Demography, family, and gender
Population characteristics strongly predict labor market success. One of the biggest economic changes has been the rise of women in the labor market. The upcoming demographic imbalances suggest substantial adjustment processes on labor markets around the globe. The articles in this subject area provide evidence relating the role of demography in social, cultural, and biological processes to their effects on worker well-being.
Subject Editor
Anglia Ruskin University, UK, and IZA, Germany
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Can government policies reverse undesirable declines in fertility?
Government policies can have a modest effect on raising fertility—but broader social changes lowering fertility are stronger
Elizabeth Brainerd, May 2014Since 1989 fertility and family formation have declined sharply in Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. Fertility rates are converging on—and sometimes falling below—rates in Western Europe, most of which are below replacement levels. Concerned about a shrinking and aging population and strains on pension systems, governments are using incentives to encourage people to have more children. These policies seem only modestly effective in countering the impacts of widespread social changes, including new work opportunities for women and stronger incentives to invest in education.MoreLess -
Youth bulges and youth unemployment
Youth bulges are not a major factor explaining current levels of youth unemployment
David Lam, May 2014The youth population bulge is often mentioned in discussions of youth unemployment and unrest in developing countries. But the youth share of the population has fallen rapidly in recent decades in most countries, and is projected to continue to fall. Evidence on the link between youth bulges and youth unemployment is mixed. It should not be assumed that declines in the relative size of the youth population will translate into falling youth unemployment without further policy measures to improve the youth labor market.MoreLess -
Roma integration in European labor markets
Nuclei of evidence tell a grim story, but a veil of ignorance impedes policy efforts
Martin Kahanec, May 2014The 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.MoreLess -
Do youth mentoring programs change the perspectives and improve the life opportunities of at-risk youth?
While most effects are positive, they tend to be modest and fade over time—in addition, some mentoring programs can backfire
Núria Rodríguez-Planas, May 2014Mentoring programs such as Big Brothers Big Sisters of America have been providing positive role models and building social skills for more than a century. However, most formal mentoring programs are relatively novel and researchers have only recently begun to rigorously evaluate their impact on changing at-risk youth’s perspectives and providing opportunities for them to achieve better life outcomes. While a variety of mentoring and counseling programs have emerged around the world in recent years, knowledge of their effectiveness remains incomplete.MoreLess -
Teenage childbearing and labor market implications for women
Teenage childbearing is less a cause of inferior labor market outcomes for women than a marker of other social problems in a girl’s life
Phillip B. Levine, July 2014It is not difficult to find statistics showing that teenage childbearing is associated with poor labor market outcomes, but why is this the case? Does having a child as a teenager genuinely affect a woman’s economic potential—or is it simply a marker of problems she might already be facing as a result of her social and family background? The answer to this question has important implications for policy measures that could be taken to improve women’s lives.MoreLess -
Childcare subsidy policy: What it can and cannot accomplish
What are the implications of childcare subsidies for care quality, family well-being, and child development?
Erdal Tekin, July 2014Most public expenditure on childcare in the US is made through a federal program, the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF), established as part of landmark welfare reform legislation in 1996. The main goal of the reform was to increase employment and reduce welfare dependence among low-income families. Childcare subsidies have been effective in enabling parents to work, but apparently at some cost to the well-being of parents and children.MoreLess -
Inheritance, bequests, and labor supply
Inheritance-related work disincentives can be strong, but labor supply could increase if bequests facilitate entrepreneurship
Donald Cox, September 2014Inheriting money can be a problem since the new wealth might sap the beneficiaries’ incentive to work. Or it could do the opposite, by facilitating entrepreneurship among those whose ambition to start a business had been stymied by a lack of cash. Recent evidence suggests inheritance-related work disincentives can be strong—unexpected inheritances can matter a lot for early retirement, for example. But where inheritances facilitate self-employment, as some evidence suggests, the labor supply might increase.MoreLess -
Human capital effects of marriage payments
Investing in female human capital can reduce brideprice and dowry practices and increase welfare
Siwan Anderson, September 2014Payments at the time of marriage, which are ubiquitous in developing countries, can be substantial enough to impoverish parents. Brideprice and dowry have both been linked to domestic violence against women, and inflation in these payments has prompted legislation against them in several jurisdictions. Marriage payments are often a substitute for investment in female human capital, so from a welfare and policy perspective, they should be prohibited. This highlights the importance of promoting direct economic returns over legal and customary rights.MoreLess -
Poverty persistence and poverty dynamics
Snapshots of who is poor in one period provide an incomplete picture of poverty
Martin Biewen, November 2014A considerable part of the poverty that is measured in a single period is transitory rather than persistent. In most countries, only a portion of people who are currently poor are persistently poor. People who are persistently poor or who cycle into and out of poverty should be the main focus of anti-poverty policies. Understanding the characteristics of the persistently poor, and the circumstances and mechanisms associated with entry into and exit from poverty, can help to inform governments about options to reduce persistent poverty. Differences in poverty persistence across countries can shed additional light on possible sources of poverty persistence.MoreLess -
Late-life work and well-being
Flexible retirement may be one solution to the challenges of unemployment, aging populations, and public pension burdens
Carol Graham, November 2014Flexible work time and retirement options are a potential solution for the challenges of unemployment, aging populations, and unsustainable pensions systems around the world. Voluntary part-time workers in Europe and the US are happier, experience less stress and anger, and are more satisfied with their jobs than other employees. Late-life workers, meanwhile, have higher levels of well-being than retirees. The feasibility of a policy that is based on more flexible work arrangements will vary across economies and sectors, but the ongoing debate about these multi-tiered challenges should at least consider such arrangements.MoreLess