scholarly journals Automation, Occupational Earnings Trends, and the Moderating Role of Organized Labor

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zachary Parolin
Keyword(s):  
Social Consequences ◽  
Organized Labor ◽  
Earnings Growth ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Union Coverage ◽  
Level Data ◽  
The Social ◽  
Machine Operators ◽  
Earnings Trends ◽  
The Cost

Routine-biased technological change has emerged as the dominant explanation for the differential earnings growth of occupations at greater risk of automation, such as machine operators or office clerks, relative to less routine occupations. In contrast, this paper finds that the declining earnings returns to an occupation’s routine task intensity (RTI) can largely be attributed to the decline of organized labor. Using individual-level data on 3.3 million employed adults across the 50 United States from 1983-2017, this paper finds that organized labor has two countervailing effects on occupations at greater risk of automation. First, higher union coverage within a state and industry inhibits the decline in earnings returns to an occupation’s RTI. Second, higher union coverage hastens the decline in employment shares of occupations with higher RTI. The result is that occupations at greater risk of automation experience more favorable earnings growth where unions are more resilient, but at the cost of accelerated declines in their employment shares. Counterfactual analyses demonstrate that if union coverage in the U.S. had remained stable at 1983 levels, the earnings returns to an occupation’s RTI might not have declined from 1983-2017, and the observed pattern of occupational earnings polarization in the 1990s might not have occurred. However, the mean RTI of occupations might have declined by an additional 21 percent from 1983-2017 relative to the observed decline. The findings suggest that the social consequences of automation are conditional on the strength of organized labor.

scholarly journals Automation, Occupational Earnings Trends, and the Moderating Role of Organized Labor

Social Forces ◽  
2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zachary Parolin
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
The United States ◽  
Social Consequences ◽  
Organized Labor ◽  
Earnings Growth ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Union Coverage ◽  
Level Data ◽  
Earnings Trends ◽  
The Cost

Abstract Routine-biased technological change has emerged as the dominant explanation for the differential earnings growth of occupations at greater risk of automation, such as machine operators or office clerks, relative to less routine occupations. In contrast, this paper finds that the declining earnings returns to an occupation’s routine task intensity (RTI) can largely be attributed to the decline of organized labor. Using individual-level data on 3.3 million employed adults across the United States from 1983 to 2017, this paper finds that organized labor has two countervailing effects on occupations at greater risk of automation. First, higher union coverage within a state and industry inhibits the decline in earnings returns to an occupation’s RTI. Second, higher union coverage hastens the decline in employment shares of occupations with higher RTI. The result is that occupations at greater risk of automation experience more favorable earnings growth where unions are more resilient, but at the cost of accelerated declines in their employment shares. Counterfactual analyses demonstrate that if union coverage in the United States had remained stable at 1983 levels, the earnings returns to an occupation’s RTI might not have declined from 1983 to 2017, and the observed pattern of occupational earnings polarization in the 1990s might not have occurred. However, the mean RTI of occupations might have declined by an additional 21 percent from 1983 to 2017 relative to the observed decline. The findings suggest that the social consequences of automation are conditional on the strength of organized labor.

Antecedents of growth-oriented entrepreneurship before and during the Greek economic crisis

2017 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 528-544 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ioannis Giotopoulos ◽  
Alexandra Kontolaimou ◽  
Aggelos Tsakanikas
Keyword(s):  
Work Experience ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
New Ventures ◽  
High Growth ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Crisis Period ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Level Data ◽  
The Social ◽  
Before And After

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore potential drivers of high-growth intentions of early-stage entrepreneurs in Greece before and after the onset of the financial crisis of 2008. Design/methodology/approach To this end, the authors use individual-level data retrieved from Global Entrepreneurship Monitor annual surveys (2003-2015). Findings The results show that high-growth intentions of Greek entrepreneurs are driven by different factors in the crisis compared to the non-crisis period. Male entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs with significant work experience seem to be more likely to be engaged in growth-oriented new ventures during the crisis period. The same appears to hold for entrepreneurs who are motivated by an opportunity and also perceive future business opportunities in adverse economic conditions. On the other hand, the educational level and the social contacts of founders with other entrepreneurs are found to drive ambitious Greek entrepreneurship in the years before the crisis, while they were insignificant after the crisis outbreak. Originality/value Based on the concept of ambitious entrepreneurship, this study contributes to the literature by investigating the determinants of entrepreneurial high-growth expectations in the Greek context emphasizing the crisis period in comparison to the pre-crisis years.

scholarly journals The inequity of morbidity: Disparities in the prevalence of morbidity between ethnic groups in New Zealand

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
pp. 2235042X2097116
Author(s):  
Jason Gurney ◽  
James Stanley ◽  
Diana Sarfati
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Ethnic Groups ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Middle Eastern ◽  
National Level ◽  
Morbidity Burden ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Level Data ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Impact

Objective: The burden of chronic disease is not evenly shared within our society. In this manuscript, we use comprehensive national-level data to compare morbidity burden between ethnic groups in New Zealand. Methods: We investigated the prevalence of morbidity among all New Zealanders aged 18+ (n = 3,296,837), stratified by ethnic group (Māori, Pacific, Asian, Middle Eastern/Latin American/African, European/Other), using national-level hospitalisation and pharmaceutical data and two measures of morbidity (the M3 and P3 indices). Results and Conclusions: We observed substantial disparities for Māori and Pacific peoples compared to other ethnic groups for the vast majority of commonly-diagnosed morbidities. These disparities appeared strongest for the most-common conditions – meaning that Māori and Pacific peoples disproportionately shoulder an increased burden of these key conditions. We also observed that prevalence of these conditions emerged at earlier ages, meaning that Māori and Pacific peoples also experience a disproportionate impact of individual conditions on the quality and quantity of life. Finally, we observed strong disparities in the prevalence of conditions that may exacerbate the impact of COVID-19, such as chronic pulmonary, liver or renal disease. The substantial inequities we have presented here have been created and perpetuated by the social determinants of health, including institutionalised racism: thus solutions will require addressing these systemic issues as well as addressing inequities in individual-level care.

scholarly journals Invited Commentary: Making Causal Inference More Social and (Social) Epidemiology More Causal

2019 ◽  
Vol 189 (3) ◽  
pp. 179-182
Author(s):  
John W Jackson ◽  
Onyebuchi A Arah
Keyword(s):  
Causal Inference ◽  
Causal Reasoning ◽  
Social Epidemiology ◽  
Systems Science ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Level Data ◽  
The Social ◽  
Key Drivers ◽  
Effect Estimation ◽  
Inference Methods

Abstract A society’s social structure and the interactions of its members determine when key drivers of health occur, for how long they last, and how they operate. Yet, it has been unclear whether causal inference methods can help us find meaningful interventions on these fundamental social drivers of health. Galea and Hernán propose we place hypothetical interventions on a spectrum and estimate their effects by emulating trials, either through individual-level data analysis or systems science modeling (Am J Epidemiol. 2020;189(3):167–170). In this commentary, by way of example in health disparities research, we probe this “closer engagement of social epidemiology with formal causal inference approaches.” The formidable, but not insurmountable, tensions call for causal reasoning and effect estimation in social epidemiology that should always be enveloped by a thorough understanding of how systems and the social exposome shape risk factor and health distributions. We argue that one way toward progress is a true partnership of social epidemiology and causal inference with bilateral feedback aimed at integrating social epidemiologic theory, causal identification and modeling methods, systems thinking, and improved study design and data. To produce consequential work, we must make social epidemiology more causal and causal inference more social.

scholarly journals Do Physicians Respond to the Costs and Cost-Sensitivity of Their Patients?

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 113-152 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariana Carrera ◽  
Dana P. Goldman ◽  
Geoffrey Joyce ◽  
Neeraj Sood
Keyword(s):  
Price Change ◽  
Fortune 500 ◽  
Price Sensitivity ◽  
Lower Income ◽  
Cholesterol Lowering ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Level Data ◽  
Cost Of Drugs ◽  
The Cost ◽  
First Time

We use individual level data on purchases of cholesterol-lowering drugs to study the responses of physicians and patients to variation in the cost of drugs. In a sample of first-time statin prescriptions to employees from 12 Fortune 500 firms, we find that co-pay variation across plans has a small effect on the choice of drug, and this effect does not vary with patient income. After the highly publicized patent expiration of Zocor, however, prescriptions for this drug increased substantially, especially for lower income patients. Our analysis suggests that physicians can perceive the price sensitivity of their patients and adjust their initial prescriptions accordingly, but only in response to a large and universal price change. (JEL D14, G22, I11, I13, L65)

Differences that Matter: the Struggle of the Marginalised in Somalia

Africa ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 74 (4) ◽  
pp. 516-533 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Webersik
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Historical Context ◽  
Social Consequences ◽  
Political Life ◽  
Social Boundaries ◽  
State Collapse ◽  
The Social ◽  
Economic Exclusion ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Horizontal Inequalities

AbstractSomalia has been without a government for the past thirteen years. After the ousting of Siyaad Barre in 1991 observers were left with the question why a promising, even democratic, society sharing the same ethnicity, one religion, a common language and a predominantly pastoral culture was overtaken by a devastating civil war. Analysts stressed the significance of kinship and clan politics in the maintenance of sustained conflict. They argued that Somalia's state collapse must be placed in a historical context taking into consideration the cultural heritage of Somali society and the legacy of the colonial past. The purpose of the article is twofold: first, it seeks to explore an alternative explanation for the breakdown of Barre's dictatorial regime; and second, to analyse the social consequences of political and economic exclusion that followed the state collapse. The paper argues that Somalia's state failure can be explained by the unjust distribution of new sources of wealth in postcolonial Somalia. This modernisation process was accompanied by violent clashes and continued insecurity. The breakdown of the former regime did not create a representative government. Instead, faction leaders fought for political supremacy at the cost of the lives of thousands of civilians. In the absence of a functioning government that could guarantee security and protection, clan loyalties gained importance. Clan affiliation became a condition of being spared from violence. Unjust distribution of pockets of wealth, such as the high‐potential agricultural land in the riverine areas in southern Somalia, led to localised clashes. It will be argued that horizontal inequalities, or inequalities between groups, are based on both material and imagined differences. Somali faction leaders use these differences instrumentally, to maintain and to exercise power. Irrespective of the existence of invisible and physical markers, it is important to understand what existing social boundaries mean to their participants. A localised clan conflict in Lower Shabelle between the Jido and the Jareer clan families illustrates the consequences of social and economic exclusion. Groups who felt excluded from economic and political life, such as the Jareer, took up arms. Violence became a means of being heard and taken seriously in the current Somali peace talks in Kenya.

Deprived People or Deprived Places? Exploring the Ecological Fallacy in Studies of Deprivation with the Samples of Anonymised Records

1996 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 237-259 ◽  
Author(s):  
E A Fieldhouse ◽  
R Tye
Keyword(s):  
Specific Problem ◽  
Ecological Fallacy ◽  
Demographic Groups ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Level Data ◽  
The Social ◽  
Small Area Statistics ◽  
Equivalent Area ◽  
Social Demographic ◽  
Local Base

In recent years have seen an increase in the analysis of deprivation in Britain. In most studies the unit of analysis has been geographical, such as local-government wards or districts. This reflects, in part, a reliance on small-area statistics and local-base statistics from the censuses of population. Although useful in identifying specific problem areas, this type of approach may be subject to ecological fallacy. In other words, areas of high levels of deprivation may be home to high proportions of particular social or demographic groups, but it cannot be automatically assumed that these groups are themselves deprived. Although some studies have been based on purpose-designed individual-level survey data, these often lack sufficient sample sizes to analyse effectively small subgroups of the population or to allow geographical disaggregation. The release of the Samples of Anonymised Records from the 1991 Census allows individual-level data to be used to investigate the social, demographic, and geographical dimensions of deprivation. In this paper, a threshold of deprivation will be determined and the distribution of individual-level deprivation (deprived people) will be compared with an equivalent area-level index constructed from standard census output by the use of conventional techniques.

Christian Right Horticulture: Grassroots Support in a Republican Primary Campaign

2008 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-84 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul A. Djupe ◽  
Jacob R. Neiheisel
Keyword(s):  
Social Structure ◽  
Christian Right ◽  
Vote Choice ◽  
Comprehensive Model ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Level Data ◽  
The Social ◽  
Grassroots Support ◽  
Original Survey ◽  
Effective Group

AbstractSeizing upon the opportunity afforded by a Republican primary contest in which a candidate backed by the Christian Right took on a candidate with connections to the party establishment, we examine the strength of the Christian right at the grassroots in Ohio. Using individual-level data compiled from an original survey instrument administered to over 1,000 Republican primary voters just after the May, 2006 primary, we present a more comprehensive model of both Christian Right support and the effect of Christian Right support on the vote choice. Instead of assuming a grassroots presence underpinning the movement, we assert and test the argument that natural elements of the social structure inhibit effective group access to collections of supporters. In doing so, we provide an explanation for the often observed gulf between movement identifiers and opinion-based supporters.

scholarly journals Fintech Borrowers: Lax Screening or Cream-Skimming?

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco Di Maggio ◽  
Vincent Yao
Keyword(s):  
Financial Institutions ◽  
Credit Market ◽  
Pricing Strategies ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Personal Credit ◽  
Hard Information ◽  
Level Data ◽  
Cream Skimming ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Unique Individual

Abstract We study the personal credit market using unique individual-level data covering fintech and traditional lenders. We show that fintech lenders acquire market share by lending first to higher-risk borrowers and then to safer borrowers, and rely mainly on hard information to make credit decisions. Fintech borrowers are significantly more likely to default than neighbor individuals with the same characteristics borrowing from traditional financial institutions. Furthermore, they tend to experience a short-lived reduction in the cost of credit, because their indebtedness increases more than non-fintech borrowers after loan origination. However, fintech lenders’ pricing strategies are likely to take this into account.

scholarly journals Do You Want Sustainable Olympics? Environment, Disaster, Gender, and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (22) ◽  
pp. 12879
Author(s):  
Eiji Yamamura
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Protection ◽  
Gender Equality ◽  
Public Expenditure ◽  
Modern Society ◽  
Great East Japan Earthquake ◽  
Disaster Prevention ◽  
Sustainable Society ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Level Data ◽  
The Cost

The slogans of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics were “symbol of resilience from the Great East Japan Earthquake” and “Compact Olympics”. The Olympics were also expected to demonstrate “gender equality” and to enhance sustainability in modern society. However, in practice, the cost of the Tokyo Olympics 2020 was far greater than estimated. The slogan was changed to “symbol of overcoming COVID-19” although in reality, infection spread dramatically during the games. Overall, the 2020 Tokyo Olympics did not turn out as expected or meet the expectations of the populace. Using individual-level data, we tested how and to what extent Japanese proponents of a sustainable society supported the compact Olympics announced in 2016. The key findings are: (1) most people support policies for environmental protection, gender equality, and disaster prevention and (2) they would have wished to reduce public expenditure for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Further examination with a questionnaire yielded similar results for the male but not for the female sample.

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