This volume is a collection of papers dedicated to the memory of the late Tikva Lecker. Professor Lecker's many interests included topics in labor economics, women and the economy, the economics of Judaism, the economics of migration and every aspect of the economic experience of immigrants and their descendants. Each chapter in this volume honors the memory of Professor Lecker by presenting research on a topic in which she was especially interested. "The Research in Labor Economics" series was started in 1977. Each volume consists of a collection of refereed research papers written by top...

Immigration to what is now the United States has been a contentious issue from the earliest days of the European settlement. The tension between those opposing further immigration on either social or economic grounds and those favoring it has continued over these 3 1/2 centuries to this very day. The complexity of the immigration debate has intensified over the past few decades because of changes in the role of the United States in the international arena, changes in the way Americans view themselves, and changes in the U.S. economy. The growth of the role of government in providing medical,...

This volume contains twelve cutting edge papers contributing new research to important issues concerning worker welfare. The research deals with earnings inequality, discrimination, the effects of migration, and economic policy. Answers to a number of policy related questions are given including: Why are jobs designed the way they are? Does seniority-based pay provide a sufficient motivation for workers? Do sex-segregated firms grow more quickly than firms more equally divided by gender? What policies are effective in combating discrimination? Why is relative rural-urban income inequality so...

How immigrants and their descendants fare in the host society and in particular in the labor market is a very important question. While differences among ethnicities have been found to be marked and persistent within many host countries, and while the labor market consequences of diversity have been recognized, they have not been sufficiently examined. This volume contains fresh knowledge to help better understand the complex relationship between ethnic or minority groups, the role of ethnic identity and their disparate economic performance; 12 papers that individually and collectively go to...

Contains fresh knowledge to help understand the relationship between child labor and the transition between school and work. This title includes papers that offer insights and answers to issues such as: how to measure child labor; how child labor and schooling affect health; and, how children's time is allocated along gender lines.

This volume contains nine original innovative chapters on worker well-being. Three chapters are on time allocated to work and human capital acquisition, three on aspects of risk in the earnings process, two on migration, and finally one on how tax policies affect poverty. Questions answered include: Are more educated women now opting out of work with a higher probability than in the past? Under what circumstances do young adults allocate non-school time to educational pursuits? How do macroeconomic shocks affect labor force participation rates? Can tax policies alleviate poverty? Are workers...

This volume contains 13 new and important never before published chapters covering aspects of the employer-employee relationship. The volume is focused at the academic audience, but is also geared to government and business policy makers worldwide. The chapters use data from the US, Europe, Asia, and the Middle-East to answer a number of vital labor market questions. These include: Why has part-time work increased so dramatically in the 15 European Union countries? What changes in retirement behavior will be expected as countries change pension laws? Why do firms often use fixed-term instead...

This volume contains fresh knowledge on the effects of the economic downturn on employment and income distribution. It contains 9 original research papers from both Europe and the US that were presented at the IZA/OECD Workshop Economic Crisis, Rising Unemployment and Policy Responses: What Does It Mean for the Income Distribution? in Paris in February 2010, including illustrations of forward-looking simulation methods that can be used before detailed data on household experiences become available.

Informality and informal employment are wide-spread and growing phenomena in all regions of the world, in particular in low and middle income economies. A large part of economic activity in these countries is not registered or under-declared and many workers enter employment relationships that do not provide any or only partial protection, work with little or no physical capital, receive low wages and work under conditions that can be hazardous to their health. This volume sheds light on the incidence and persistence of informality and the role of institutions and government regulations. The...

Since its inception Research in Labor Economics has published over 350 articles encompassing a wide range of themes and spanning an array of labor economics topics. Authors have ranged from young scholars with much potential to mature leaders in the field, including Nobel Prize and John Bates Clark award winners. Over the years Research in Labor Economics has continued to present important new research in labor economics. It covers themes such as labor supply, work effort, schooling, on-the-job training, earnings distribution, discrimination, migration, and the effects of government policies...