Usage of,and satisfaction with,a governmental consumer protection agency

State consumer protection agencies provide alternatives for consumer inquiries and for redress when consumers are unable to obtain satisfaction. In this study, the major objectives were to determine whether consumers used the services of the Kentucky Consumer Protection Division, the frequency of contact, the method of contact, the satisfaction/dissatisfaction with handling of inquiries or complaints and characteristics of inquirers/complainers. Four different surveys were used to obtain the data. The data analysis indicated that a large percentage of those who made inquiries or complained were satisfied. However, only a small percentage of the consumers had contacted the CPD, and very few used the hotline in making requests or complaints. Those who had contacted the CPD were younger, better educated and had higher incomes. Among the recommendations are that increased efforts be made to publicize the hotline and other CPD services.     

OPTIMAL EDUCATION POLICIES AND COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGE

We consider the optimal education policies of a small economy whose government has a limited budget. Initially, the economy is closed and the government chooses its education policy to maximize welfare under autarky. When the economy trades with the rest of the world the government chooses a new education policy that maximizes welfare under trade. Is it ever optimal for the government to choose its new policy so that it reverses the economy's comparative advantage? We find that if the budget stays fixed when it is optimal to ‘move up the skills chain’ it is not feasible. In such a case, a foreign loan is welfare improving. A move in the opposite direction can be optimal, and when it is optimal it is also feasible.     

Worker Pay Protection: Implications for Labor's Political Spending and Voice

Labor's participation in politics requires money. Within legal restrictions, unions use compulsory dues to pay for much of their involvement. Such usage has continually raised controversy, leading to a host of U.S. Supreme Court decisions to give nonmember dues-payers the right to object to union political spending. We examine the current legal framework and are the first to report comprehensive data on union political spending financed from dues. We estimate the potential impact of a national "worker paycheck protection" law on labor's political spending. With the potential to reduce money available to finance union involvement in politics, such a law may lessen the ability of labor to have its voice heard by lawmakers, especially in the face of shrinking density in the workforce. The importance of this is demonstrated by the large role unions played in the 2008 congressional and presidential elections. Despite Democratic victories in that historic year, "paycheck protection" is likely to loom large, fueled by efforts to enact the Employee Free Choice Act.     

Cambio tecnológico y empleo en el Brasil,Colombia y México: ¿Qué trabajadores son los más afectados?

A partir de un enfoque basado en tareas se analizan los patrones de empleo ocupacionales y de calificación en los mercados laborales urbanos del Brasil, Colombia y México entre 2002 y 2015. Se observa una fuerte disminución del empleo en ocupaciones de calificación media y un ligero aumento en las de baja y alta calificación. Según una descomposición shift-share, la disminución se explica por cambios intrasectoriales (hipótesis de rutinización) en ciertos casos (secretarios y taquígrafos), y por cambios intersectoriales en otros (artesanos y operadores de máquinas). Los cambios tecnológicos afectaron negativamente a las mujeres y beneficiaron a los jóvenes y a los más calificados.