中国农村流动劳动力养老保障制度模式设计

就中国农村流动劳动力养老保障制度建设进行探讨。通过对当前已经实施的农村流动劳动力养老保障政策的分析,指出其内在不合理性,并且说明不合理性在于其设计基点——供给原则有误;提出农村流动劳动力纳入社会保障体系的现实选择是按照需求原则来设计,进而给出具体操作方案;在此基础上,通过对国家补充农村流动劳动力养老金数额的估算,提出实施这一方案的财务路径。     

"民工荒"的成因及对策分析

本文根据托达罗预期收益理论,对2004年以来我国部分地区出现的“民工荒”现象进行了分析,认为“民工荒”是农民工对预期收益与成本进行比较分析后做出的选择,并提出,要解决“民工荒”问题必须从提高农民工的工资待遇和改善农民工的社会福利入手。     

农村剩余劳动力向城镇转移的社会保障机制研究

我国农村剩余劳动力已成为"三农"问题的症结所在。大量农村剩余劳动力向城镇转移成为城镇中的农民工,他们是城市文明和工业文明的重要贡献者,但目前却无法与城市居民享受同等的社会福利和保障,这反映出我国现行社会保障机制的滞后,从而带来了诸如影响社会稳定、不利于建立城乡统一和开放的劳动力市场等问题。因此,应从建立多层次农民工社会保障制度、扩大资金来源、加大政府投入、加强相关法律与制度的建设与监督等方面着手,以完善农村剩余劳动力城镇转移社会保障运作机制。     

留住农村年青劳动力的财政思考

随着农村大量年青劳动力的转移,懂经营、善管理、具有一定科技头脑的乡土人才大量流失,解决农村剩余劳动力转移与人力资源流失之间的矛盾,已经成为推进社会主义新农村建设的当务之急。从财政支农的角度来说,依据"多予、少取、放活"方针,提高财政支农工作整体水平,是留住农村年青优秀劳动力,建设社会主义新农村的重要措施。     

Another Nail in the Coffin? Or Can the Trade Based Explanation of Changing Skill Structures Be Resurrected?

The skill structure of wages and employment has altered markedly in recent years. In some countries (most notably the UK and the US) wage inequality has risen sharply and in most countries relative demand has shifted unfavourably against the less skilled. In this paper we reassess the evidence that rising international competition from developing countries is the crucial factor underpinning these changes. Our results, based on newly constructed internationally comparable industry data, find little support for the predictions of the basic Heckscher-Ohlin (H-O) trade model.
JEL classification: J 31; F 14     

Skilled maintenance trades under lean manufacturing: Evidence from the car industry

This article explores how skilled maintenance trades have fared under lean automotive manufacturing, a cohort of workers relatively neglected in the literature. Historically, such trades possessed a distinct ‘craft consciousness’ derived from apprenticed-acquired skill, autonomy in job execution, strict job boundaries and relative occupational status and prestige. The article assesses how lean has impacted this craft tradition over time, drawing on a case study of one UK car plant to assess its trajectory across three decades. Four different skilled cohorts—electrical, mechanical, control engineers and die maintenance fitters—are examined to gauge respective trends in skill, autonomy, demarcation and status. While the study finds variation in experiences across different trades, the general trend points to a deterioration in work conditions on all four benchmarks of assessment. The article concludes by inferring implications for the future trajectory of skilled trades considering recent accounts provided in Industry 4.0 narratives.