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
Roma integration in European labor markets
Nuclei of evidence tell a grim story, but a veil of ignorance impedes policy efforts
The Roma are the largest ethnic minority in Europe—as well as one of the most disadvantaged. A triple vicious circle is at play: Substandard socio-economic outcomes reinforce each other; they fuel negative attitudes and perceptions, leading to ill-chosen policies; and segmentation is perpetuated through (statistical) discrimination. A severe lack of data precludes progress. However, existing bits of evidence point to virtuous ways out.
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Parental leave and maternal labor supply Updated
Parental leave increases the family–work balance, but prolonged leave may have negative impacts on mothers’ careers
Astrid Kunze , June 2022Numerous studies have investigated whether the provision and generosity of parental leave affects the employment and career prospects of women. Parental leave systems typically provide either short unpaid leave mandated by the firm, as in the US, or more generous and universal leave mandated by the government, as in Canada and several European countries. Key economic policy questions include whether, at the macro level, female employment rates have increased due to parental leave policies; and, at the micro level, whether the probability of returning to work and career prospects have increased for mothers after childbirth.MoreLess -
Is the post-communist transition over?
Support for economic liberalization reforms is essential, but it grows stronger only where societies experience the effects of reversing these reforms
Elodie DouarinTomasz Mickiewicz , June 2022An extensive program of economic liberalization reforms, even when it generates positive outcomes, does not automatically generate support for further reforms. Societies respond with strong support only after experiencing the effects of reversing these reforms (i.e. corruption, inequality of opportunity). This point is illustrated through the example of the post-communist transformation in Eastern Europe and Central Asia—arguably a context where the end point of reforms was never clearly defined, and even successful reforms are now associated with a degree of reform suspicion.MoreLess -
Should unemployment insurance cover partial unemployment? Updated
Time-limited benefits may yield significant welfare gains and help underemployed part-time workers move to full-time employment
Susanne Ek Spector , June 2022A considerable share of the labor force consists of underemployed part-time workers: employed workers who, for various reasons, are unable to work as much as they would like to. Offering unemployment benefits to part-time unemployed workers is controversial. On the one hand, such benefits can strengthen incentives to take a part-time job rather than remain fully unemployed, thus raising the probability of obtaining at least some employment. On the other hand, these benefits weaken incentives for part-time workers to look for full-time employment. It is also difficult to distinguish people who work part-time by choice from those who do so involuntarily.MoreLess -
Determinants of inequality in transition countries
Market changes and limited redistribution contributed to high income and wealth inequality growth in Eastern Europe
Michal BrzezinskiKatarzyna Salach , June 2022High levels of economic inequality may lead to lower economic growth and can have negative social and political impacts. Recent empirical research shows that income and wealth inequalities in Eastern Europe since the fall of socialism increased significantly more than previously suggested. Currently, the average Gini index (a common measure) of inequality in Eastern Europe is about 3 percentage points higher than in the rest of Europe. This rise in inequality was initially driven by privatization, liberalization, and deregulation reforms, and, more recently, has been amplified by technological change and globalization coupled with relatively ungenerous income and wealth redistribution policies.MoreLess
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Jun 21, 2022
Japanese court dismisses case arguing same-sex marriage is unconstitutional; US tech firms worried about H-1B kids “aging out”
Today’s global news summary brings news affecting Japan, the US, and the UK, and discusses issues as diverse as same-sex marriage, migration, and the cost of living crisis. -
Jun 14, 2022
UK fails to deport first asylum seekers to Rwanda; South Korean truckers’ strike affects global supply chain
Today’s global news summary brings news affecting the UK, South Korea, and South Africa, and discusses issues as diverse as asylum, unionization, and youth unemployment. -
Jun 07, 2022
UK starts world’s biggest four-day week pilot; President Biden attempts to boost US solar production
Today’s global news summary brings news affecting the UK and the US, and discusses issues as diverse as work hours, climate change, and employee ownership. -
May 24, 2022
The Middle East and North Africa are facing the highest rates of youth unemployment; 22,000 migrants have been prevented from entering the EU from Greece so far in 2022
Today’s global news summary brings news from the Middle East and North Africa, Greece, and the UK and discusses issues as diverse as youth unemployment, migration, and climate change. -
May 10, 2022
Ukraine’s Roma refugees face rejection in Poland; Climate change: 1.5C warming limit close to being broken
Today’s global news summary brings news from Poland, Spain, and the world and discusses issues as diverse as Roma refugee discrimination, climate change, and informal work. -
Apr 26, 2022
Emmanuel Macron wins a second presidential term; More than 11 million Ukrainians believed displaced
Today’s global news summary brings news affecting France, Ukraine, and Saudi Arabia, and discusses issues as diverse as the French election, refugee flows, and LGBTQ rights. -
Apr 12, 2022
Americans are not saving enough for retirement; Scotland’s unemployment rate has fallen but so has real wage growth
Today’s global news summary brings news from the US, Scotland, and the UK and discusses issues as diverse as retirement, unemployment, and higher education.
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Jul 20, 2022 - Jul 22, 2022
5th IZA Labor Statistics Workshop: The Measurement of Incomes, Living Costs and Standards of Living
Online
The purpose of the 2022 workshop of IZA’s “Labor Statistics” program area is to bring together senior and junior researchers to discuss their recent empirical research related to incomes, living costs, and standards of living.
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Jul 22, 2022
7th World Congress of the International Society of Business Economics and Ethics
Bilbao, Spain
You are cordially invited to (re-)submit proposals for the 7th ISBEE World Congress in Bilbao, Spain, to participate in the discourse on how we may re-invent globalization, the role of local communities, virtues and values, and the power of purpose.
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Sep 16, 2022 - Sep 17, 2022
5th IDSC of IZA Workshop: Matching Workers and Jobs Online - New Developments and Opportunities for Social Science and Practice
Online
Like many forms of economic exchange, the process of matching workers to jobs has rapidly migrated online in the last two decades. Thus, understanding how online labor matching mechanisms work; how they affect economic outcomes like employment, wages and inequality; and learning how to take advantages of the ‘big data’ that are generated by online markets all have important implications for the future of labor.
IZA World of Labor panel discussion on environment and health
IZA World of Labor panel discussion on gender and family issues
IZA World of Labor panel discussion on migration issues
Effects of the Russia-Ukraine crisis on food prices and well-being
The four-day workweek
Immigration, employment, and innovation