Labor Economics Commons^™

Road To Progress Or Bumpy Detour? Jeepney Drivers’ Lived Experiences Amidst Ongoing Phaseout, Reignchielle Jcynd D. Lacsina, Ivan Karlo S. Pating, Marjorie L. Paloma, Joy F. Galleon

Sinaya: A Philippine Journal for Senior High School Teachers and Students

This study utilizes a phenomenological research design to explore the lived experiences of jeepney drivers amidst the ongoing government’s initiative to phase out and modernize traditional jeepneys in the Philippines. It focused on six jeepney drivers operating in the Tarlac public transportation system, selected based on specific inclusion criteria. The Theory of Change was used to delve deeper into the findings, revealing that the government's initiatives have challenged the stability of jeepney drivers’ livelihood during the modernization transition. Their lives were in jeopardy due to this abrupt transformation. It left them powerless to adapt to the changes or boycott. The …

What Is The Value Of The Child And Dependent Care Credit?, Gabrielle Pepin

Upjohn Institute Working Papers

The Child and Dependent Care Credit (CDCC) subsidizes child care costs for working families. In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 increased the CDCC’s generosity during 2021 only. I find that while the CDCC is of relatively little value in its current form, increases in eligibility rates and conditional benefits under the pandemic expansion increased the credit’s value dramatically. Conditional on CDCC eligibility, higher-income households experienced the largest increases in benefit levels under the expanded CDCC, but lower-income households benefited disproportionately when measuring benefits as a share of income or child care spending.

Five Key Lessons For Five Core Groups Shaping Place-Based Policy, Kathleen Bolter, Timothy J. Bartik, Brad J. Hershbein, Michelle Miller-Adams, Alfonso Hernandez, Kyle Huisman, Bridget Timmeney

Reports

No abstract provided.

New Employer Payroll Taxes And Entrepreneurship, Audrey Guo, Melanie Wallskog

Upjohn Institute Working Papers

How costly are taxes for young firms? In this paper, we demonstrate that even small payroll taxes significantly distort entry, growth, and hiring decisions. First, leveraging cross-sectional variation in the taxes faced by new employers, we find that higher taxes discourage new firms from hiring their first workers, with an elasticity of the number of new employers to taxes of −0.1. Second, studying changes in taxes after entry, we find that higher taxes lead more firms to exit, while also reducing employment for those who survive and leading some firms to avoid taxes by using non-taxable contract labor.

Perceived Problem, Partnership, And Training Effect On Productivity And Export: Evidence From Micro And Small Manufacturing Firms In Indonesia, Rifai Afin

Economics and Finance in Indonesia

The primary objectives of this study are threefold: first, to investigate whether the challenges faced by micro and small industries motivate them to enter into partnerships; second, to assess the impact of partnerships on company productivity; and third, to explore the causal relationship between productivity and exports. We aim to determine whether productivity influences exports and vice versa or if a two-way relationship exists. The data used in this study consists of annual survey data from micro and small manufacturing companies, randomly collected by the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) in 2015, with a total sample of 58,290 observations. The methodologies …

The Importance Of The Safety Net Program For Informal Workers’ Food Security Amid The Covid-19 Pandemic In Indonesia, Rodhiah Umaroh, Amirusholihin Amirusholihin, Yuliawati Yuliawati

Economics and Finance in Indonesia

This study examines the effects of social safety-net programs on food security among vulnerable groups, focusing on households with informal workers. Utilizing data from the High-Frequency Monitoring of the COVID-19 Impacts 2020 (HiFy) and estimates with the Longitudinal Propensity Score Matching (LPSM) method, the findings reveal that cash and food assistance significantly reduce food insecurity among informal workers’ households. The households receiving these safety net programs experienced an 8–11% lower probability of food insecurity compared to non-recipients, as indicated by the Average Treatment Effect on the Treated (ATT) value. The study highlights the need for continued investment in inclusive and …

Striking A Balance: Market Shock & Responses In Automotive Components Manufacturing, Emma Lane Mcgahey

All Theses

This thesis examines the effects of extreme market shocks on supply chain dynamics within the automotive industry. Through an analysis of demand data from an automotive manufacturer to its component suppliers (January 2018 to May 2024), the study investigates the relationship between market shocks and supply chain responses, providing insights into how auto components inventory management handles downstream responses to market shocks. With supporting public data—from FRED, BLS, and the U.S. Census Bureau resources—we explore two primary relationships: the impact of market shocks on the Average Standard Deviation of Demand (SDO) and the effect of demand variability on expedited pricing …

Practice Unveils Weaknesses: Analysing The Implementation Of Regulations On Seafarers’ Work/Rest Hours, Bikram S. Bhatia

World Maritime University Ph.D. Dissertations

Seafarers’ fatigue risk management is rooted in regulations on manning and work/rest hours. These regulations establish a minimum fatigue management standard achieved through work/rest hours compliance. Seafarers must maintain daily records of their work/rest hours and report any non-compliance to their company. However, adjustments to these records have been reported in the literature. Such malpractice obscures instances of non- compliance and hinders the feedback necessary for resolving these issues, including flag State review and amendments to minimum safe manning documents. It compromises the integrity of fatigue risk management and underscores the need for further research.

This study examined the implementation …

Impact Of State-Level Family Policies On Female Labor Force Participation And Entrepreneurship, Kathryn Staczek Rudloff

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation aims to investigate the impact of state-level family policies on women's participation in the labor force in the United States, focusing specifically on the rise of self-employment and solopreneurship among women. The research seeks to answer the following question: "How do family policies at the state level impact participation of American women in the labor force?"

The study utilized a convergent parallel mixed-methods design. A composite index of state level family policies was created to conduct cross-sectional exploratory data analysis of female labor force participation. Additionally, a qualitative phenomenological study of solopreneurs provided a deeper understanding of the …

Predicting Rail Transit Impacts With Endogenous Worker Choice: Evidence From Oahu, Justin Tyndall

Upjohn Institute Working Papers

The provision of public transportation can improve the accessibility of work opportunities. However, predicting the labor market effects of new transit infrastructure is difficult because of endogenous worker decisions. I examine a large public-transit rail project on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. Using block-level commuter-flow and travel-time estimates, I propose and estimate a quantitative spatial model of location and mode choice for workers. I estimate that the new rail system increases public-transit-mode share and the employment rate but does not reduce the average commute duration, because of endogenous worker sorting. Low-income workers on Oahu capture a significant share of transit’s …

Introducing Slms: Spillover-Based Local Labor Markets, Timothy J. Bartik

Presentations

No abstract provided.

Strengthening Work Requirements? Forecasting Impacts Of Reforming Cash Assistance, Josep M. Nadal-Fernandez, Gabrielle Pepin, Kane Schrader

Upjohn Institute Working Papers

Work requirements are perhaps the most controversial aspect of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, America’s sole federal cash assistance program for low-income families with children. In 2025, for the first time in nearly 20 years, the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 (FRA) will implement policy changes intended to strengthen states’ work requirements. However, researcher’ and policymakers’ understanding of how FRA will impact states’ compliance with federal requirements is hampered by a lack of research and publicly available data.

We tie information from reports submitted to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that are collected to …

Resource Gaps For Minority Entrepreneurs In The Dayton Ecosystem, Iryna V. Lendel, Megan Zabik, Molly Schnoke, Jack Yochum

Reports

No abstract provided.

Economic Vitality Index: Mapping Michigan’S 83 Counties, Sevrin Williams, Iryna V. Lendel

Reports

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Demographic Change In Explaining Declining Labor Force Participation, Manoj Atolia, John Gibson, Felix Rioja

Hunt Institute Working Paper Series

The labor force participation rate has been declining in the United States since the late 1990s. Decomposing the aggregate labor force participation rate by age reveals that this decline is being driven by reduced participation among relatively young individuals, those aged 16 to 24. In fact, participation among older individuals, age 55 and above, has been increasing. In this paper, we develop a model in which individual decisions regarding schooling and retirement, in view of empirically observed changes in mortality, can simultaneously explain these three labor force participation trends. Furthermore, a counterfactual scenario that accounts for the observed demographic trends …

Occupational Projections For Skilled Trades In Kalamazoo County, 2023-2032, Sevrin Williams, Michael Horrigan, Iryna V. Lendel

Upjohn Institute Technical Reports

No abstract provided.

“Just Right” Definitions Of Local Labor Markets: Introducing Slms, Timothy J. Bartik

Upjohn Institute Policy and Research Briefs

No abstract provided.

Reduced School Tracking Increased Educational Attainment And Fertility In France, Serena Canaan

Employment Research Newsletter

No abstract provided.

“Just Right” Definitions Of Local Labor Markets: Introducing Slms, Timothy J. Bartik

Employment Research Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Aaron Sojourner’S Beginner’S Guide To Bluesky, Aaron Sojourner

Employment Research Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Local Labor Markets Should Be Redefined: New Definitions Based On Estimated Demand-Shock Spillovers, Timothy J. Bartik

Upjohn Institute Working Papers

This paper provides estimates that lead to better U.S. labor market definitions. Current U.S. labor market definitions—for example, metropolitan areas and commuting zones—are unsatisfactory because they are ad hoc and usually do not correspond to commonly used local planning areas. This paper proposes basing U.S. labor market definitions on how a job shock to a county affects nearby counties’ employment rates. New estimates of county spillovers are presented. Using these estimated spillovers, new multicounty labor market definitions are based on maximizing a weighted sum of total spillovers captured, versus taking the average size of within-market effects. These new “spillover-defined local …

The Past, Present, And Future Of Long-Run Local Population Decline, Brian J. Asquith, Evan Mast

Upjohn Institute Policy and Research Briefs

No abstract provided.

Broadly Shared Local Economic Success: New Measures And New Lessons For Communities, Timothy J. Bartik

Presentations

No abstract provided.

Birth Dearth And Local Population Decline, Brian J. Asquith, Evan Mast

Upjohn Institute Working Papers

Local population decline has spread rapidly since 1970, with half of counties losing population between 2010 and 2020. The workhorse economic models point to net out-migration, likely driven by changing local economies and amenities, as the cause of this trend. However, we show that the share of counties with high net out-migration has not increased. Instead, falling fertility has caused migration rates that used to generate growth to instead result in decline. When we simulate county populations from 1970 to the present holding fertility at its initial level, only 10 percent of counties decline during the 2010s.

Collaborative Research Report: Personal Assistance Workforce Capacity And Quality Outcomes, Luke Santore, Catherine Ipsen, Lillie Greiman, Lina Stepick

Employment

The growing demand for home-based care services contends with a major shortage of personal care aide (PCA) workers. PCAs support older adults and people with disabilities in home and community-based settings with activities of daily living, such as bathing, dressing, eating, and more. A thriving PCA workforce is necessary to match demand for home and community-based care. However, persistently low wages and poor job quality lead to high rates of turnover and shortages in the workforce. This research report aims to understand the relationship between PCA workforce capacity and quality of consumer-reported care for long-term services and supports.

The Hidden Atrocity Of The Kafala System: Addressing The Domestic And Sexual Abuse Against Female Migrant Workers In Qatar, Sarah Lee

Global Studies Senior Capstone

The Kafala System is a labor sponsorship program in the Gulf Cooperation Council, Jordan, and Lebanon, originally created to be beneficial for migrant workers by providing a legal framework that provides advantages for both foreign workers and their local sponsors. However, this program has turned into an avenue for human trafficking, with different forms of exploitations increasing through it. This paper focuses on this system in the context of Qatar, discussing the history, nature of the Kafala System, as well as it’s impact on female migrant workers. Female migrant workers face a different set of struggles compared to their male …

Cartel Breakdown: The Impact Of Demonopsonization On Market Concentration, Nathan Ashby, Miguel A. Ramos-Gonzalez

Hunt Institute Working Paper Series

The exogenous removal of labor restrictions mandated by Alston vs. NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) has provided a unique natural experiment for analyzing the impact of demonopsonization on market concentration. Using basketball tournament data between 2003 and 2024 we find evidence of increased concentration in performance among higher-tiered programs. The larger magnitude of estimates for women’s programs likely results from wider dispersion in market demand for participating programs predating the reforms. We also analyze parity in regular-season conference play and fail to detect a relationship between the changes and dispersion for higher-tiered conferences, but we do find a relationship for …

Migration Shocks And Economic Redistribution: The Case Of Return Migration To Mexico, Daniel E. Clayton, Jose R. Bucheli, Matias Fontenla

Hunt Institute Working Paper Series

This paper examines the effects of return migration on inequality, poverty, and income in Mexico, using a reversal in the migration flow in the late 2000s. For the first time since the Great Depression, more migrants returned to Mexico than those who migrated to the United States. We use this return migration shock to construct a two-period panel for municipalities in Mexico and employ an instrumental variable approach using the exogenous variation of U.S. immigration enforcement policies. Our results show that return migration significantly reduced inequality and poverty while boosting income per capita. These effects appear most pronounced municipalities with …

Social Institutions And Low Birth Rates, Christine Ho, Yutao Wang

Research Collection School Of Economics

We document three cross-sectional stylized facts on labor supply and family formation. First, female labor force participation (FLFP) and total fertility rates (TFRs) are much lower in Eastern societies compared to Western economies. Second, labor hours and the gender pay gap are much higher in the East than in the West. Third, parents invest more in schooling in Eastern societies compared to Western economies. To account for these features, we develop and estimate a rich heterogeneous-agent model with endogenous marriage, fertility, labor supply, and time and money investment in children. Estimates using data from South Korea and the United States …

Selected U.S. Government Statistical Agencies And Their Data, Bert Chapman

Libraries Faculty and Staff Presentations

Provides introductory and detailed overview of U.S. Government agencies statistics. Includes examples of how an individual U.S. law authorizes government agencies to compile statistics for particular congressional committees and the general public. Statistics cover topics such as demography, defense, foreign assistance, economic growth, criminal justice, energy, Social Security, and Medicare.