Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Microeconometric techniques have improved understanding of South Africa’s labour market substantially in the last two decades. This dissertation adds to this evidence by considering three separate labour market questions, with particular attention to data quality and the application of credible methodology. Firstly, wage flexibility is investigated. Whereas selected previous microeconometric evidence suggests that wage setters in South Africa are highly responsive to external local labour market circumstances, it is not corroborated by macroeconomic and other microeconometric studies. This question is interrogated again, with particular attention to methodological issues in wage curve estimation. The latter is a robust negative relationship between individual wages and local unemployment rates, found in most countries, except where bargaining is highly centralized. Adding time variation to the data allows controls for spatial heterogeneity to be introduced, leading to the conclusion that wages are really inflexible in the short-run. Rather, the trade-off between wages and local unemployment that previous work has found represents a long-run spatial equilibrium. This finding is robust to instrumentation for reverse causality and the measurement error that is associated with choosing incorrect labour market demarcations. Secondly, the reliability of retrospective data related to childhood is investigated, with the view of estimating the long-run influence that early life circumstances have on adult outcomes. Two indicators, parental education and subjective rankings of childhood socioeconomic status, are evaluated. The first set of indicators has poor response rates, as many South African children live without their parents. Where respondents do volunteer this information, they answer consistently across waves. Subjective rankings have higher response rates, as they require respondents to provide information about their own past, and not about those of their parents. However, individuals’ assessments are inconsistent over time, despite being asked about the same point in the life cycle. They tend to change their view of the past in line with adjustments to perceptions of their position in the village income distribution and subjective well-being, providing clear evidence of anchoring. Instrumental variables analysis has been used in previous studies to account for measurement error in subjective data. However, if anchoring affects all assessments of the past and potential outcome variables (such as employment), microeconometric techniques will yield biased estimates of the effects of childhood on long-run outcomes. Finally, age-period-cohort models for South African labour force participation are estimated. This chapter is the first contribution to relax the assumption that cohort differences must remain permanent over the life cycle. Monte-Carlo simulation studies show that highly interactive specifications can partially recover the true underlying process. Using a variety of techniques (imposing behavioural restrictions and atheoretical approaches), this study shows that cohort effects in labour force participation can be temporary in South Africa, though more data is required to verify this conclusively. Regardless of technique, a distinct surge in labour force participation is noted for the group born after 1975. Pertinently, the combination of testable assumptions and highly flexible estimation can yield credible age-period-cohort profiles, despite the many disputes noted in the literature. Previous evidence of a surge in participation for the post-1975 cohort can now be shown to be temporary rather than a part of a long-run generational increase. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Mikro-ekonometriese tegnieke het kennis oor die Suid-Afrikaanse arbeidsmark aansienlik uitgebrei in die afgelope twee dekades. Hierdie proefskrif dra by tot hierdie bewyse deur drie afsonderlike arbeidsmark vraagstukke te beskou, met die klem op datagehalte en toepassing van geloofwaardige metodologie. Eerstens word die kwessie van loonaanpasbaarheid beskou. Waar sekere vorige mikro-ekonometriese bewyse aandui dat loonbepalers in Suid-Afrika sterk op eksterne plaaslike arbeidsmarktoestande reageer, word hierdie bevinding nie deur makro-ekonomiese en ander mikro-ekonometriese studies ondersteun nie. Hierdie vraag word dus opnuut ondersoek, met die klem op metodologiese kwessies wat ‘n invloed op die beraming van die loonkurwe het. Laasgenoemde is die negatiewe verhouding tussen individuele lone en plaaslike werkloosheidskoerse wat in die meeste lande geld, behalwe daar waar loonbedinging sterk gesentraliseer is. Deur tydsvariasie by die data te voeg, is dit moontlik om vir heterogeniteit oor ruimte voorsiening te maak, wat tot die gevolgtrekking lei dat lone inderdaad onbuigsaam oor die korttermyn is. Die afruiling tussen lone en plaaslike werkloosheidskoerse wat vorige navorsing bevind het, verteenwoordig eerder ‘n langtermyn ruimtelike ewewig. Hierdie bevinding is nie sensitief vir instrumentasie nie. Laasgenoemde is nodig om voorsiening te maak vir moontlike sydigheid wat kan ontstaan indien die rigting van kousaliteit omgekeerd is, sowel as metingsfoute wat daarmee gepaard gaan as navorsers die plaaslike arbeidsmark verkeerd definiëer. Tweedens word die betroubaarheid van data wat volwassenes vra om hulle kinderomstandighede te onthou, ondersoek. Die uiteindelike doel is om vas te stel of omstandighede vroeg in die lewe ‘n invloed op die uitkomstes van volwassenes het. Twee veranderlikes, naamlik ouers se opvoedingsvlakke en die subjektiewe terugskouende sosioekonomiese rang in respondente se kinderdae, word geëvalueer. Die eerste stel veranderlikes is onderhewig aan lae reaksiekoerse omdat ‘n aansienlike hoeveelheid Suid-Afrikaanse kinders sonder een of beide ouers grootword. Waar respondente wel hierdie inligting verskaf is individue se antwoorde konsekwent tussen twee golwe van ‘n paneelopname. Die vraag na die subjektiewe rang lewer beter reaksiekoerse omdat dit vereis dat respondente inligting oor hulle eie verlede verskaf, en nie oor dié van hul ouers nie. Nietemin is individue se antwoorde strydig oor tyd, ten spyte daarvan dat hulle inligting oor dieselfde tydstip in die lewenssiklus moet verskaf. Hulle is geneig om hulle opinies oor die verlede in lyn met veranderende persepsies van hul huidige posisie in die dorpsinkomsteverdeling, sowel as hulle eie subjektiewe welstand, aan te pas. Dit verskaf dus ‘n sterk aanduiding dat mense hulle antwoorde oor die verlede in huidige toestande anker. Instrumentele veranderlike analise is in vorige studies aangewend om voorsiening te maak vir metingsfoute in subjektiewe data. Indien inligting oor die verlede, asook moontlik uitkomsteveranderlikes (soos indiensname), geanker word in huidige persepsies, sal mikroekonometriese tegnieke egter steeds sydige beramings van die impak van kinderdae op langtermyn uitkomstes bied. Laastens, word sogenaamde ouderdom-periode-kohort modelle op Suid-Afrikaanse arbeidsmarkdeelname data toegepas. Hierdie hoofstuk is die eerste bydrae wat die aanname dat kohortverskille permanent moet bly oor die lewenssiklus laat vaar. Monte-Carlo simulasies dui aan dat hoogs interaktiewe spesifikasies die onderliggende proses gedeeltelik kan weerspieël. Verskeie tegnieke word aangewend (insluitend dié wat gedragsaannames afdwing asook ateoretiese benaderings) wat wys dat kohorteffekte in arbeidsmarkdeelname tydelik kan wees. Tog word meer data benodig om hierdie stelling sonder twyfel te bevestig. Onafhanklik van die tegniek wat gebruik word, is dit duidelik dat ‘n skerp toename in arbeidsmarkdeelname plaasgevind het vir die groep wat na 1975 gebore is. Verder is dit beduidend dat die kombinasie van toetsbare aannames en hoogs buigsame beramers ‘n geloofwaardige oplossing vir die ouderdoms-periode-kohort probleem verskaf, ten spyte van die vele twispunte wat in die literatuur uitgelig word. Vorige bewyse van ‘n toename in arbeidsmagdeelname vir die post-1975 kohort kan nou as ‘n tydelike tendens bestempel word, eerder as ‘n deel van die langtermyn toename oor generasies.

Thesis (MComm (Economics))--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / A new political dispensation in 1994 heralded a period of optimism for many ordinary South Africans, who hoped for freedom and an escape from poverty. Since this transition, however, South Africa has registered steady increases in unemployment, which was already high and widespread at that stage. The new policy environment introduced a mix of legislation which changed the way in which South African society was to be structured: separate development was abandoned, the pillars of Apartheid dismantled, and equitable access to education and jobs was enacted. At the same time, the Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP), as well as the Growth Employment and Redistribution (GEAR) document addressed, amongst other issues, socioeconomic and labour market disparities. Economic growth was to bolster employment generation. Rising unemployment is, in light of these diverse changes, a source of considerable concern to labour market participants and policymakers alike: the benefits of better understanding the dynamic forces at play are potentially large. Given the many and farreaching changes referred to above, it is a complex task to disentangle specific reasons for the outcomes realised in the labour market, and more so the manner in which these have interacted to arrive at the status quo...

The purpose of this paper is to examine the causes of welfare state expansion, specifically the causes of welfare state expenditure of active labor market policy (ALMP). ALMP aims at reducing unemployment and increasing participation in the labor market. The field of political economy has long asked the question of why certain welfare states are characterized by generous social policy, while others are not. Several theories have been presented over the years, each providing new perspectives. The two theories that could be considered to be the most prominent are the Power Resource Theory, which centers on the importance of power resources of major classes, and the Varieties of Capitalism, which is more focused on the different needs of capitalists.The specific interest of this paper is the varying orientations of ALMP. It is argued that ALMP should not be understood as a homogenous concept, but instead as a category of policy which consists of a range of tools from which a government can choose. Analyzing the expenditure of these tools separately is thus of great importance for the development of a deeper understanding of the welfare state.Using regression analysis, I analyze which of the theories mentioned above is most strongly correlated to increased expenditure of ALMP. I use a total expenditure of ALMP, as is customary within the field, but I also include two other measures for specific tools of ALMP; incentive reinforcement programs and training programs.The results indicate that when looking at the total expenditure of ALMP the VoC approach appears to better explain the cause of welfare state expenditure. However, when including the measures for the specific tools of ALMP, the classic notion of VoC is confirmed only regarding incentive reinforcement programs, and contradicted regarding training programs. Moreover, the classic notion of PRT is confirmed regarding the expenditure of training programs, albeit with quite limited evidence. Also, the classic notion within PRT finds little support in the analysis of total expenditure of ALMP and the expenditure of incentive reinforcement programs. Only making a distinction between large and small welfare states is thus argued to be a simplification. Welfare states with similar levels of social expenditure might in fact differ significantly regarding actual policy preference.It is concluded that the continued disaggregation of ALMP is necessary in order to further the research field. Acknowledging the highly heterogeneous nature of ALMP is essential when understanding its expenditure.

United States legislations have allowed U.S. companies to integrate with the economies of other countries allowing U.S. companies to outsource manufacturing and services abroad and take advantage of lower input cost because of cheap and skilled labor - an opportunity cost choice. In the global economy employment in the United States seems to be influenced simultaneously by variables such as outsourcing, international trade, foreign direct investment (FDI) and immigration. The shift in our economic and labor structure due to outsourcing will impact many different groups of people, mainly the next generation entering the labor market. The goal of this thesis is to examine the effects of outsourcing, Foreign Direct Investment, and International Trade on the U.S. labor market. It reveals that as an effect of outsourcing jobs have shifted to the emerging markets for cost and capability sourcing, but in response to the uproar on U.S. jobs being lost as businesses move abroad there seems more of job complementarily than substitution between parent and foreign affiliates. Also, companies are integrating vertically and that outsourcing is integral to a company’s success in the global economy. Furthermore FDI in the U.S. is not growing as rapidly as it is in Asia and many other parts of the world, when FDI is shown to positively affect a country’s economy. The U.S. because of the imbalance in international trade runs a huge trade deficit, which again takes a toll on the U.S. economy and employment. As the U.S. parent companies account for large shares of the overall U.S. economy, and foreign affiliates are also significant contributors to the U.S. economy there should be legislations that support multinationals to remain competitive in the global market as they contribute to strengthen the U.S. economy.

During a long period of time, rental doctors have created a vast debate in Sweden. Currently, there is a shortage of doctors working in Sweden and to guarantee the lawful right to healthcare of high quality the counties must hire doctors through employment agencies. There are different opinions about rental doctors, some thinks the temporary employment results in a negative work environment and furthermore puts the patients at risk. Other people consider the Swedish healthcare to not function without rental doctors.  The purpose of this essay is to investigate rental doctors through a legal perspective and how temporary employment actually affects the patients’ security and the work environment in Sweden’s healthcare. Additionally, I want to examine options for counties to reduce the dependence of rental doctors and employment agencies. Through this essay I have foremost found a shortage of specialized doctors in Sweden, although there has been an incline of students in medicine. Counties in the northern parts of Sweden and sparsely populated areas have the vastest dependence of rental doctors, which results in future complications. Rental doctors are a necessity to guarantee a positive healthcare in counties that are having difficulties recruiting personal, but in long-term dependence of rental doctors complications appear. The long-termed temporary employment jeopardies the patient’s security and consistency of the treatment and affects the work environment in the healthcare. A majority of workers values social relations at work and a constant shortage of staff results in stress and illness. Therefore it is a necessity to reduce the dependency of rental doctors, although they are a necessity when no other caregiver is of disposal. When Sweden became a part of the European Union, the possibilities expanded for doctors to educate and work all around the union. All states in the union accepted the directive 2005/36/EG which means that all education for doctors to be equal and a simplification of the international labor market. In the beginning of the 21st century there was a growth in Swedish medical students that study and work abroad. There is also an incline of foreign doctors who decides to work in Sweden; furthermore it creates complications including longer introductions and language difficulties. However the inclines of foreign doctors are a useful alternative to reduce the dependence of rental doctors. / Hyrläkare, även kallat stafettläkare har länge skapat en hård debatt i Sverige. En läkarbrist råder i Sverige och för att garantera en god vård till befolkningen enligt HSL måste landstingen hyra in läkare genom bemanningsföretag. Det finns olika åsikter kring stafettläkare, vissa menar att inhyrningen orsakar en negativ arbetsmiljö som dessutom riskerar patientsäkerheten. Samtidigt som andra menar att den svenska vården inte skulle fungera utan stafettläkare. Mitt huvudsakliga syfte med denna uppsats är att belysa fenomenet stafettläkare ur ett rättsligt perspektiv och hur inhyrd personal påverkar patientsäkerheten samt arbetsmiljön i Sveriges hälso- och sjukvård. Uppsatsen ska även utreda tillgången på läkare, landstingens alternativ gällande bemanning och undersöka huruvida det är möjligt för landstingen att minska sitt beroende av stafettläkare. Genom denna uppsats har det framförallt visat sig en rådande brist på specialistläkare i Sverige, trots en ökning av studenter på läkarutbildningen. Beroendet av hyrpersonal är speciellt märkvärt i glesbygden och de norra delarna av Sverige.  Stafettläkare är en nödvändighet för att kunna garantera en god vård för befolkningen där det finns svårigheter att rekrytera läkare, men genom ett långvarigt behov uppstår det komplikationer. Stafettläkare riskerar att skada kontinuiteten i behandlingen samt patientsäkerheten. Ytterligare kan ett långvarigt användande av stafettläkare innebära negativa upplevelser av arbetsmiljön. Många arbetstagare värdesätter en social relation med sina arbetskamrater och ständig underbemanning skapar stress och ohälsa. Därför är det viktigt att finna alternativ för ett minskat behov av stafettläkare, trots att de är räddare i nöden när ingen annan vårdgivare finns.  När Sverige blev medlem i den Europeiska Unionen utvidgades möjligheterna markant för läkare att både utbildas och arbeta i unionens medlemsstater. Medlemstaterna harmoniserade direktivet 2005/36/EG som innebar att alla läkarutbildningar ska anses likvärdiga och underlätta läkares fria rörlighet inom unionen. I början av 2000-talet ökade antalet studenter som utbildar sig samt arbetar i ett annat land. Dessutom ökar antalet utländska läkare som kommer och arbetar i Sverige, vilket skapar ett tillskott av tillgången på läkare. Dock råder problematik gällande utländsk arbetskraft, det krävs en längre introduktion och komplikationer kring språkbarriärer. Trots detta är utländsk arbetskraft ett bra alternativ för att minska beroendet av stafettläkare.

This thesis aims to provide new and useful insights into the effects that various tax, labour and product market reforms have on the overall economic performance. Additionally, it aims also to provide insights about the optimal monetary and fiscal policy behaviour within the economy characterized with various real labour market frictions. We analyze the benefits of tax reforms and their effectiveness relative to product or other labour market reforms. A general equilibrium model with imperfect competition, wage bargaining and different forms of tax distortions is applied in order to analyze these issues. We find that structural reforms imply short run costs but long run gains; that the long run gains outweigh the short run costs; and that the financing of such reforms will be the main stumbling block. We also find that the effectiveness of various reform instruments depends on the policy maker's ultimate objective. More precisely, tax reforms are more effective for welfare gains, but market liberalization is more valuable for generating employment. In order to advance our understanding of the tax and product market reform processes, we then develop a dynamic stochastic general equilibrium model which incorporates search-matching frictions, costly ring and endogenous job destruction decisions, as well as a distortionary progressive wage and a at payroll tax. We confirm the negative effects of marginal tax distortions on the overall economic performance. We also find a positive effect of an increase in the wage tax progressivity and product market liberalization on employment, output and consumption. Following a positive technology shock, the volatility of employment, output and consumption turns out to be lower in the reformed economy, whereas the impact effect on inflation is more pronounced. Following a positive government spending shock the volatility of employment, output and consumption is again lower in the reformed economy, but the inflation response is stronger over the whole adjustment path. We also find detrimental effects on employment and output of a tax reform which keeps the marginal tax wedge unchanged by partially offsetting a decrease in the payroll tax by an increase in the wage tax rate. If this reform is anticipated one period in advance the negative effects remain all over the transition path. We investigate the optimal monetary and fiscal policy implication of the New-Keynesian setup enriched with search-matching frictions. We show that the optimal policy features deviation from strict price stability, and that the Ramsey planner uses both inflation and taxes in order to fully exploit the benefits of the productivity increase following a positive productivity shock. We also find that the optimal tax rate and government liabilities inherit the time series properties of the underlying shocks. Moreover, we identify a certain degree of overshooting in inflation and tax rates following a positive productivity shock, and a certain degree of undershooting following a positive government spending shock as a consequence of the assumed commitment of policy maker.

This dissertation examines the influence of massification of tertiary education in labor market. There are explored effects of access to higher education of graduates and their chances of finding an adequate employment. It is partially inspired by the piece of work from Jan Keller and Lubor Tvrdý - Vzdělanostní společnost? Chrám, výtah a pojišťovna. The thesis also describes a situation on the labour market with regard to the employment of graduates and their applicability in practice. Statistical research is used and complemented by a survey among employers. The main objective of the thesis, ie. Employment of graduates in the labor market, was achieved thanks to these results. This piece of work could be used as a presentation of the results of the quality investigation and the need of higher education.

This thesis is trying to find out what variables could affect the situation of single mothers on the labor market in the Czech Republic. First, there are identified nine variables that can affect their position on the labor market. Analysis of these variables leads to its subsequent division into two groups - individual and objective. In the context of individual variables, the focus is on a financial and material situation, support of wider family, job aspirations and a need for harmonization of work and personal life of single mothers. As objective variables is dealt with the social and family policy, possibilities of preschool and school facilities, access of an employer in terms of using a family-friendly approach and a risk of discrimination, a risk of unemployment. The subsequent empirical survey with the qualitative design utilizes personal experiences of single mothers from their activity on the labor market in the context of selected variables. Evaluation of the survey confirms six out of nine effects such as influencing variables. The thesis concludes evaluating of all the facts while there is a further demonstration of possible extension of this investigated issue. Key words: single mother, family, working life, personal life, harmonization, labor market

This thesis focuses on gender issues in management. The emphasis is puting on role of gender in management, on differences in harmonization of the working and family life for men and women and with respekt to difficult situations in career building for women, especially in matters of competence for the performance of this office. The thesis further focuses on the issues of equal opportunities for men and women to build their own career, gender inequalities and problems in relationships of families, households and careers. Part of the thesis also describes the public opinions on gender issues in management. The last chapter introduces the issue of managers free time. Keywords: gender, management, equal opportunities, labor market, unequality, career, family, free time.

Studiens syfte var att få en större förståelse över hur de som deltar på en arbetsmarknadsavdelning i Värmland påverkas av relationerna som etableras på arbetsplatsen samt vilken betydelse en sysselsättning har för arbetslösa. Undersökningen riktades till deltagare, assisterande handledare samt ordinarie handledare och genomfördes via halvstrukturerade livsvärldsintervjuer. Mina frågeställningar var om de upplever en ökad arbetsmotivation av relationerna samt vilka relationer det finns på avdelningen.  Fem assisterande handledare, en deltagare och två ordinarie handledare intervjuades till studien.   Studien utgår från en emotionssociologisk ansats och jag har därför valt att analysera olika emotioner som förknippas med relationer samt att arbeta på en arbetsmarknadsavdelning. Teorierna som jag har tillämpat är socialt stöd, krav/kontroll/stöd-modellen, skam och stolthet, Goffmans (2004) främre och bakre regioner, humor, målstyrning, arbetsdelning, arbetsmotivation, yttre, inre och sociala incitament. Samtliga av de åtta respondenter upplevde att relationerna har en betydelse för arbetsmotivationen, relationerna kan hjälpa individerna att komma iväg till arbetsplatsen. Respondenterna upplevde svårigheter att definiera sina emotioner till följd av relationer men min analys visade att det är goda relationer som etableras på avdelningen.   Resultatet av studien visar att det finns en skillnad i arbetsmotivation mellan deltagare samt assisterande handledare. Min avsikt var inte att undersöka detta men det blev så tydligt i mitt material och det är något man kan undersöka i senare forskning. Samtliga var även överens om att avdelningen har förändrat individernas beteende och tankesätt när det gäller ett arbete.