Matching in community-based organizations

Using a rich dataset from West Africa, we examine the household characteristics associated with membership in community-based organizations (CBOs). We find that on average it is the more fortunate members of rural society who belong in CBOs. In Senegal, the dominant criterion is land ownership. In Burkina Faso it is age and family ties with village authorities. Ethnicity plays a role as well: CBO membership is less likely for ethnic groups that traditionally emphasize livestock raising. Next we look for evidence of assortative matching along multiple dimensions, using an original methodology based on dyadic regressions. We find robust evidence of positive assorting by physical and ethnic proximity as well as by wealth and household size. Along certain dimensions, donor-sponsored CBOs are less elitist and more inclusive. But the reverse is true for other dimensions, particularly in Burkina Faso.     

Economic Structure and Local Growth: France, 1984–1993

For 52 industry sectors and 42 services sectors, this paper tests how the local economic structure (local sectoral specialization and diversity, competition, average size of plants, and total employment density) affects the 1984–1993 employment growth of 341 local areas. These areas entirely and continuously cover the French territory. The impact of the local economic structure differs in industry and services. In industrial sectors, local total employment density, competition, and plant size always reduce local growth. Sectoral specialization and diversity have a negative impact on growth, but also increase the growth of a few sectors. Service sectors always exhibit negative specialization effects and positive diversity effects. Competition and plant size have a negative impact and density a positive one, but exceptions are observed for some sectors.     

Hospital staff shortage: the role of the competitiveness of pay of different groups of nursing staff on staff shortage

Shortages of nursing staff in OECD countries have been a preoccupation for policy makers. Shortages of staff may be the consequence of uncompetitive pay. In the private sector, employers in different regions can offer different pay rates to reflect local amenities and cost of living. Hospitals in the UK however cannot set the pay for their employees, and as a result they might therefore incur staff shortages. Moreover, occupational groups do not operate in isolation. Shortages of staff may also be the consequence of the competitiveness of pay of an alternative group of staff. This is investigated using two distinct groups of nursing staff: assistant nurses (ANs) and registered nurses (RNs) working in English hospitals in 2003–2005 using national-level data sets. We find that an increase by 10% of the pay competitiveness of RNs decreases the shortage of both the RNs and of ANs by 0.6% and 0.4%, respectively.