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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.

View our content on Covid-19—Pandemics and the labor market 

featured article

Women’s labor force participation  

Updated

Family-friendly policies increase women’s labor force participation, benefiting them, their families, and society at large

Anne E. Winkler

Female labor force participation is mainly driven by the value of their market wages versus the value of their non-market time. Labor force participation varies considerably across countries. To understand this international variation, it is important to further consider differences across countries in institutions, non-economic factors such as cultural norms, and public policies. Such differences provide important insights into what actions countries might take to further increase women's participation in the labor market.

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latest articles

  • Does it pay to be beautiful? Updated

    Physically attractive people can earn more, particularly in customer-facing jobs, and the rewards for men are higher than for women

    Eva SierminskaKaran Singhal , March 2023
    It is a well-established view amongst economists that good-looking people have a better chance of employment and can earn more than those who are less physically attractive. A “beauty premium” is particularly apparent in jobs where there is a productivity gain associated with good looks, though this varies for women and men, and varies across countries. People sort into occupations according to the relative returns to their physical and other characteristics; good-looking people take jobs where physical appearance is deemed important while less-attractive people steer away from them, or they are required to be more productive for the same wage.
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  • Should countries auction immigrant visas? Updated

    Selling the right to immigrate to the highest bidders would allocate visas efficiently but might raise ethical concerns

    Madeline Zavodny , March 2023
    Many immigrant destination countries face considerable pressure to change their immigration policies. One of the most innovative policies is auctioning the right to immigrate or to hire a foreign worker to the highest bidders. Visa auctions would be more efficient than current ways of allocating visas, could boost the economic contribution of immigration to the destination country, and would increase government revenues. However, visa auctions might weaken the importance of family ties in the migration process and create concerns about fairness and accessibility. No country has yet auctioned visas, although several have considered doing so.
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  • Alternative dispute resolution Updated

    Promoting accurate bargainer expectations regarding outcomes from binding dispute resolution is worth the effort

    David L. Dickinson , March 2023
    Alternative dispute resolution procedures such as arbitration and mediation are the most common methods for resolving wage, contract, and grievance disputes, but they lead to varying levels of success and acceptability of the outcome depending on their design. Some innovative procedures, not yet implemented in the real world, are predicted to improve on existing procedures in some ways. Controlled tests of several procedures show that the simple addition of a nonbinding stage prior to binding dispute resolution can produce the best results in terms of cost (monetary and “uncertainty” costs) and acceptability.
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  • The labor market in Poland, 2000−2021 Updated

    Employment has been rising, but disadvantaged groups and low participation of older people pose challenges

    Piotr LewandowskiIga Magda , March 2023
    In the early 2000s, Poland's unemployment rate reached 20%. That is now a distant memory, as employment has increased noticeably and the unemployment rate had dropped to 3.4% in 2021. The labor force participation of older workers increased following reforms aimed at prolonging careers. However, participation remains low compared to most developed countries and the reversal of the statutory retirement age in 2017 leaves Poland vulnerable to the effects of population aging. Rising immigration has eased the resulting labor shortages, but women, people with disabilities, and agricultural workers remain underemployed. During the Covid-19 pandemic the slowdown in economic growth and increase in unemployment were small.
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  • May 12, 2023 - May 13, 2023

    SOLE Annual Meeting

    Philadelphia, United States

    The Society of Labor Economists will hold its Twenty-Eighth Annual Meetings May 12–13, 2023, at the Sonesta Philadelphia Rittenhouse Square.

  • Jun 29, 2023 - Jul 04, 2023

    24th IZA Summer School in Labor Economics

    Berlin, Germany

    The Summer School gives you an opportunity to learn from leading researchers about the latest advances in labor economics. In addition, the accompanying student presentations and mentoring sessions will provide a great platform for you to showcase your research and get valuable feedback.

  • Jul 05, 2023 - Jul 06, 2023

    25th Anniversary IZA Conference in Labor Economics

    Berlin, Germany

    The conference will feature keynotes by Ayşegül Şahin and Patrick Kline, as well as about 15 plenary presentations and a poster session. The conference will conclude with a panel discussion on the German labor market featuring leading policymakers and labor economists (Application deadline: March 15, 2023).

  • Sep 21, 2023 - Sep 23, 2023

    EALE 2023 Conference

    Prague, Czech Republic

    You can submit your paper here.

  • Oct 01, 2023

    IZA/FCDO G²LM|LIC - Programme on Gender, Growth and Labour Markets in Low-Income Countries

    Online

    The IZA/FCDO Programme on Gender, Growth and Labour Markets in Low-Income Countries (G²LM|LIC) marks the extension of the successful IZA/DFID cooperation, which started as the Growth and Labour Markets in Low-Income Countries (GLM|LIC) programme in 2011. The extension aims at building a significant new body of evidence on gender, growth, and labour markets to help shape gender and labour market policies in low-income countries. Collaboration with researchers from low-income countries is strongly encouraged.

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