The local labour market has gained increased importance in the UK in recent years, as a focus for policy formulation and implementation. However, the local labour market is often illdefined in spatial terms, with the defmition being implicit rather than explicit, or standard administrative areas are used without any reasoned justification. Alternatively, within the UK, standard pre-defined areas, most usually official travel-to-work-areas (TTWAs) , are adopted as suitable proxies for local labour market areas. Recent concerns have been raised in the UK regarding the validity of this approach in many cases, and this was a feature of the 1998 review of the TrW As within the UK. To counter these diverse approaches, with the consequent implications for the efficacy of spatially targeted labour market policies, a definition of idealised spatial labour market areas is constructed. Further to this, a large-scale empirical analysis of commuting information from the Scottish results of the 1991 Census of Population is undertaken, to test whether idealised spatial labour markets can be identified for distinct occupational groups, disaggregated by gender. The results of the analysis confirm the improbability of achieving idealised spatial labour market definitions using commuting data. However, it is suggested that introducing a common metric for the definition of spatial labour markets should have a beneficial effect in terms of transparency of analysis and consistency of approach. Such a metric would make explicit the suitability of an area for consideration as a spatial labour market, and would include notions both of self-containment and internal coherence. It is contended that such an approach would be more flexible than the current approach using standard areas. It also has the potential to incorporate separate analyses for different gender, occupational groups, ethnicity or other personal characteristics, whilst still retaining many of the key concepts and measures which underpinned the development of TTWAs.

South Africa and China established their first official diplomatic ties in 1998. A decade later in 2008 China had become South Africa’s largest bilateral trade partner which presents both complementary and competitive outcomes for the South African labour market. This study explores the competitive outcomes, particularly the impact that China has had on the skill bias of manufacturing employment within South Africa’s local municipalities between 2001 and 2011. The study follows on from two theories of trade: the Heckscher-Ohlin theory with its Stopler-Samuelson theorem, and specific factor theories. The identification method employed in this study was developed by Autor, Dorn and Hansen (2013) and seeks to exploit variation across South African municipalities which stems from initial differences in industry specialisation and instrumenting for South African imports using changes in Chinese imports by other low- and middle-income countries. The data used in the current study is from the UN Comtrade as well as South African population census data from 1996, 2001 and 2011. This study makes two main contributions to the literature by looking at the impact that import competition has on manufacturing employment in local labour markets, and how this impact varies by skill set and gender. The main finding of the study was that Chinese import exposure was biased against low-skilled workers as it resulted loss of employment for the low-skilled workers, and had a minimal effect on the employment of high-skilled workers.

The aim of this paper is to evaluate the performance of two divergent methods for delineating commuting regions, also called labour market areas, in a situation that the base spatial units differ largely in size as a result of an irregular population distribution. Commuting patterns in Sweden have been analyzed with geographical information system technology by delineating commuting regions using two regionalization methods. One, a rule-based method, uses one-way commuting flows to delineate local labour market areas in a top-down procedure based on the selection of predefined employment centres. The other method, the interaction-based Intramax analysis, uses two-way flows in a bottom-up procedure based on numerical taxonomy principles. A comparison of these methods will expose a number of strengths and weaknesses. For both methods, the same data source has been used. The performance of both methods has been evaluated for the country as a whole using resident employed population, self-containment levels and job ratios for criteria. A more detailed evaluation has been done in the Goteborg metropolitan area by comparing regional patterns with the commuting fields of a number of urban centres in this area. It is concluded that both methods could benefit from the inclusion of additional control measures to identify improper allocations of municipalities. / <p>Open Access</p>

The thesis consists of three empirical essays on the topics of self-employment, happiness and international trade. Essay 1 studies how immigrant self-employment entry is affected by the local business cycle in Sweden. Using the unemployment rate at the local labour market level as a proxy for the local business cycle, our study shows that the self-employment entry behaviour for native men and immigrant men is negatively affected by the unemployment rate, except for immigrants from Middle East. However, such a negative effect is quantitatively weaker among the non-European immigrants. Further, the result shows that immigrants from the Middle East are positively affected by the unemployment rate, meaning they are more likely to be pushed into self-employment in recessions. For women, we also find the unemployment rate has a negative impact on the self-employment decision of native women and immigrant women, except for the Middle East group. However, compared with men, the quantitative size of the unemployment rate effect on self-employment is smaller among women, implying the less important role of business cycle in determining females’ entry into self-employment. Essay 2 investigates the non-pecuniary return of self-employment in China. The results show that the life satisfaction of self-employed men is significantly higher than that of wage-employed men; the life satisfaction of self-employed women is not statistically significant different from that of wage-employed women. Moreover, we show that the life satisfaction of self-employed men in the informal sector is significantly higher than that of wage-employed men in the formal sector. The life satisfaction of wage-employed men in the informal sector is not significantly different from that of wage-employed men in the formal sector. For women, we find that there is no significant life satisfaction disparity between workers in the formal and informal sector. Finally, our job satisfaction data also concludes that self-employment in China is not inferior to wage employment. Essay 3 evaluates how Swedish manufacturing employment is affected by the increasing import competition from China. The results show that the growth of manufacturing employment is not statistically significant affected by the increasing import competition from China. Moreover, in general, the increasing import exposure from China does not significantly affect the employment growth of non-manufacturing sector either. Regarding the earnings, the analysis shows that the low wage earners in the manufacturing sector is not significantly affected by the increasing import penetration from China while median and high wage earners are positively affected.

The thesis consists of three empirical essays on the topics of self-employment, happiness and international trade. Essay 1 studies how immigrant self-employment entry is affected by the local business cycle in Sweden. Using the unemployment rate at the local labour market level as a proxy for the local business cycle, our study shows that the self-employment entry behaviour for native men and immigrant men is negatively affected by the unemployment rate, except for immigrants from Middle East. However, such a negative effect is quantitatively weaker among the non-European immigrants. Further, the result shows that immigrants from the Middle East are positively affected by the unemployment rate, meaning they are more likely to be pushed into self-employment in recessions. For women, we also find the unemployment rate has a negative impact on the self-employment decision of native women and immigrant women, except for the Middle East group. However, compared with men, the quantitative size of the unemployment rate effect on self-employment is smaller among women, implying the less important role of business cycle in determining females’ entry into self-employment. Essay 2 investigates the non-pecuniary return of self-employment in China. The results show that the life satisfaction of self-employed men is significantly higher than that of wage-employed men; the life satisfaction of self-employed women is not statistically significant different from that of wage-employed women. Moreover, we show that the life satisfaction of self-employed men in the informal sector is significantly higher than that of wage-employed men in the formal sector. The life satisfaction of wage-employed men in the informal sector is not significantly different from that of wage-employed men in the formal sector. For women, we find that there is no significant life satisfaction disparity between workers in the formal and informal sector. Finally, our job satisfaction data also concludes that self-employment in China is not inferior to wage employment. Essay 3 evaluates how Swedish manufacturing employment is affected by the increasing import competition from China. The results show that the growth of manufacturing employment is not statistically significant affected by the increasing import competition from China. Moreover, in general, the increasing import exposure from China does not significantly affect the employment growth of non-manufacturing sector either. Regarding the earnings, the analysis shows that the low wage earners in the manufacturing sector is not significantly affected by the increasing import penetration from China while median and high wage earners are positively affected.

<p>This paper is a case study of a local labour market project. The aim of the study is to investigate the staff’s way of working with unemployed people, receiving social assistance, in order to reduce the payment of social assistance in four adjacent city districts of Stockholm. Other objectives of the study are to investigate which criteria the staff uses when selecting participants for the project, in which way the participants’ background affects the measures taken by the staff and how the staff experiences working as part of a project. A short summary of the social services development during the twentieth century and urban politics in the 1990’s in Sweden is used as a background for the local labour market project. The theories used deal with the social services strategies concerning unemployed receivers of social assistance, the participants’ background with particular emphasis on ethnicity and gender, project work and the special case of public projects. The study is based on interviews with four employees. Some of the conclusions are that the selection criteria are put up as criteria for not being selected as a participant and that the staff combines previously developed methods in order to reduce the payment of social assistance. The participants’ background is evaluated individually and the staff shows a certain reluctance to categorize the participants according to ethnicity and gender. The staff communicates an ambiguous image of working in a project by describing it partly as an inspiring challenge but also as involving some uncertainties regarding the terms of employment.</p> / <p>Uppsatsen är en fallstudie av ett kommunalt arbetsmarknadsprojekt och syftar till att undersöka hur personalen arbetar med arbetslösa socialbidragstagare för att minska socialbidragsuttaget i fyra närliggande stadsdelar i Stockholm. Syftet är därutöver att undersöka vilka kriterier personalen använder för urval av deltagare till projektet och hur deltagarnas bakgrund påverkar de åtgärder som personalen sätter in samt hur personalen uppfattar projektformen som arbetssätt. Det kommunala arbetsmarknadsprojektet förankras i socialtjänstens och storstadspolitikens historiska utveckling. De teoretiska utgångspunkterna tar fasta på socialtjänstens strategi gällande arbetslösa socialbidragstagare, deltagarnas etniska bakgrund och kön samt projekt som arbetsform och offentliga projekts speciella drag. I analysen används utsagor från djupintervjuer med fyra anställda. Några av slutsatserna är att urvalskriterierna formuleras som hinder för deltagande i projektet och att personalen kombinerar olika tidigare utvecklade metoder i sitt arbete för att minska socialbidragstagandet. Deltagarnas bakgrund bedöms individuellt och personalen visar en viss ovilja att kategorisera deltagarna efter etnicitet och kön. Personalen ger en ambivalent bild av projekt som arbetsform. Dels beskrivs arbetet i projektet som utmanande samtidigt som den tidsbegränsade projektanställningen upplevs som osäker.</p>

This paper is a case study of a local labour market project. The aim of the study is to investigate the staff’s way of working with unemployed people, receiving social assistance, in order to reduce the payment of social assistance in four adjacent city districts of Stockholm. Other objectives of the study are to investigate which criteria the staff uses when selecting participants for the project, in which way the participants’ background affects the measures taken by the staff and how the staff experiences working as part of a project. A short summary of the social services development during the twentieth century and urban politics in the 1990’s in Sweden is used as a background for the local labour market project. The theories used deal with the social services strategies concerning unemployed receivers of social assistance, the participants’ background with particular emphasis on ethnicity and gender, project work and the special case of public projects. The study is based on interviews with four employees. Some of the conclusions are that the selection criteria are put up as criteria for not being selected as a participant and that the staff combines previously developed methods in order to reduce the payment of social assistance. The participants’ background is evaluated individually and the staff shows a certain reluctance to categorize the participants according to ethnicity and gender. The staff communicates an ambiguous image of working in a project by describing it partly as an inspiring challenge but also as involving some uncertainties regarding the terms of employment. / Uppsatsen är en fallstudie av ett kommunalt arbetsmarknadsprojekt och syftar till att undersöka hur personalen arbetar med arbetslösa socialbidragstagare för att minska socialbidragsuttaget i fyra närliggande stadsdelar i Stockholm. Syftet är därutöver att undersöka vilka kriterier personalen använder för urval av deltagare till projektet och hur deltagarnas bakgrund påverkar de åtgärder som personalen sätter in samt hur personalen uppfattar projektformen som arbetssätt. Det kommunala arbetsmarknadsprojektet förankras i socialtjänstens och storstadspolitikens historiska utveckling. De teoretiska utgångspunkterna tar fasta på socialtjänstens strategi gällande arbetslösa socialbidragstagare, deltagarnas etniska bakgrund och kön samt projekt som arbetsform och offentliga projekts speciella drag. I analysen används utsagor från djupintervjuer med fyra anställda. Några av slutsatserna är att urvalskriterierna formuleras som hinder för deltagande i projektet och att personalen kombinerar olika tidigare utvecklade metoder i sitt arbete för att minska socialbidragstagandet. Deltagarnas bakgrund bedöms individuellt och personalen visar en viss ovilja att kategorisera deltagarna efter etnicitet och kön. Personalen ger en ambivalent bild av projekt som arbetsform. Dels beskrivs arbetet i projektet som utmanande samtidigt som den tidsbegränsade projektanställningen upplevs som osäker.

The local labour market policy in Sweden offers activities to unemployed people who need more competence to get self-sufficient. To get hired the unemployed people need employers who want to hire them. Employers’ perception of the activities from the local labour market policy is therefor crucial for the unemployed who take part in the activities. This master’s thesis aims to interview employers from low-skilled work and take part of their perception of the local labour market policy and their descriptions of their recruitment. This study is conducted via short telephone interviews with 277 employers in a county of Sweden. With a theoretical framework of institutional logics the result shows that there is a gap between the local labour market policy and the employers. The gap is visible mainly through the employers expression that the participants from the local labour market policy do not meet the employers requirements to be able to get hired. The employers seem to be governed by institutional logics such as market, individualization and to some extent also democratic logics.

Presented dissertation is focused on commercial suburbanization in terms of the Prague agglomeration specific aspects and assessment of some of its impacts on the affected locations. The aim is to identify local economic structures from the perspective of commercial suburbanization and assess their level of socio-economic significance in the suburban zone of Prague and their influence on the design of local medium-term priorities. This objective is further specified in terms of the five partial aims and five hypotheses. Monitored spatial units are analyzed at the level of municipalities, administrative districts of municipalities with extended powers and districts of Prague-East and Prague-West. The work represents the first comprehensive attempt to assess the extent of commercial suburbanization in the suburban area of Prague by using index methods. With the use of indexes, impacts of commercial suburbanization have been evaluated, especially the level of local action of companies and the formation of local markets in those local areas. The analysis shows that there is a greater degree of formation of local labor markets compared to rather negligible degree of formation of local markets of goods and services. Local economic structures continue to shape significantly in the regional centers of lower category rather than in the suburban zone of Prague. Following part of the thesis analyzes the socio-economic situation in the selected suburbanized municipality and reflection of key aspects of suburbanization in its medium-term development priorities and brings also a generalization of the findings. For the performed analysis, data from the author's own surveys and available statistical databases were used.

How does space affect individuals’ outcome on the labor market? And how do we measure it? Beyond the notion of the labor market as a system of supply and demand, lays a society of individuals and workplaces, whose relationships are undeniably complex. This thesis aims to shed some new light on how to investigate and analyze the complex labor market relationships from a spatial perspective. In this thesis, five self-contained articles describe the spatial relationship between individuals and workplaces. In the first article, the official delineation of local labor market areas is tested against the delineation of labor markets for different subgroups. Differences in the regionalization are discussed from the subgroups’ and municipals’ perspective. In the second article, two sources of bias in the computation of local labor market areas, and suggestions how to reduce them, are presented. In the third article the spatial mismatch hypothesis is tested and confirmed on a refugee population in Sweden. In articles four and five, a new model for the estimation of job accessibility is introduced and evaluated. The model, ELMO, is created to answer to the need for a new accessibility measure to be used in spatial mismatch related research. The usability of the model is validated through empirical tests, were the ELMO-model excels in comparison to the accessibility models it is tested against.