This Handbook provides a comprehensive overview of the modern economics of education literature, bringing together a series of original contributions by globally renowned experts in their fields. Covering a wide variety of topics, each chapter assesses the most recent research with an emphasis on skills, evaluation and data analytics. Beginning with an analysis of the economic returns to education, the Handbook proceeds to examine educational production functions, various funding models, and the labour market for educators. The Handbook goes beyond these traditional concerns of the economics of education, by revealing how the methods of economics can be applied in the context of education to open up the 'black box' of production in this sector. Detailed analysis and evaluation of educational production offers practical solutions and reveals considerable new insight about the specific interventions that can be made to enhance the value of schooling. Significant new lines of research are also suggested. This Handbook should be read by economists, policy-makers and practitioners in the field of education. Academics in the areas of the economics of education, labour economics and educational policy will also find this Handbook invaluable for current and further research.

This book offers a critical reflection on the operation and effects of labour regulation. It articulates the broad goals and extensive potential for it to contribute to inclusive development, while also considering the limits of some areas of regulation and governance. Drawing on both field studies and innovative theoretical perspectives, the contributors reveal an emerging consensus that labour regulation is neither negative nor positive for economic and social outcomes. By comparing the concerns and methodologies of various disciplines, they argue that balanced regulation is essential. Following analysis of how the global financial crisis has increased labour market segmentation, the book addresses the needs of key groups often at the periphery, including young women, workers in the informal economy, migrants and home-care workers. The book argues that effective and efficient labour market regulation can contribute to achieving key policy goals of employment formalization and inclusive labour markets, while also pursuing equitable distribution. An important comparative work, academics and students will find this book to be of exceptional value, particularly those studying law, economics, political science, international relations and development studies. Practitioners and policy-makers from both developed and developing countries will also benefit from the wide range of perspectives. Contributors include: D. Bailey, F. Bertranou, L. Casanova, S. Charlesworth, A. De Ruyter, C. Fenwick, M. Freedland, J. Grundy, B.-H. Lee, R. Rachmawati, J. Rubery, M.I. Syaebani, M.P. Thomas, K. Tijdens, V. Van Goethem, M. Van Klaveren, A.M. Vargas Falla, L.F. Vosko, T. Warnecke

Labour Supply and Incentives to Work in Europe highlights recent developments in the labour supply in Europe and gives a detailed assessment of their link with economic policies and labour market institutions. Despite major changes in European labour supply during the past few decades, the existing literature still lacks a comprehensive study of the relationship between labour supply and labour market institutions from a macro perspective. The contributors, themselves from a variety of academic disciplines and backgrounds, consider aspects of labour supply such as incentives to work, determinants of labour force participation and new forms of employment relationships. Each original and specially written chapter has its own discussion chapter to follow it. The book ends with a valuable panel discussion on the topic of labour supply in an enlarged Europe. This book will be read with interest by scholars of economics and labour economics in particular, as well as those researching industrial relations.

Working Mothers in Europe combines comparative perspectives on social policies with analyses of mothers' practices as evidenced in macro data and as explored in country based case studies. Social policy research has emphasised the impact of particular welfare systems and their policies on women's integration into the labour market and the organisation of care and work. However, the authors argue that policies are not the only factor, and, hitherto, we have very little knowledge of the precise interactions between social policies and social practices of individuals and families. In order to accurately grasp the cross-country variation of mothers' work and care arrangements in Europe, this book assembles a comparative approach towards welfare systems and social policies with an analysis of mothers' social practices in several European countries. Exploring the ways in which working mothers manage to combine care responsibilities and paid work on the basis of diverse public and private resources, this book will be invaluable to academics, researchers and students interested in the social sciences. More generally, the book will greatly appeal to those with an interest in women's employment, gender relations and the needs of children as matters that are tackled in the interaction between social policy and individuals.

The position of low skilled workers in the labour market has deteriorated significantly over the past three decades. What has caused this deterioration in low skilled labour demand and what can explain the different labour market responses throughout the OECD? Mark Sanders addresses these questions and evaluates proposed policies to improve upon the present situation and prevent further deterioration in the future. The author develops a theoretical framework that produces two hypotheses to explain the shift in relative demand as well as the different ways in which this shift has manifested itself. The framework is then extended by introducing unemployment, and additional hypotheses are proposed to explain the main EU-US differences. The dynamics thus uncovered yield somewhat unorthodox policy implications on income-, labour market and technology policies in Europe and the US. This comprehensive book will appeal to both scholars and academics, whilst graduate and PhD-students looking for an accessible introduction to modelling the dynamics of technical change and its interactions with the labour market will find it of great interest.

Overeducation is one of the most important mechanisms for labour market adjustment when there is an excess supply of highly skilled workers. However, there is much debate about the consequences of this phenomena and the short- and long-term effects for both the overeducated worker and the economy as a whole. This book contributes to our understanding of recent developments in the research on overeducation by providing a detailed overview of the pertinent theoretical and policy issues. The authors study evidence that a substantial number of workers in Europe are overqualified and challenge the wisdom of greater investments in the education of the workforce. Although it may appear a waste of resources if many workers have a higher level of education than their job requires, others argue that overeducation may actually facilitate the development of a competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in Europe. They move on to look at labour mobility and skill mismatches in the labour market, and examine the impact of overeducation on earnings. They also address the somewhat controversial issue of how to measure employee overqualification, and propose an income ratio based on the difference between actual and potential earnings as an effective approach. Finally, they look at the effect of overeducation on specific groups in society such as licensed professionals, university graduates and ethnic minorities. Economists, social scientists, and academics interested in labour market theory and policy will find this an insightful and original volume which will make an important addition to the literature on overeducation.

Higher education is beginning to play an increasingly important role in the process of globalization, which promotes information technologies, development and diffusion of innovations and the ability of economies to benefit from rapid shifts in the production of goods, services, and ideas. In this volume the editors have brought together some of the most significant previously published academic papers describing how highly skilled graduate labour impacts on the economy. Topics covered include the economic benefits of higher education, student choice of subject and university, the technology of higher education, empirical research on the cost functions faced by universities, the funding and financing of university education, the market for higher education and how universities compete. In their scholarly introduction, the editors provide an overview of the volume and offer suggestions for future research in this field.

Bruno Jossa expertly illustrates that the creation of a system of cooperative firms is tantamount to a revolution giving rise to a new production mode capable of reversing the existing relationship between capital and labour. The book also demonstrates a revolution enacted by peaceful and democratic means in order for worker-managed organisations to outnumber capitalistic ones. Providing a comprehensive insight into these models, Jossa examines the relations between political power and economic democracy, ownership and bankruptcy risks within democratic organisations. Using the theories of Marx and Engels, the book offers a new model of socialism, allowing for a worker-led system and suppressing capitalism, whilst inviting a more theoretical approach without the suppression of markets. Thought-provoking in its approach, On Market Socialism will provide an excellent resource for policy makers in labour and political economics and also scholars of the history of economics and radical economics.

International debate has recently focused on increased inequalities and the adverse effects that they may have on both social and economic developments. Income inequality, which is at its highest level for the past half-century, may not only undermine the sustainability of European social policy but also put at risk Europe?s sustainable recovery. A common feature of recent reports on inequality (ILO, OECD, IMF, 2015?2017) is their recognition that the causes emerge from mechanisms in the world of work. The purpose of this book is to investigate the possible role of industrial relations, and social policies more generally, in reducing these inequalities. The volume pays particular attention to the contribution of social partners and social dialogue to achieving concrete outcomes, notably in terms of flexibility and security for both employers and workers. The key aim is to identify elements of a response to a number of important questions: which countries have succeeded in carrying out the necessary reforms without generating further inequalities? What industrial relations systems seem to perform better in this respect? What policy measures, institutions and actors play a determinant role in achieving more balanced outcomes? How can social dialogue address future transformations of the world of work, while limiting inequalities? The scope of this volume goes beyond pay to address other types of inequality ? in the distribution of working time, access or re-access to jobs, training and career opportunities, and social protection and pensions. It also looks at inequalities that may affect particular groups of workers, including women or young people, as well as people in certain types of work arrangements, such as part-time or temporary work or the self-employed. This book is vital reading for anyone concerned with labour policy, industrial relations and social welfare but, above all, with how advances in these areas can contribute to the global fight against growing inequalities. Contributors include: D. Anxo, B. Bembic, G. Bosch, P. Courtioux, C. Erhel, K. Espenberg, G. Fiorani, G. Giakoumatos, D. Grimshaw, M. Johnson, M. Karamessini, I. Marx, J. Masso, I. Mierina, R. Munoz de Bustillo, B. Nolan, F. Pinto Hernandez, W. Salverda, A. Simonazzi, M. Tverdostup, L. Van Cant, D. Vaughan-Whitehead, R. Vazquez-Alvarez

Microsimulation Modelling of Taxation and the Labour Market reports new research on behavioural microsimulation modelling of tax and transfer systems. Its aims are twofold. Firstly, the book discusses the rationale for the basic modelling approach adopted and provides information on econometric methods used to estimate behavioural relationships. Secondly, it describes the Melbourne Institute Tax and Transfer Simulator (MITTS) in detail, explaining its main features, installation and use.After providing a broad review of tax modelling, the authors review alternative approaches to the analysis of labour supply behaviour, discuss the main components of behavioural microsimulation models and present econometric results concerning wage functions and preferences. They go on to provide a detailed description of MITTS, which was constructed by the authors in order to examine the implications of tax reforms in Australia. Microsimulation Modelling of Taxation and the Labour Market will appeal to those with a special interest in the analysis of tax and transfer systems and labour supply behaviour.

Nonlinear Models, Labour Markets and Exchange offers a number of broad introductory surveys in the areas of nonlinear modelling, labour economics and the economic analysis of exchange. This collection of articles consists largely of recently published refereed papers. The early chapters provide an introduction to the analysis of 'chaos and strange attractors' and the use of the very flexible generalised exponential family of frequency distributions in analysing both time series and cross-sectional distributions. The volume then provides syntheses of the theories of internal labour markets, trade union bargaining, and population ageing and its implications. It goes on to survey a range of topics in the broad area of the theory of exchange, which is central to the neoclassical economic model. Finally, the book provides some advice for students who are about to start their first piece of research. It ends with a unique survey of the history of economic analysis. Providing introductory material and syntheses of a wide range of topics, Nonlinear Models, Labour Markets and Exchange will be welcomed by economics academics and researchers interested in labour economics and econometrics.

As the world entered the twenty-first century, global skill shortages in many occupations were evident throughout the world. While these were mitigated by a global recession, there is no generally agreed upon method for measuring these shortages. This book discusses various theories for measurement. Using data collected from 19 developed countries in North and Latin America, Europe, and the Pacific region, the authors explore various aspects of skilled labor shortages, develop a methodology of measuring shortages by occupation, and provide estimates of the likelihood of the occurrence of such shortages. They develop labor market indicators which measure the degree of shortage or surplus in different occupations. The study covers as many as 49 occupational groups, although the number varies by country. The indicators are compared to anecdotal reports about shortages in the countries studied as well as correlated with various economic, political and institutional indicators. Some occupations such as CEO's, health professionals and computer scientists were common across many countries studied and part of a global shortage. Scholars, government officials, students and corporate and union representatives concerned with employment, labor and training policies and issues will find the data and analysis in this book a valuable addition to their knowledge.

The contemporary context of unemployment and its political ramifications have made working time a highly topical and sensitive issue, not merely in the EU, but also in other areas of the global labor market. This illuminating book reviews the traditional doctrines concerning working time that are influencing political and intellectual attitudes. The authors illustrate how tools of microeconomic analysis must be modified to explain better the terms of contemporary labor contracts. They introduce powerful concepts such as a generalized production function, cost structure, compensating wage and trade union negotiation, to highlight the scope for political intervention on working time. Emphasis is placed on the analysis of legal time reductions as an employment policy. Taking into consideration new research and renewed political debate, this is an exhaustive text grounded in historical perspective and contemporary facts. By focusing on working time as a central issue of modern societies, this important book will be an invaluable text for scholars as well as decision-makers in the areas of industrial and labor economics.

This selection of John Creedy's essays on labour economics sheds light on the areas of labour mobility, skilled labour markets and trade unions and wages.Among other issues, Professor Creedy discusses: the effects of migration, population ageing and retirement on the labour market the economic analysis of internal labour markets job mobility, earnings and responsibility in skilled labour markets with a particular emphasis on chemists and professional scientists the relationship between trade unions, tax levels and relative wages Labour Mobility, Earnings and Unemployment will be a valuable point of reference for students and scholars of labour economics.

Learning in labour markets is a key feature concerning how labour markets operate. This research reviews discusses classic and important recent contributions by leading scholars concerning how firms learn about worker abilities and other worker attributes. Topics covered include; theory of symmetric learning, evidence of symmetric learning and evidence from asymmetric learning. This research review will serve as a valuable resource for scholars, libraries, and graduate students.

Labour Relations in Transition provides a unique insight into the realities of Russian industrial enterprises in the transition period as it affects workers on the shop floor. Based on a unique collaborative programme of ethnographic and case study research, this volume includes original work by Western and Russian scholars focusing on the restructuring of wages, employment and industrial relations, and how workers have responded to these changes. As well as presenting pioneering analysis of trade unions and industrial conflict, Labour Relations in Transition addresses changing status hierarchies within the workforce, the position of women in production, the process of bankruptcy, and insider and outsider control. This is the third volume in the series Management and Industry in Russia and will be welcomed by sociologists and Russian specialists for addressing contemporary Labour-Management relations within the context of the changing significance of work and work relations in the lives of Russian workers.

This collection of books encompasses Scottish identity and cultural heritage, historical geography, health and social issues, industrial, economic, religious and political history. Originally published between 1935 and 1990, many of these titles were written at the height of discussions concerning the viability of an independent Scotland, an issue that has renewed relevance today. They include some of the notable volumes from the Routledge The Voice of Scotland series, as well as other books by leading authors. The empirical content of many of the books reissued here ensures they retain their relevance in informing studies of trends since the time they were first completed and will be of interest to anyone concerned with the ongoing debate about Scotland's role within the UK and Europe and the shape of her political future.

Labour migration is part of the process of human survival. In order to survive, individuals have to respond to changes in natural and institutional environments. The economic motivation and consequences of labour migration are the subject of this important new book.The Economics of Labour Migration places migration in a historical context, considers the economic impact of labour emigration and immigration, and examines the migration process in the European Union. The international group of contributors adopts an institutionalist perspective, allowing for the involvement of dynamic processes and human institutions. Their approach combines normative analysis with positive discussion of contemporary real world issues. Economists and policymakers will welcome the innovative approach of this volume which tackles a key economic issue which will have a profound influence on the development of the global economy.

Should trade unions passively respond to turbulent changes in industrial relations or can they innovate and set their own agenda? In the face of technological, economic, political and cultural change, trade unions across Europe face a genuine threat to their past achievements and their future capacity to act and shape industrial relations.In The Challenges to Trade Unions in Europe , a group of prominent authors examines the unions' strategic policies in seven European member states and at the European Union level, as well as their responses to the globalization of economic competition. Using theoretical and historical analysis as well as up-to-date empirical research, they examine the successes of trade unions and their capacity to innovate in order to remain strategic actors in the industrial relations arena. In particular, the authors examine trade union policies responding to topical issues such as training, sustainable growth, flexibility, decentralization, deregulation and neo-liberal state policies. The Challenges to Trade Unions in Europe explores responses to the main economic, managerial, political and socio-cultural features of the transformation process facing trade unions in Europe. It will be welcomed by researchers and students interested in industrial relations, personnel management, and the social and economic implications of European integration.

Studies in Human Capital, the first volume of Jacob Mincer's essays to be published in this series, assesses the impact of education and job training on wage growth. It offers an authoritative study of the effects of human capital investments on labor turnover and the impact of technological change on human capital formation.Jacob Mincer's research reveals a rare combination of imaginative empirical analysis guided by a command of theory. His work and professional style have set the standard for empirical economics, especially in the field of labor economics where he has made major contributions to the understanding of the determinants of earnings. This is the first of two volumes containing carefully edited selections of professor Mincer's most important essays, some of which are published here for the first time. Introductions to each volume provide overviews of the interconnections of the topics discussed, their conceptual coherence and empirical significance. Studies in Labor Supply, the second volume of Professor Mincer's essays, is also available as part of this series.

The impact of technical change on employment is investigated in this important new book which offers a critical appraisal of how far current economic analysis and theory can deal with this key policy issue.The Economics of Technology and Employment addresses the impact of technical change on employment from both theoretical and empirical perspectives. After an analytical discussion of theoretical propositions and models put forward by classical and contemporary economists, Dr Vivarelli develops a model to examine the extent to which worker displacement due to technical progress can be offset by compensatory market forces. This model is tested using Italian and US aggregate time-series data. The theoretical discussion and empirical results are combined to demonstrate that the employment impact of labour saving technologies can only be partially counter-balanced by market forces and so economic policy measures could be necessary. This important and innovative volume will be welcomed by economists and policymakers as a major contribution to our theoretical understanding of employment, industrial innovation and technical change.

Capitalism With a Human Face is a carefully edited selection of Samuel Brittan's most important recent essays. It covers topics ranging from utilitarianism and the ethics of self-interest, to the principles of macroeconomic policy and how to price people into work without throwing them into poverty. The book will be controversial, for the individualistic ethic, which it is so fashionable to attack, is not merely defended but celebrated. This collection will be of special interest both to readers of Samuel Brittan's articles who would like a more extended treatment and those new to his work. A notable feature is a specially written introduction explaining how the author came to take up political economy and how he arrived at the positions elaborated in this book.

This book brings together two leading researchers in the field to provide a comprehensive overview of the shadow economy from a global perspective. Reviewing the advantages and disadvantages of different ways of measuring the informal sector, the authors evaluate its size and key determinants across the world. Williams and Schneider clearly establish the persistence and prevalence of the shadow economy, analysing the narrowness of existing policy approaches and explaining how these fail to address the key factors for its existence and may even exacerbate the problem. Proposing an alternative way forward, the authors argue that little headway will ever be made in reducing the shadow economy until there are changes not only to the character of formal institutions but also informal institutions (the values, beliefs and norms of citizens) through the introduction of macro-level structural changes. This timely, cutting-edge review of the global shadow economy and how it can be measured and tackled is an invaluable resource for postgraduate students, researchers and policy-makers, particularly those with a interest in tax evasion and informal labour.

This important new book is the first specific study on the classical theory of wages to appear for more than 50 years and as such fills an important gap in the literature. Antonella Stirati argues that the wage-fund theory played no part in the theory of wages expounded by Ricardo and his predecessors. Classical wage theory is shown to be analytically consistent but very different from contemporary theory, particularly as it did not envisage an inverse relationship between employment and the real wage level, and hence a spontaneous tendency to full employment of labour. The author bases her approach not only on a reinterpretation of Smith and Ricardo, but also on the writings of Turgot, Necker, Steuart, Hume, Cantillon and other pre-classical economists. Historians of economic thought as well as other economists will welcome Dr Stirati's careful analysis of classical writings on economics which includes simple but rigorous explanations of phenomena, central to current economic debate, such as the occurrence of persistent unemployment.

This important book goes beyond generalizations and takes a hard-headed look at the real strengths and weaknesses of Keynesian demand management and supply side economics.Keynesianism has failed to reconcile high levels of competitiveness with full employment. This was confirmed in the 1980s by the performance of the UK, the US and West Germany. Sweeping de-regulation has not proved to be an adequate solution. The book shows how effective supply conditions could supplement Keynesian demand management to achieve sustainable levels of high employment. The measures advocated include a system of industrial relations which allows high wages and job security in return for acceptance of a high pace of technological and organizational change; the promotion of skill development as well as intra-firm training programmes; the formation and encouragement of co-operation between different regions. It is argued that the supportive institutions, coupled with effective demand policies would succeed in marrying high employment with internationally competitive production.