Evidence-based policy making
IZA World of Labor is an online platform that provides policy analysts, journalists, academics and society generally with relevant and concise information on labor market issues. Based on the latest research, it provides current thinking on labor markets worldwide in a clear and accessible style. IZA World of Labor aims to support evidence-based policy making and increase awareness of labor market issues, including current concerns like the impact of Covid-19, and longer-term problems like inequality.
What is the role for molecular genetic data in public policy?
There is potential value from incorporating genetic data in the design of effective public policy, but also some risks
Both the availability and sheer volume of data sets containing individual molecular genetic information are growing at a rapid pace. Many argue that these data can facilitate the identification of genes underlying important socio-economic outcomes, such as educational attainment and fertility. Opponents often counter that the benefits are as yet unclear, and that the threat to individual privacy is a serious one. The initial exploration presented herein suggests that significant benefits to the understanding of socio-economic outcomes and the design of both social and education policy may be gained by effectively and safely utilizing genetic data.
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Female education and socioeconomic outcomes
Mothers'primary school completion significantly improves child and infant health and reduces teenage fertility
Pinar M Gunes , January 2025There is a strong link between mothers’ primary school completion (8 or more years of schooling) and better socioeconomic outcomes, such as improved child health and reduced teenage fertility, but establishing causality is challenging. A 1997 compulsory schooling law in Turkey, which extended education from five to eight years, provides a natural experiment to identify causal effects. Empirical evidence suggests that increased female education from such reform significantly improves many socioeconomic outcomes of mothers and their children. While suggested mechanisms include changes in healthcare services utilization and risky pregnancy behaviors, such as smoking, thorough investigation of underlying channels is lacking.MoreLess -
The effects of minimum wages on youth employment, unemployment, and income Updated
Minimum wages reduce entry-level jobs, training, and lifetime income
Charlene Marie Kalenkoski , December 2024Policymakers often propose a minimum wage as a means of raising incomes and lifting workers out of poverty. However, improvements in some young workers’ incomes due to a minimum wage come at a cost to others. Minimum wages reduce employment opportunities for youths and create unemployment. Workers miss out on on-the-job training opportunities that would have been paid for by reduced wages upfront but would have resulted in higher wages later. Youths who cannot find jobs must be supported by their families or by the social welfare system. Delayed entry into the labor market reduces the lifetime income stream of young unskilled workers.MoreLess -
Promoting internal whistleblowing in organizations
Internal whistleblowing results in reduced fraud, a better brand image, and a higher overall performance
Eve-Angeline LambertYannick Gabuthy , November 2024Internal whistleblowing refers to the decision of an employee observing a misconduct in a firm to report it through an internal channel, i.e. via a hotline or directly to an identified ombudsman. Whistleblowing is highly beneficial to firms in various ways. However, employees may be reluctant to blow the whistle, both for moral reasons and due to a fear of retaliation. Consequently, a firm aiming at encouraging whistleblowing in order to save judicial or reputation costs, fines, and to spare its reputation should consider a wide range of possible measures in addition to developing a global ethical culture.MoreLess -
Fertility decisions and alternative types of childcare Updated
Relative costs and family characteristics determine the effectiveness of different forms of childcare
Increasing population age and low fertility rates, which characterize most modern societies, compromise the balance between people who can participate in the labor market and people who need care. This is a demographic and social issue that is likely to grow in importance for future generations. It is therefore crucial to understand what factors can positively influence fertility decisions. Policies related to the availability and costs of different kinds of childcare (e.g. formal care, grandparents, childminders) should be considered after an evaluation of their effects on the probability of women having children.MoreLess
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Dec 24, 2024
Society underestimates men’s support for couple equity
Survey data from six countries reveals widespread misperceptions and the potential to promote gender equality -
Dec 23, 2024
Improving day care access for disadvantaged families
Centralized systems and affirmative action policies enhance equity but pose challenges in segregation and funding -
Dec 22, 2024
Caught in the trap: Long-term setbacks for mothers after childbirth
Returning to work in Minijobs significantly worsens mothers' employment and earnings prospects over the long run -
Dec 21, 2024
High returns to making job applications easier
Experiment in Pakistan: Lowering psychological cost boosts job application rates by 600 percent
Enhancing economic insights with the IZA/Fable SWIPE Consumption Index
The vicious cycle of populism and migration: How far-right ideologies undermine human capital
The different sources of intergenerational income mobility in high and low income families