Labor and Population working

Journal of Labor Economics, 1999

Estimated negative substitution effects on work hours question the empirical validity of the classical labor supply model. Estimates are reconciled by allowing a dual choice of hours and effort for piecerate workers. In such a model, these negative substitution effects result from substituting on-and off-the-job leisure. We test our model using controlled experimentation on human subjects. These experiments, while not naturally occurring environments, represent real economic choices and can generate data unavailable elsewhere (e.g., effort data). The results support our model, and they have implications both for labor management and for empirical research focusing only on the hours choice. The classical static model of the labor-leisure choice offers positive compensated wage effects on hours of work as its main testable implication. Previous attempts to test this hypothesis with field data have cast doubt on the empirical validity of the static labor supply model due to the frequency of negative estimated compensated wage elasticities. A limitation of the model is that it views the choice of hours of work as the only I would like to thank Jim Cox, Ron Oaxaca, Leslie Stratton, Price Fishback, Devajyoti Ghose, and Mary-Anne Sillamaa for many helpful comments. I would also like to thank the participants of the Economic Science Association conference as well as those of the Experimental Economics seminars and workshops at the University of Arizona for their valuable comments. Finally, I thank the Economic Science Laboratory and the Department of Economics at the University of Arizona, and the Olin Foundation for funding the experiments for this article.

2004

Introduction: Why are national employment systems so different? Chapter 1: Why has women's labor force participation increased so dramatically? Does "hitting it big" reduce labor supply? Chapter 2: What about heterogeneous capital goods? Employee benefits as a percentage of total compensation Chapter 3: Do "living wage" laws improve the welfare of workers? Chapter 4: Recent controversy over minimum wage law effects Monopsony in the nursing market Does labor productivity increase with wage levels in developing economies? Chapter 5: The padrone system: matchmaking in agricultural labor markets Does successful self-employment depend on personal wealth? Chapter 6: Do people respond to social norms in strategic settings? An economist and a biologist play the repeated prisoners' dilemma game; who wins? Chapter 7: How do outside options affect actual bargaining payoffs? Chapter 8: The pros and cons of working with friends and relatives "Scientific management": incentive and holdup problems in US industry Chapter 9: The mystery of Mondragon Chapter 10: Why tip? From Taylorism to Fordism to. .. Toyotaism? Do firms pay efficiency wages? Chapter 11: The demise of Japan's "lifetime employment" system? Chapter 12: The (elusive) benefits of employee participation Chapter 13: The impact of monopsony on job safety Chapter 14: The Bell Curve controversy Chapter 15: Earnings differences by sexual preference The wages of beauty Chapter 16: Downward wage inflexibility in primary and secondary jobs Can labor market policies improve the balance of good and bad jobs? Chapter 17: What innovations are driving increased wage inequality? Chapter 18: Same national unemployment rate, different regional rates Same unemployment rates, different unemployment dynamics Chapter 19: Why has the US Beveridge curve shifted in? LIST OF BOXES xxiii PREFACE xxvii INTRODUCTION: LABOR ECONOMICS AND THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF LABOR This chapter introduces the study of labor economics by briefly considering the nature, significance, and historical development of its primary subject matter, and then tracing the field's intellectual heritage. This will lead to a preview of the central issues and themes to be addressed in this text. The chapter's argument starts with a basic question: Why should a specialized field of economic inquiry be devoted to the study of labor? THE ECONOMIC SIGNIFICANCE OF LABOR Labor economics might broadly be defined as the branch of this social science that studies the allocation of time across competing purposes. This definition has the advantage of being comprehensive, in that it encompasses all human activities, remunerated or otherwise, that might count as labor, as well as its principal alternatives. Defined in this way, however, it is difficult to see how labor economics is anything more than simply applied microeconomics. This is in fact how the field's subject matter was understood before it became a distinct subdiscipline. A tighter definition posits labor economics as an inquiry into the nature and allocation of paid work in market economies. The narrower focus suggested by this definition is justifiable if there is something about the particular activity of paid work that merits special study. Why might this be the case? At first glance the answer to this question may seem obvious. Work is an essential aspect of the human condition, the activity through which nature is transformed to meet human needs and wants. Most people engage in paid labor of some form, spend a major chunk of their lives working, and depend for their livelihoods on the income secured through labor.

Chapter 1 investigates the labor market implications of single fatherhood. Samples from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics reveal that men experiencing single fatherhood after marital separation experience dramatic decreases in both labor hours and income. I identify the eects of marital separation for men with and without children and show that the decrease in income and hours for single fathers goes beyond those experienced by other separated men, likely due to the additional constraints on time and scheduling faced by single fathers. Chapter 2 estimates the eects of recent half day state Pre-Kindergarten programs on school attendance and mothers' labor supply. I show that state Pre-K programs have succeeded in increasing school attendance for some 4-5 year olds, and in this way have succeeded in their stated goal. However, I show that the introduction of these programs is also associated with decreased labor hours for mothers of eligible children.I show that the decrease in labor hours can be explained by the xed costs of childcare which cause may cause some mothers to decrease work from full-time hours to avoid having to pay for and arrange supplementary childcare after Pre-K has ended. Chapter 3 analyses the eectiveness of the National Science & Mathematics Access to Retain Talent Grant (SMART) in its goal of increasing the science and math preparation of college graduates. Although estimates are limited by a small sample size and imperfect observations of SMART eligibility, I do not nd evidence that iii program eligibility increases the number of declared science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors.

2006

Economic Papers: A journal of applied economics and policy, 2001

Working Time in Comparative Perspective - Volume I: Patterns, Trends, and teh policy Implications of Earnings Inequality and Unemployment, 2001

DergiPark (Istanbul University), 2024

In the ever-evolving landscape of economics, understanding the intricacies of labor markets is paramount. "Labor Economics," a part of the McGraw-Hill series in economics, serves as a guiding beacon through the complex web of workforce dynamics. Authored by George J. Borjas, this book delves deep into the heart of labor economics, offering insights that are both enlightening and pragmatic. Economic theory often serves as a blueprint for policymakers, business leaders, and academics seeking to decipher the challenges and opportunities that the labor market presents. As I explore the pages of this comprehensive tome, I aim to unravel the book's key themes, its effectiveness in conveying essential concepts, and its potential to influence our understanding of labor economics. In this review, I will provide a brief overview of the book, discuss its strengths and weaknesses, evaluate its relevance in today's economic landscape, and ultimately offer my perspective on its value for various readers. "Labor Economics" holds the promise of shedding light on a subject of critical importance in the modern world, and in the pages that follow, I will share my thoughts and reflections on whether it fulfills that promise.

Industrial and Labor Relations Review, 2003

Just Labour

2001

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