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
Are married immigrant women secondary workers?
Patterns of labor market assimilation for married immigrant women are similar to those for men
What is the role of married women in immigrant households? Their contribution to the labor market has traditionally been considered of secondary importance and studied in the framework of temporary attachment to the labor force to support the household around the time of arrival. But this role has changed. Evidence from major immigrant-receiving countries suggests that married immigrant women make labor supply decisions similar to those recently observed for native-born married women, who are guided by their own opportunities in the labor market rather than by their spouses’ employment trajectories.
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Do labor costs affect companies’ demand for labor? Updated
Overtime penalties, payroll taxes, and other labor policies alter costs and change employment and output
Daniel S. Hamermesh, February 2021Higher labor costs (higher wage rates and employee benefits) make workers better off, but they can reduce companies’ profits, the number of jobs, and the hours each person works. The minimum wage, overtime pay, payroll taxes, and hiring subsidies are just a few of the policies that affect labor costs. Policies that increase labor costs can substantially affect both employment and hours, in individual companies as well as in the overall economy.MoreLess -
Statistical profiling of unemployed jobseekers
The increasing availability of big data allows for the profiling of unemployed jobseekers via statistical models
Statistical models can help public employment services to identify factors associated with long-term unemployment and to identify at-risk groups. Such profiling models will likely become more prominent as increasing availability of big data combined with new machine learning techniques improve their predictive power. However, to achieve the best results, a continuous dialogue between data analysts, policymakers, and case workers is key. Indeed, when developing and implementing such tools, normative decisions are required. Profiling practices can misclassify many individuals, and they can reinforce but also prevent existing patterns of discrimination.MoreLess -
Correspondence testing studies Updated
What is there to learn about discrimination in hiring?
Dan-Olof Rooth, January 2021Anti-discrimination policies play an important role in public discussions. However, identifying discriminatory practices in the labor market is not an easy task. Correspondence testing provides a credible way to reveal discrimination in hiring and provide hard facts for policies, and it has provided evidence of discrimination in hiring across almost all continents except Africa. The method involves sending matched pairs of identical job applications to employers posting jobs—the only difference being a characteristic that signals membership to a group.MoreLess -
Individual and family labor market impacts of chronic diseases
Chronic diseases worsen labor market outcomes, but firms’ hiring and retention policies can reduce them
Amanda Gaulke, January 2021Chronic health conditions are a global concern and can impact labor market outcomes of those diagnosed and their caregivers. Since the global prevalence of many chronic health conditions is on the rise, it is important to know what firms can do to retain and hire workers who are impacted. Firms can improve hiring by addressing biases against potential employees with chronic health conditions. Furthermore, firms can retain impacted workers by offering workplace flexibility such as partial sick leave, work hour flexibility, and part-time work options.MoreLess
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Feb 25, 2021
Young ethnic minorities fare the worst in recessions
The data shows that Black African/Caribbean people struggled the most as unemployment rates went up to 13.8% between October and December last year. -
Feb 24, 2021
The unemployment rate in Africa rises to 32.5%
In addition, those with lower levels of education were more likely to have had their salaries reduced than those who have higher levels of education. -
Feb 23, 2021
Brexit causes admin and financial chaos for UK language students
Brexit red tape and costs are disrupting academic travel plans. -
Feb 19, 2021
Friday news roundup February 19, 2021
Nepali women may need family and state permission to leave the country and high levels of pollution could be causing infertility. Here’s a snapshot of some of the news stories you might have missed.
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Mar 01, 2021
8th IZA Workshop: Environment, Health and Labor Markets
Online
The aim of the 2021 workshop of IZA's Environment, Health, and Labor Markets program area is to bring together researchers analyzing the impact of environmental factors and health policies on labor market outcomes, human capital outcomes, industrial activity, production decisions and demographic outcomes.
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Apr 22, 2021 - Apr 24, 2021
4th IZA Labor Statistics Workshop: Measurement of Labor Market Conditions
Online
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May 14, 2021 - May 15, 2021
SOLE's 26th Annual Meeting
Philadelphia, United States
The Society of Labor Economists will hold the 26th Annual Meetings on May 14-15, 2021 at the Sonesta Philadelphia, 1800 Market Street Philadelphia, PA, 19103.
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May 28, 2021 - May 29, 2021
17th IZA Annual Migration Meeting
Online
The 17th Annual Migration Meeting is following a long and successful tradition of bringing together experienced scholars and talented young economists to discuss cutting-edge work on migration.
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Jun 30, 2021
4th IZA/Higher School of Economics Workshop: Thirty Years after the Fall of the Iron Curtain: The Contribution of Labor Market Adjustment to Transition and Convergence
Online
This is an updated call for papers as the workshop planned for 2020 was cancelled due the COVID-19 crisis. We still would like to keep the overall theme developed for 2020, but we also intend to include two sessions that deal with the impact of COVID-19 on labor markets in post-transition and emerging economies.
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Sep 03, 2021 - Sep 04, 2021
IZA Workshop: Labor Market Institutions
Online
We are pleased to invite submissions for the next IZA Workshop on Labor Market Institutions. The aim of the meeting is to bring together senior and junior researchers to discuss their most recent research related to labor market institutions.
Measuring income inequality: Ija Trapeznikova in conversation with Daniel S Hamermesh
Income inequality and social origins: Lorenzo Cappellari in conversation with Daniel S Hamermesh
Automation and the future of jobs: Stijn Broecke in conversation with Daniel S Hamermesh
Inequality and informality in transition and emerging countries: Roberto Dell'Anno and Dan Hamermesh
Fighting a coronavirus recession
Pandemics and the labor market—Then and now
Pricing the lives saved by coronavirus policies
Health effects of the coronavirus recession
The long-term consequences of missing a term of school
Korea: A paragon of dealing with coronavirus
Trading off lives for jobs
Graduating during the Covid-19 recession
Effects of Covid-19 on spending and saving
Elections and the Covid-19 pandemic