evaluated, and variations in estimated dose rates in the exposed population that result from location-specific parameters and individuals'behaviors are characterized. The analysis indicates that lifetime average daily dose rates for individuals living within 10 km of a hypothetical incinerator range over three orders of magnitude. In contrast, the uncertainty in the dose rate distribution appears to vary by less than one order of magnitude, based on the sources of uncertainty included in this analysis. Current guidance for predicting exposures from indirect exposure pathways was found to overestimate the intakes for typical and high-end individuals.