Local Rural Labour Markets: Enterprising or Constraining?

This paper examines SMEs' experiences of labour markets and their adoption of technology, including ICTs, in two rural areas: South Warwickshire and North Devon. Findings are assessed within the context of existing theories of rural industrial growth, which have tended to stereotype firms on the basis of location, and have underplayed the role of 'non-local' factors such as supply chains in influencing both the behaviour and 'success' of individual SMEs. In contrast, this paper contends that understanding the true complexity of the SME sector is essential if efforts to foster and support enterprise in rural areas are to be successful.     

Labouring and Learning towards Competitiveness: The Future of Local Labour Markets after Harker, Leitch and Freud

In 1999 Geddes and Newman highlighted five key tensions in New Labour's adoption of the 'new centrist' approach to Local Economic Development (LED). This article reflects on the continuing relevance of these tensions in relation local labour markets and in the light of the publication of three major independent reviews of policy in relation to child poverty, skills provision and welfare reform and the Government's response to these. It suggests that in the main the tensions identified by Geddes and Newman remain relevant, especially within the emerging national policy framework. However, it also ends optimistically, by suggesting that there is scope for LED actors to piece together an approach which can begin to move toward a resolution of the tensions through bringing together employment and skills policies at the local level, developing more effective models of partnership working (including with employers), and taking the sustainability agenda more seriously.     

International Rent Sharing and Domestic Labour Markets: A Macroeconomic Analysis

Compared to international trade relations relatively little is known about the role foreign direct investment linkages play in the transmission of disturbances from one country to the next. Inspired by the microevidence on profit sharing within multinational corporations and within industries, we investigate for six countries whether a cross-border rent-sharing phenomenon can be identified at the macroeconomic level. The rent-sharing hypothesis implies that an increase in foreign profitability should boost wages and/or employment in the domestic economy. We find corroborative evidence for Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. US labour market conditions, by contrast, are not affected by changes in profitability in other countries. JEL no. E32, F23, F40, J23, J31     

Local Responses to Long-term Unemployment: Delivering Access to Employment in Edinburgh

This paper examines locally developed policy responses to long-term unemployment in the city of Edinburgh: a labour market characterised by relatively low-unemployment and generally high levels of demand. Drawing upon in-depth interviews with 115 long-term unemployed people residing in the city, the paper first analyses the complex combination of barriers to work faced by members of this client group. Two recent labour market initiatives, developed by the local authority in partnership with other public and third sector agencies and (in one case) major employers, are then discussed. It is suggested that this locally focused, partnership-based approach may provide a useful model for local policy responses to long-term unemployment, particularly in buoyant labour markets.     

Employers' Responses to Demographic Changes in Rural Labour Markets: The Case of Dumfries and Galloway

Employers in many rural areas are facing the problem of a declining workforce due to demographic changes in the population. These demographic changes are a result of a combination of population ageing, the in-migration of mainly retired people, out-migration and low fertility rates. This paper examines how employers are adjusting to demographic changes in Dumfries and Galloway, a rural local authority in south west Scotland. The area has one of the highest proportions of older people in the UK, and as such provides a useful insight into employers' responses to population ageing. Fifty locally based employers were questioned concerning the labour market impact of population ageing and their responses to this situation. The paper argues that in order to ensure the medium-term economic viability of the local economy, employers will need a set of strategies both to attract workers to the area and to increase the participation and retention of older workers resident in the area.     

Barriers to Skills Development in a Local Construction Labour Market

The literature on the construction industry suggests that the structure of labour markets in that industry sets up barriers to skills development. It is often suggested that 'employer engagement', leading to increased 'buy-in' into skills development, and investment by employers is the way to overcome these barriers. We present an example from a local labour market in South East England, with reference to an intervention in training ('Constructing Futures') that has brought private and public sector actors together. This example shows that employer engagement on its own is not sufficient to overcome the barriers created by the labour market structure. We suggest some essential measures to allow more workers to enter the industry and gain skills and reduce the skill shortages endemic to the industry in South East England.     

Setting It Right: Employment Protection,Labour Reallocation and Productivity

This paper provides a critical review of the recent empirical evidence on the links between regulations affecting the hiring and firing of workers, labour reallocation and productivity growth. It also reviews how workers affected by labour mobility fare and discusses policy options to support them. The upshot is that stringent employment protection has a sizeable negative effect on labour market flows and, through this channel, hinders productivity growth. At the same time, the evidence also shows that while greater labour market reallocation benefits many workers through higher real wages and better careers, some displaced workers lose out via longer unemployment durations and/or lower real wages in post-displacement jobs. In this context, reforms of employment protection should be considered as part of a comprehensive package that also includes an adequate safety net for the unemployed and effective re-employment services.     

企业雇佣:总体趋暖 局部失衡

日本总务省2004年1月30发表的2003年12月完全失业率(季节调整值)比上月改善0．3个百分点，达到4．9％，这是白2001年6月以来首次降至5％以下。厚生劳动省发表的12月有效求人倍率也比上月上升0．04，达到0．78倍，     

Local and Personal Networks in Employment and the Development of Labor Markets: Evidence from the Cut Flower Industry in Ethiopia

We examine the roles of local and personal networks in the employment process and the emergence and development of the labor market in Ethiopia’s growing cut flower industry. Using primary survey data of 320 workers randomly sampled from all 64 farms, we find that workers who were recruited informally using the social ties were paid less than the formally-recruited workers at hiring. However, these workers quickly increased their productivity, and the effect of social ties on wages disappeared over time. Further, we find that the development of labor market for this newly-emerged industry took place particularly within the industrial cluster.     

Determinants of Labour Force Participation by Married Women: The Case of Jakarta

This study seeks to identify the determinants of female labour force participation (FLFP), by assessing the influence of a set of socio-demographic, economic and cultural factors on educational class differentials in the LFP of married women in Jakarta A J-shaped pattern of association between education and FLFP is prevalent in many developing countries: less educated women often show LFP rates close to those of well educated women, whereas moderately educated women have lower rates. The study concludes that education is a strong determinant of women's participation in the Jakarta labour force. The J-shaped pattern of association between education and FLFP persisted after standdrdisatton by age, although it was less marked than the literature suggests Few variables were consistently significant for all educational classes, with a different mix of variables influencing FLFP in each group Children below five living at home, however, had a significant negative association with FLFP in all educational classes.     

Synergies in Labour Market Institutions: the Nonlinear Effect of Minimum Wages on Youth Employment

Empirical evidence on the effect of minimum wages on youth employment is inconclusive, with studies pointing to negative, positive or insignificant effects. In trying to explain some of the conflicting evidence, this research paper examines synergies of minimum wages with other labour market institutions using an unbalanced panel dataset of 19 OECD countries over 1985–2013. Institutions that enforce labour market rigidity, such as unemployment benefits and union density, are found to exacerbate the negative effect of minimum wages on youth employment, while government expenditure on training programmes for the unemployed dampen it. This finding of significant synergy effects indicates that panel data models which omit interactive terms between minimum wages and institutions might be misspecified. In addition, the analysis suggests that the negative effect of minimum wages is most severe in rigid labour markets with high unemployment benefits and union density. Therefore, policymakers need to consider the full spectrum of institutions they face before adjusting minimum wages.     

改革开放以来中国第三产业经济增长与扩大就业的实证研究

文章依据我国改革开放以来第三产业经济增长与就业的相关资料，较为系统的分析了第三产业发展与扩大就业的现状及特点。分析认为，我国第三产业整体保持了较强的吸纳劳动力能力，并具备继续扩大就业的潜力。第三产业内部各行业就业增长弹性分化明显，高弹性组表现为以传统服务业为主、传统服务业与现代服务业相结合的特点。尽管我国第三产业发展过程中表现出一定的传统服务业向现代服务业的转轨特征，通过国际比较，第三产业传统服务业就业比重过低、新兴服务业就业比重不突出的特征明显。最后，文章提出了进一步发展我国第三产业的对策建议。     

Local Action on Labour Market Integration of New Arrivals: Issues and Dilemmas for Policy

The UK government sets the national framework for migration policy, but many issues concerning labour market integration are dealt with locally. The paper outlines increases and changes in the profile of immigration over recent years and reviews the evidence on selected associated issues and dilemmas-particularly barriers to labour market integration associated with English language support, recognition of qualifications and skills, labour market information and knowledge and employers' attitudes.     

Evaluating Workplace Mandates with Flows Versus Stocks: An Application to California Paid Family Leave

Employer mandates typically have small effects on wages and employment. Such effects should be most evident using data on employment transitions and wages among new hires. Quarterly Workforce Indicators (QWI) provides county by quarter by demographic group data on the number and earnings of new hires, separations, and recalls (extended leaves). The QWI is used to examine the effects of California's 2004 paid family leave (CPFL) program, comparing outcomes for young women in California to those for other workers within and outside of California. CPFL had little effect on earnings for young women, but increased separations, hiring, and worker mobility.     

中药的入世之路

虽然中医药是中国的闰粹,但其命运一直与同为国粹的京剧差不多,如果不是中国经济由短缺变为过剩,商品供应由卖方市场转变为买方市场,大概没有人会去考虑中药的市场开发问题。但当我们真正关注中药市场,特别是面对开放的全球市场后,我们才猛然发现不只是国内市场巨大,国际市场更是一个诱人的大蛋糕。据专家介绍,目前中国国内的中药年销售额     

构建企业和谐稳定的劳动关系：从短期劳动合约到长期劳动合约

当前我国企业对于劳动力的雇佣具有很大的灵活性,劳动合约短期化行为严重,对此,理论界和政府极为关注,企业处于其发展的成长期、正式制度的缺失、外部市场的不确定性是短期化劳动合约存在的客观原因,这使得我们有必要考察企业的契约性质及劳动合约的特性。长期劳动合约通过降低合约方的流动性,来达到激励和约束的双重功效,使人力资本获得的剩余收益真正成为风险收益。从建立和谐稳定的劳动关系及其企业长期发展的角度来看,长期劳动合约的推行具有重要的意义。     

The Determinants of Bank Rates in Local Consumer Lending Markets: Comparing Market and Institution-Level Results

Most previous studies of banking markets have given little attention to the potential competitive discipline provided by credit unions on consumer loan rates. After presenting a theoretical framework for understanding the impact credit unions should be expected to have, this article analyzes two pooled cross-section time-series samples—56 U.S. markets over the 1992-1998 period and 81 banks (within those markets) over the same period—with the focus on explaining bank rates for two types of consumer loans. Results confirm the previously observed role of market structure and strongly point to a significant role for credit unions in disciplining the exercise of market power by banks. At the institution level, where the impact of bank size, market share, and holding company status can be analyzed, the evidence supports both market power and scale economy rationales for bank loan pricing and hints at a multimarket contact influence.