Is working overtime becoming the new normal?; US state Maryland ranks at number four overall for diversity
Today’s global news summary brings news from Hong Kong, the US, and the UK and discusses issues as diverse as working overtime, diversity, and pensions.
- Hong Kong: Is working overtime becoming the new normal?
- United States: US state Maryland ranks at number four overall for diversity
- United Kingdom: Train drivers vote to go on a strike over pensions
Is working overtime becoming the new normal?
Labor markets and institutions
Eric, who took his first job as a junior associate at an international law firm in Hong Kong, found that his role expanded beyond the usual nine-to-five. “It’s simply a given in the legal industry. Generally, lawyers don’t get paid overtime. Very occasionally, I’d have to pull an all-nighter,” Eric tells the BBC. “Working towards 40 hours a week would be a light week for me. My hours depend on my clients’ needs—I don’t have the option of working fewer,” he says. According to statistics, in the UK alone, pre-pandemic, over five million workers found themselves working over seven hours extra a week, which equates to 35 billion in unpaid overtime. Current global figures from the ADP Research Institute also show that one in 10 people are working a minimum of 20 hours a week for free.
IZA World of Labor authors Ronald L. Oaxaca and Galiya Sagyndykova have looked at the effect of overtime regulations on employment. Read their article The effect of overtime regulations on employment.
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Can Overtime Premium Flexibility Promote Employment? Firm- and Worker-Level Evidence from a Labour Law Reform
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US state Maryland ranks at number four overall for diversity
Migration and ethnicity
Maryland is now the most diverse state on the East Cost, according to data. “Not only does the state rank No. 4 overall for diversity, but it saw the biggest increase—a bump of nearly seven percentage points from 2010 to 2020,” reports U.S. News. The findings from the decennial census show that Maryland is a very ethnically and racially diverse state. Nevertheless, analysts and demographers have identified that there are issues around inclusivity and equality. According to figures, the US became “much more diverse between 2010 and 2020, rising from about 55% to 61%, according to visualized census data. Maryland experienced similarly large growth in that timespan, going from about 60% to over 67%.”
IZA World of Labor author Paul Spoonley believes that superdiversity can result in real economic benefits—but it also raises concerns about social cohesion. Read his full article.
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Train drivers vote to go on a strike over pensions
Labor markets and institutions
London Underground train drivers have voted to walk out over pensions, the Evening Standard reports. Tube drivers were asked if they are prepared to strike and Finn Brennan, ASLEF’s organizer on the Underground, said that: “This ballot result shows that our Tube train drivers aren’t prepared to let them get away with it. Management should be in no doubt that if they try to force through changes to our agreements, working conditions, or pensions, there will be hard-hitting and sustained industrial action across London Underground.”
Find more content on the aging workforce and pensions reform on our key topic page.
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