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Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons™
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- Temporary agency and other nonstandard work arrangements (17)
- Temporary employment (16)
- Temporary jobs (16)
- Temporary work (16)
- Globalization, offshoring, and productivity (13)
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- Productivity measurement (13)
- Productivity measures (11)
- Nonstandard work (10)
- Low wage labor markets (9)
- Industry studies (8)
- Contingent labor market (7)
- Contract workers (7)
- Flexible staffing (7)
- Job security and unemployment dynamics (7)
- Low skill workers (7)
- Low wage workers (7)
- Globalization (6)
- Manufacturing (6)
- Outsourcing (6)
- Economic measures (5)
- Independent contractors (5)
- Job security (5)
- Offshoring (5)
- Part time employment (5)
- Part time work (5)
- STC (5)
- Shared work (5)
- Short time compensation (5)
- Work sharing (5)
- Contracting out (4)
Articles 1 - 30 of 39
Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
Measurement Issues Arising From The Growth Of Globalization: Conference Papers, Susan N. Houseman, Kenneth F. Ryder
Measurement Issues Arising From The Growth Of Globalization: Conference Papers, Susan N. Houseman, Kenneth F. Ryder
Susan N. Houseman
No abstract provided.
Measuring Manufacturing: How The Computer And Semiconductor Industries Affect The Numbers And Perceptions, Susan N. Houseman, Timothy J. Bartik, Timothy J. Sturgeon
Measuring Manufacturing: How The Computer And Semiconductor Industries Affect The Numbers And Perceptions, Susan N. Houseman, Timothy J. Bartik, Timothy J. Sturgeon
Susan N. Houseman
Growth in U.S. manufacturing’s real value-added has exceeded that of aggregate GDP, except during recessions, leading many to conclude that the sector is healthy and that the 30 percent decline in manufacturing employment since 2000 is largely the consequence of automation. The robust growth in real manufacturing GDP, however, is driven by one industry segment: computers and electronic products. In most of manufacturing, real GDP growth has been weak or negative and productivity growth modest. The extraordinary real GDP growth in computer-related industries reflects prices for computers and semiconductors that, when adjusted for product quality improvements, are falling rapidly. Productivity …
What Do We Know About Contracting Out In The United States? Evidence From Household And Establishment Surveys, Matthew Dey, Susan N. Houseman, Anne E. Polivka
What Do We Know About Contracting Out In The United States? Evidence From Household And Establishment Surveys, Matthew Dey, Susan N. Houseman, Anne E. Polivka
Susan N. Houseman
A variety of evidence points to significant growth in domestic contracting out over the last two decades, yet the phenomenon is not well documented. In this paper, we pull together data from various sources to shed light on the extent of and trends in domestic outsourcing, the occupations in which it has grown, and the industries engaging in outsourcing for the employment services sector, which has been a particularly important area of domestic outsourcing. In addition, we examine evidence of contracting out of selected occupations to other sectors. We point to many gaps in our knowledge on trends in domestic …
Measurement Issues Arising From The Growth Of Globalization: Conference Summary, Susan N. Houseman, Kenneth F. Ryder
Measurement Issues Arising From The Growth Of Globalization: Conference Summary, Susan N. Houseman, Kenneth F. Ryder
Susan N. Houseman
No abstract provided.
Job Growth And The Quality Of Jobs In The U.S. Economy, Susan N. Houseman
Job Growth And The Quality Of Jobs In The U.S. Economy, Susan N. Houseman
Susan N. Houseman
During the 1980's employment grew rapidly in the United States, prompting many analysts to label the U.S. economy the great American job machine. But while aggregate employment increased rapidly during the 1980's, many did not benefit from the expansion. Among less educated prime-age males, unemployment rates rose and labor force participation rates declined sharply. Moreover, although job growth was high, many argued that the quality of American jobs as measured by wages, benefits, and job security deteriorated. The decline of jobs in the high-paying manufacturing sector and the growth of jobs in the low-paying services sector, the growth in part-time …
Does Employment Protection Inhibit Labor Market Flexibility?: Lessons From Germany, France And Belgium, Katharine G. Abraham, Susan N. Houseman
Does Employment Protection Inhibit Labor Market Flexibility?: Lessons From Germany, France And Belgium, Katharine G. Abraham, Susan N. Houseman
Susan N. Houseman
Laws in most West European countries give workers strong job rights, including the right to advance notice of layoff and the right to severance pay or other compensation if laid off. Many of these same countries also encourage hours adjustment in lieu of layoffs by providing prorated unemployment compensation to workers on reduced hours. This paper compares the adjustment of manufacturing employment and hours in West Germany, France and Belgium, three countries with strong job security regulations and well-established short-time compensation systems, with that in the United States. Although the adjustment of employment to changes in output is much slower …
Outsourcing, Offshoring, And Productivity Measurement In U.S. Manufacturing, Susan N. Houseman
Outsourcing, Offshoring, And Productivity Measurement In U.S. Manufacturing, Susan N. Houseman
Susan N. Houseman
I discuss reasons why manufacturing productivity statistics should be interpreted with caution in light of the recent growth of domestic and foreign outsourcing and offshoring. First, outsourcing and offshoring are poorly measured in U.S. statistics, and poor measurement may impart a significant bias to manufacturing and, where offshoring is involved, aggregate productivity statistics. Second, companies often outsource or offshore work to take advantage of cheap (relative to their output) labor, and such cost savings are counted as productivity gains, even in multifactor productivity calculations. This fact has potentially important implications for the interpretation of productivity statistics. Whether, for instance, productivity …
Do Temporary Help Jobs Improve Labor Market Outcomes? A Pilot Analysis With Welfare Clients, David H. Autor, Susan N. Houseman
Do Temporary Help Jobs Improve Labor Market Outcomes? A Pilot Analysis With Welfare Clients, David H. Autor, Susan N. Houseman
Susan N. Houseman
We draw upon administrative data from an unusual policy experiment in the state of Michigan to study the effects of temporary agency employment among welfare-to-work clients on job retention, program recidivism, and earnings. To identify these effects, we exploit the fact that welfare-to-work clients in one Michigan county were randomly assigned to service providers who had substantially different placement rates in temporary agencies but otherwise similar policies. Our findings indicate that moving welfare clients who otherwise would have been unemployed into temporary agency jobs provides some benefits to these workers, primarily by increasing their short-term earnings. Temporary agency jobs also …
The Policy Implications Of Nonstandard Work Arrangements, Susan N. Houseman
The Policy Implications Of Nonstandard Work Arrangements, Susan N. Houseman
Susan N. Houseman
No abstract provided.
Manufacturers' Outsourcing To Employment Services, Matthew Dey, Susan N. Houseman, Anne E. Polivka
Manufacturers' Outsourcing To Employment Services, Matthew Dey, Susan N. Houseman, Anne E. Polivka
Susan N. Houseman
We estimate the effects of manufacturers' use of employment services—comprised primarily of temporary help and professional employer organizations—on measured employment and labor productivity in manufacturing between 1989 and 2004. A major contribution of the paper is the construction of panel data on employment by occupation and industry from the Occupational Employment Statistics program. We use these data to document the dramatic rise of production and other manual occupations within the employment services sector and, in conjunction with information from the Contingent Worker Supplements, to estimate the number of employment services workers assigned to manufacturing over the period. Although measured employment …
Testimony Before The Working Group On The Benefit Implications Of The Growth In The Contingent Workforce: U.S. Department Of Labor, Susan N. Houseman
Testimony Before The Working Group On The Benefit Implications Of The Growth In The Contingent Workforce: U.S. Department Of Labor, Susan N. Houseman
Susan N. Houseman
No abstract provided.
Short-Time Compensation As A Tool To Mitigate Job Loss? Evidence On The U.S. Experience During The Recent Recession, Katharine G. Abraham, Susan N. Houseman
Short-Time Compensation As A Tool To Mitigate Job Loss? Evidence On The U.S. Experience During The Recent Recession, Katharine G. Abraham, Susan N. Houseman
Susan N. Houseman
During the recent recession only 17 states offered short-time compensation (STC)—pro-rated unemployment benefits for workers whose hours are reduced for economic reasons. New federal legislation will encourage the expansion of STC. Exploiting cross-state variation in STC, we present new evidence indicating that jobs saved during the recession as a consequence of STC could have been significant in manufacturing, but that the overall scale of the STC program was generally too small to have substantially mitigated aggregate job losses in the 17 states. Expansion of the program is necessary for STC to be an effective counter-cyclical tool in the future.
Measuring Offshore Outsourcing And Offshoring: Problems For Economic Statistics, Susan N. Houseman
Measuring Offshore Outsourcing And Offshoring: Problems For Economic Statistics, Susan N. Houseman
Susan N. Houseman
No abstract provided.
Work And Retirement Plans Among Older Americans, Katharine G. Abraham, Susan N. Houseman
Work And Retirement Plans Among Older Americans, Katharine G. Abraham, Susan N. Houseman
Susan N. Houseman
We compare older workers' plans for work and retirement with their subsequent work and retirement outcomes using panel data from the Health and Retirement Study. Among those with retirement plans, about half indicate they would like to cut back on their work hours or otherwise change the type of work they do prior to, or instead of, fully retiring. Yet, the fraction that follows through on these alternative plans is dramatically lower than the fraction that realizes plans to stop working. Our analysis shows that individuals who likely would need to change jobs in order to reduce their work hours …
The Benefits Implications Of Recent Trends In Flexible Staff Arrangements, Susan N. Houseman
The Benefits Implications Of Recent Trends In Flexible Staff Arrangements, Susan N. Houseman
Susan N. Houseman
Workers in flexible staffing arrangements - including temporary agency, direct-hire temporary, on-call, and contract workers - are much less likely than regular, direct-hire employees to be covered by laws mandating or regulating workplace benefits. Workers in such arrangements, in turn, are much less likely to receive pension, health insurance, and other benefits on the job. This paper documents these differences in coverage by benefits regulations and differences in benefits receipt. The paper also reviews evidence on the incentives employers have to use workers in these various flexible staffing arrangements. Although reducing benefits costs is not the only reason employers use …
Why Employers Use Flexible Staffing Arrangements: Evidence From An Establishment Survey, Susan N. Houseman
Why Employers Use Flexible Staffing Arrangements: Evidence From An Establishment Survey, Susan N. Houseman
Susan N. Houseman
This paper examines which employers use flexible staffing arrangements, why they use these arrangements, and their implications for workers and public policy, drawing on a nationally representative survey of private sector establishments. Use of flexible staffing arrangements-including temporary help agency, short-term, on-call, regular part-time, and contract workers-is widespread and two-thirds of employers believe this use will increase in the near future. Traditional reasons concerning the need to accommodate fluctuations in workload or absences in staff are the most commonly cited reasons for using all types of flexible staffing arrangements. Many employers also use agency temporaries and part-time workers to screen …
Offshoring And The State Of American Manufacturing, Susan N. Houseman, Christopher Kurz, Paul A. Lengermann, Benjamin J. Mandel
Offshoring And The State Of American Manufacturing, Susan N. Houseman, Christopher Kurz, Paul A. Lengermann, Benjamin J. Mandel
Susan N. Houseman
The rapid growth of offshoring has sparked a contentious debate over its impact on the U.S. manufacturing sector, which has recorded steep employment declines yet strong output growth—a fact reconciled by the notable gains in manufacturing productivity. We maintain, however, that the dramatic acceleration of imports from developing countries has imparted a significant bias to the official statistics. In particular, the price declines associated with the shift to low-cost foreign suppliers generally are not captured in input cost and import price indexes. To assess the implications of offshoring bias for manufacturing productivity and value added, we implement the bias correction …
Short-Time Compensation Is A Missing Safety Net For U.S. Economy In Recessions, Katharine G. Abraham, Susan N. Houseman
Short-Time Compensation Is A Missing Safety Net For U.S. Economy In Recessions, Katharine G. Abraham, Susan N. Houseman
Susan N. Houseman
No abstract provided.
Temporary Employment In Auto Supply, George A. Erickcek, Susan N. Houseman, Arne L. Kalleberg
Temporary Employment In Auto Supply, George A. Erickcek, Susan N. Houseman, Arne L. Kalleberg
Susan N. Houseman
No abstract provided.
The Implications Of Flexible Staffing Arrangements For Job Stability, Susan N. Houseman, Anne E. Polivka
The Implications Of Flexible Staffing Arrangements For Job Stability, Susan N. Houseman, Anne E. Polivka
Susan N. Houseman
In this paper, we examine the job stability of workers in a wide range of flexible staffing arrangements: agency temporary, direct-hire temporary, on-call, contract company, independent contractor, and regular part-time work. We draw upon two data sources in our analysis. The first is a nationwide survey of employers on their use of flexible staffing arrangements conducted by the Upjohn Institute for Employment Research. This survey provides evidence on why employers use various types of flexible staffing arrangements and the extent to which employers move workers in these positions into regular arrangements within their organization. The second data source is the …
Does "Work First" Work? The Long-Term Consequences Of Temporary Agency And Direct-Hire Job Placements, David H. Autor, Susan N. Houseman
Does "Work First" Work? The Long-Term Consequences Of Temporary Agency And Direct-Hire Job Placements, David H. Autor, Susan N. Houseman
Susan N. Houseman
A principal objective of the welfare reform act of 1996 (PRWORA) was to encourage welfare recipients to obtain jobs rapidly, a strategy termed "Work First." Much analysis shows that Work First raises the incidence of direct-hire and—in a sizable minority of cases—temporary-help agency jobs among welfare clients. But the effect of these jobs on longer term labor market outcomes, such as labor force participation, earnings, and welfare recidivism, is unknown. Because welfare recipients who obtain jobs rapidly are positively selected from the pool of all Work First participants, a simple comparison of long-term outcomes among job takers and non-takers is …
Job Security V. Labor Market Flexibility: Is There A Tradeoff?, Susan N. Houseman
Job Security V. Labor Market Flexibility: Is There A Tradeoff?, Susan N. Houseman
Susan N. Houseman
No abstract provided.
Labor Adjustment Under Different Institutional Structures: A Case Study Of Germany And The United States, Susan N. Houseman, Katharine G. Abraham
Labor Adjustment Under Different Institutional Structures: A Case Study Of Germany And The United States, Susan N. Houseman, Katharine G. Abraham
Susan N. Houseman
Like most Western European countries, Germany stringently regulates dismissals and layoffs. Critics contend that this regulation raises the costs of employment adjustment and hence impedes employers' ability to respond to fluctuations in demand. Other German labor policies, however, most especially the availability of unemployment insurance benefits for those on short time, facilitate the adjustment of average hours per worker in lieu of layoffs. Building on earlier work, we compare the adjustment of employment, hours and inventories to demand shocks in the German and U.S. manufacturing sectors. We find that, in the short run, whereas U.S. employers rely principally on the …
A Future Of Good Jobs? America's Challenge In The Global Economy, Timothy J. Bartik, Susan N. Houseman
A Future Of Good Jobs? America's Challenge In The Global Economy, Timothy J. Bartik, Susan N. Houseman
Susan N. Houseman
No abstract provided.
Earnings Inequality In Germany, Katharine G. Abraham, Susan N. Houseman
Earnings Inequality In Germany, Katharine G. Abraham, Susan N. Houseman
Susan N. Houseman
Recent studies have documented the growth of earnings inequality in the United States during the 1980s. In contrast to these studies' findings, our analysis of micro data for the former West Germany yields virtually no evidence of growth in earnings inequality over the same period. Between 1978 and 1988, a reduction in the dispersion of earnings among workers in the bottom half of the earnings distribution led to a narrowing of the overall dispersion of earnings in Germany. Earnings differentials across education and age groups remained roughly stable, and there was no general widening of earnings differentials within either education …
Temporary Services And Contracting Out: Effects On Low-Skilled Workers, Susan N. Houseman, George A. Erickcek
Temporary Services And Contracting Out: Effects On Low-Skilled Workers, Susan N. Houseman, George A. Erickcek
Susan N. Houseman
No abstract provided.
Summary Findings Of A Report On Temporary, Part-Time, And Contract Employment In The United States, George A. Erickcek, Susan N. Houseman
Summary Findings Of A Report On Temporary, Part-Time, And Contract Employment In The United States, George A. Erickcek, Susan N. Houseman
Susan N. Houseman
No abstract provided.
The Effects Of Temporary Services And Contracting Out On Low-Skilled Workers: Evidence From Auto Suppliers, Hospitals, And Public Schools, George A. Erickcek, Susan N. Houseman, Arne L. Kalleberg
The Effects Of Temporary Services And Contracting Out On Low-Skilled Workers: Evidence From Auto Suppliers, Hospitals, And Public Schools, George A. Erickcek, Susan N. Houseman, Arne L. Kalleberg
Susan N. Houseman
We examine why employers use temporary agency and contract company workers and the implications of these practices for the wages, benefits, and working conditions of workers in low-skilled labor markets. Through intensive case studies in manufacturing (automotive supply), services (hospitals), and public sector (primary and secondary schools) industries, we define the circumstances under which these workers are likely to be adversely affected, minimally affected, or even benefited by such outsourcing. Adverse effects on compensation are clearest when companies substitute agency temporaries or contract company workers for regular employees on a long-term basis because low-skilled workers within the organization receive relatively …
The Role Of Manufacturing In A Jobs Recovery, Susan Houseman
The Role Of Manufacturing In A Jobs Recovery, Susan Houseman
Susan N. Houseman
No abstract provided.
Outsourcing And Offshoring: Problems For Price And Productivity Measurement, Susan N. Houseman
Outsourcing And Offshoring: Problems For Price And Productivity Measurement, Susan N. Houseman
Susan N. Houseman
No abstract provided.