Master of Science

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"Regional growth theory requires the explicit introduction of two fundamental dimensions - time and space. The time dimension was successfully brought into economic theory with the release of Keynes’ assumption of a constant production capacity. Model building in the field of growth theory of national economics continues to achieve high levels of theoretical sophistication, including the empirical application of rather abstract models. Independent of these striking developments in dynamic analysis was the introduction of the spatial dimension, mainly through the work of Walter Isard in the late 1950's. These two. fundamental innovations, however, failed to be integrated. Growth theory formulated its models for a wonderland of no spatial dimension, and regional science did not bother to introduce the time dimension." (Siebert, 1969, pp. 5 - 6). The importance of incorporating temporal dynamics into building urban and regional planning models is becoming increasingly recognized. Forrester’s (1969) urban dynamics model, which gives a purely temporal, non-spatial simulation model of the city is one example of this line of development. The Lowry (1964) model of urban land use has been given a number of temporal reinterpretations such as the Tomm and Empiric models (Lowry, 1967). A third approach is the work focussing on the spatial transmission and description of business cycle impulses in urban and regional economic systems. The present study falls in line with the last approach. It involves an empirical identification of the variations in the timing and intensity of employment fluctuations existing among cities in Southern Ontario. Economic change or growth in one urban place is viewed as, at least, a partial function of changes taking place elsewhere in the urban system. The structure of urban interdependencies is conditioned by the frictions of distance, by the existence of urban size thresholds and hierarchies and by inter-market, industrial and financial linkages. These spatial relations are examined in reference to growth pole theory and to the literature on economic fluctuations in urban/regional systems. Some spatial considerations in growth pole theory are discussed first, followed by a review of a number of limitations and neglected issues found in the empirical research. Based on this theoretical and empirical review, the study attempts to show how an analysis of urban short run phenomena such as cyclical fluctuations is related to growth pole theoretical constructs and how it is useful in the empirical testing of growth pole processes and in planning applications. A conceptual framework is then outlined, structuring the way economic impulses are generated through national, regional and local mechanisms and transmitted through the urban system and how the impacts of these impulses on urban centres vary in intensity and timing. From this conceptual framework, three analytical procedures for examining certain questions about change in an urban system and for investigating spatial interdependencies in urban short run economic behaviour, are outlined. First, factor analysis as a technique for studying spatial— temporal patterns in the intensity and timing of growth among cities is presented. Second, a model that deals with the decomposition of urban time series data into three components, a long term growth trend, a national cyclical component and a regional component, is presented. Third, a model for testing for spatial-temporal growth trends (polarization trends) at the regional level is developed. Time series data, consisting of monthly industrial composite employment indicies for a five year time period from January, 1968, to December, 1972, for 29 cities in Southern Ontario, are applied to the analytical methodologies. The monthly observations are seasonally, adjusted, using dummy variables and least squares multiple regression. Some concluding statements are made in the final chapter. / Thesis / Master of Arts (MA)

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The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has been hailed as a landmark piece of civil rights legislation and a boon to people with disabilities in the United States. Title I of the ADA specifically addresses employment discrimination toward persons with disabilities. Congressional proponents of the ADA anticipated that the statute would bring about a reversal of the high unemployment numbers among the disabled. This thesis examines the unemployment data for persons with disabilities 10 years following enactment of the ADA. It shows that the ADA has not reversed unemployment trends among persons with disabilities. This work compares the expectations of the bill's sponsors and/or advocates for improvements in employment opportunities for working aged adults with disabilities, provided for by Title I of the ADA, with the actual outcomes. This thesis highlights some the principal problems inherent with the law itself, problems that may be contributing to the ADA's inability to reverse high unemployment numbers among the disabled. This paper also addresses concerns within the US business community regarding implementation of the law. The results presented show that the ADA has not brought about the flood of litigation originally anticipated by American business, neither has it increased frivolous litigation. Data are also offered which demonstrate that compliance with the law in the form of accommodation expenses for persons with disabilities is not onerous. Finally, this study presents some of the ongoing problems with regard to discrimination against persons with disabilities in the workplace. / Master of Arts

Previous research has indicated that employment search experiences can vary greatly among individuals based on their backgrounds and previous experiences, particularly for those with a criminal history. However, there is limited understanding of the specific skills that program participants with a criminal background bring to the employment search and what they are missing. This research study asks the questions (1) What skills do employment program participants bring to the employment search and what are they missing? (2) What are the stigmatic experiences they are having during the employment search? (3) What did the individuals gain from the schooling experience? What do they find most important/valuable? (4) What are the differences between the individuals who are justice involved versus those who have no criminal record? Using secondary data from a previous research project, this study conducts a qualitative analysis using interviews to investigate the employment navigation process. The findings highlight the role of stigma and strain in shaping employment experiences and suggest that holistic programs are most beneficial for participants.

Yes

The purpose of the survey was to study the business organizations from the standpoint of type, number of office employees, and the type and number of office machines used, in order that the commercial courses of the Kingsville High School could be patterned to these business needs.

Thesis advisor: Mehmet Ekmekci / The increased adoption of automation into various occupations strikes fear into many hearts, as people worry that robots will be able to perform their jobs more efficiently, leading to their inevitable unemployment. However, economists predict that this new technology will actually lead to a higher level of employment, although it will cause the aggregate labor share to decrease, forcing wages to decline. This paper focuses on ways in which we can recover a portion of the labor share and mitigate the decline of wages through the development of human capital via the educational system. Moreover, it seeks to understand ways in which we can exploit the jobs that will be created by automation by proposing methods to alter the educational structure to emphasize the new skills that are becoming more pertinent. My analysis provides evidence that by developing methods to encourage higher levels of educational attainment through dual degree and accelerated master’s programs, as well by decreasing the cost-exclusivity of higher education, we can both prepare future generations and reskill the current generation to succeed in this economic environment. / Thesis (BA) — Boston College, 2019. / Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Arts and Sciences Honors Program. / Discipline: Economics.