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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

The Importance Of Informal Work In Supplementing Household Income, Katharine G. Abraham, Susan N. Houseman Nov 2019

The Importance Of Informal Work In Supplementing Household Income, Katharine G. Abraham, Susan N. Houseman

Susan N. Houseman

No abstract provided.


The Importance Of Informal Work In Supplementing Household Income, Katherine G. Abraham, Susan N. Houseman Oct 2019

The Importance Of Informal Work In Supplementing Household Income, Katherine G. Abraham, Susan N. Houseman

Susan N. Houseman

No abstract provided.


Understanding The Decline Of U.S. Manufacturing Employment, Susan N. Houseman Jun 2018

Understanding The Decline Of U.S. Manufacturing Employment, Susan N. Houseman

Susan N. Houseman

U.S. manufacturing experienced a precipitous and historically unprecedented decline in employment in the 2000s. Many economists and other analysts—pointing to decades of statistics showing that manufacturing real (inflation-adjusted) output growth has largely kept pace with private sector real output growth, that productivity growth has been much higher, and that the sector’s share of aggregate employment has been declining—argue that manufacturing’s job losses are largely the result of productivity growth (assumed to reflect automation) and are part of a long-term trend. Since the 1980s, however, the apparently robust growth in manufacturing real output and productivity have been driven by a relatively …


The Decline Of U.S. Manufacturing Employment - Automation And Trade, Susan N. Houseman May 2018

The Decline Of U.S. Manufacturing Employment - Automation And Trade, Susan N. Houseman

Susan N. Houseman

No abstract provided.


Effects Of The Affordable Care Act On Part-Time Employment: Early Evidence, Marcus Dillender, Carolyn Heinrich, Susan Houseman (Corresponding Author) Jun 2016

Effects Of The Affordable Care Act On Part-Time Employment: Early Evidence, Marcus Dillender, Carolyn Heinrich, Susan Houseman (Corresponding Author)

Susan N. Houseman

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires employers with at least 50 full-time-equivalent employees to offer “affordable” health insurance to employees working 30 or more hours per week. If employers do not comply with the mandate, they may face substantial financial penalties. Employers can potentially circumvent the mandate by reducing weekly hours below the 30-hour threshold or by using other nonstandard employment arrangements (direct-hire temporaries, agency temporaries, small contractors, and independent contractors). We examine the effects of the ACA on short-hours, part-time employment. Using monthly CPS data, we estimate that the ACA resulted in an increase in low-hours, involuntary part-time employment …


Domestic Outsourcing In The United States: A Research Agenda To Assess Trends And Effects On Job Quality, Annette Bernhardt, Rosemary L. Batt, Susan Houseman, Eileen Appelbaum Mar 2016

Domestic Outsourcing In The United States: A Research Agenda To Assess Trends And Effects On Job Quality, Annette Bernhardt, Rosemary L. Batt, Susan Houseman, Eileen Appelbaum

Susan N. Houseman

The goal of this paper is to develop a comprehensive research agenda to analyze trends in domestic outsourcing in the United States—firms’ use of contractors and independent contractors—and its effects on job quality and inequality. In the process, we review definitions of outsourcing, the available scant empirical research, and limitations of existing data sources. We also summarize theories that attempt to explain why firms contract out for certain functions and assess their predictions about likely impacts on job quality. We then lay out in detail a major research initiative on domestic outsourcing, discussing the questions it should answer and providing …


Temporary Help Employment In Recession And Recovery, Susan Houseman, Carolyn Heinrich Apr 2015

Temporary Help Employment In Recession And Recovery, Susan Houseman, Carolyn Heinrich

Susan N. Houseman

The temporary help industry, although small, plays a significant role in the macro economy, reflecting employers’ growing reliance on temporary help agencies to provide flexibility in meeting staffing needs. Drawing on detailed temporary-help order data between 2007 and 2011 from a large, nationally representative staffing company, we provide insights into the characteristics of temporary help work, employers’ use of temporary agencies to screen workers for permanent positions, and the industry’s role in labor market adjustment over the business cycle. We estimate that the temporary help industry accounted for a large share of gross job losses and job gains over this …


The Potential Effects Of Federal Health Insurance Reforms On Employment Arrangements And Compensation, Marcus Dillender, Carolyn Heinrich, Susan Houseman Mar 2015

The Potential Effects Of Federal Health Insurance Reforms On Employment Arrangements And Compensation, Marcus Dillender, Carolyn Heinrich, Susan Houseman

Susan N. Houseman

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) presents an opportunity to significantly improve compensation for American workers. A potential concern, though, is that employers will circumvent the employer mandate by increasing their use of workers in staffing arrangements that are not covered by the mandate: workers averaging less than 30 hours per week, working on a temporary basis, or working in organizations with fewer than 50 full-time employees. In this paper, we shed light on the likely effects that the ACA will have on employment arrangements. We first examine how part-time employment in Massachusetts changed after its health insurance reform, which is …


Full Employment Requires Job Growth In Manufacturing, Reduction In Trade Deficit / Commentary, Susan Houseman, Dean Baker Feb 2015

Full Employment Requires Job Growth In Manufacturing, Reduction In Trade Deficit / Commentary, Susan Houseman, Dean Baker

Susan N. Houseman

No abstract provided.


Proposal 12: Encouraging Work Sharing To Reduce Unemployment, Katharine Abraham, Susan Houseman Feb 2015

Proposal 12: Encouraging Work Sharing To Reduce Unemployment, Katharine Abraham, Susan Houseman

Susan N. Houseman

No abstract provided.


Job Security And Work Force Adjustment: How Different Are U.S. And Japanese Practices?, Katharine Abraham, Susan Houseman Feb 2015

Job Security And Work Force Adjustment: How Different Are U.S. And Japanese Practices?, Katharine Abraham, Susan Houseman

Susan N. Houseman

No abstract provided.


Measurement Issues Arising From The Growth Of Globalization: Conference Papers, Susan N. Houseman, Kenneth F. Ryder Feb 2015

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 Feb 2015

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 Feb 2015

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 …


What Is The Nature Of Part-Time Work In The United States And Japan?, Susan Houseman, Machiko Osawa Feb 2015

What Is The Nature Of Part-Time Work In The United States And Japan?, Susan Houseman, Machiko Osawa

Susan N. Houseman

No abstract provided.


Measurement Issues Arising From The Growth Of Globalization: Conference Summary, Susan N. Houseman, Kenneth F. Ryder Feb 2015

Measurement Issues Arising From The Growth Of Globalization: Conference Summary, Susan N. Houseman, Kenneth F. Ryder

Susan N. Houseman

No abstract provided.


Introduction And Overview, Timothy Bartik, Susan Houseman Feb 2015

Introduction And Overview, Timothy Bartik, Susan Houseman

Susan N. Houseman

No abstract provided.


Job Growth And The Quality Of Jobs In The U.S. Economy, Susan N. Houseman Feb 2015

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 Feb 2015

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 Feb 2015

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 Feb 2015

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 …


SubcontratacióN Y MedicióN De La Productividad En La Industria Estadounidense, Susan Houseman Feb 2015

SubcontratacióN Y MedicióN De La Productividad En La Industria Estadounidense, Susan Houseman

Susan N. Houseman

No abstract provided.


The Policy Implications Of Nonstandard Work Arrangements, Susan N. Houseman Feb 2015

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 Feb 2015

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 …


Part-Time And Temporary Employment In Japan, Susan Houseman, Machiko Osawa Feb 2015

Part-Time And Temporary Employment In Japan, Susan Houseman, Machiko Osawa

Susan N. Houseman

No abstract provided.


The Growth Of Nonstandard Employment In Japan And The United States: A Comparison Of Causes And Consequences, Susan Houseman, Machiko Osawa Feb 2015

The Growth Of Nonstandard Employment In Japan And The United States: A Comparison Of Causes And Consequences, Susan Houseman, Machiko Osawa

Susan N. Houseman

No abstract provided.


Testimony Before The Working Group On The Benefit Implications Of The Growth In The Contingent Workforce: U.S. Department Of Labor, Susan N. Houseman Feb 2015

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 Feb 2015

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.


Temporary Agency Work, Susan Houseman Feb 2015

Temporary Agency Work, Susan Houseman

Susan N. Houseman

No abstract provided.


Measuring Offshore Outsourcing And Offshoring: Problems For Economic Statistics, Susan N. Houseman Feb 2015

Measuring Offshore Outsourcing And Offshoring: Problems For Economic Statistics, Susan N. Houseman

Susan N. Houseman

No abstract provided.