Employment

US – The erosion in labor mobility and entrepreneurship since 2000 can be more accurately explained by weak demand

Academics and policymakers have recently focused on a worsening economic phenomenon commonly referred to as the decline in “business dynamism,” that is, the declining rate at which new businesses are formed and the rate at which they grow. This decline in dynamism and entrepreneurship accompanies a decline in overall labor market mobility, including quits and … Continue reading →

After the Great Recession – Americans past 60 have seen their employment and labor force participation rates increase

Unlike prime-age Americans, who have experienced declines in employment and labor force participation since the onset of the Great Recession, Americans past 60 have seen their employment and labor force participation rates increase. In order to understand the contrasting labor force developments among the old, on the one hand, and the prime-aged, on the other, … Continue reading →

Cancer and Work in the Family – Employment rates fell by about 2.4 percentage points on average in the years after spouse’s diagnosis study finds

A spouse’s cancer diagnosis is not only a health shock to the family, but can have an impact on both the work status and earnings of other family members. A new study drew on data from a number of sources, including the 1991 Census, the Canadian Cancer Registry, and personal and family income tax records. The study … Continue reading →

Europe – Employment up by 0.3% in the euro area

The number of persons employed increased by 0.3% in both the euro area (EA19) and the EU28 in the first quarter of 2016 compared with the previous quarter, according to national accounts estimates published by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. In the fourth quarter of 2015, employment increased by 0.3% in the … Continue reading →

Job Report in Canada, May 2016 – Employment was little changed in May (+14,000 or +0.1%)

Employment was little changed in May (+14,000 or +0.1%). With fewer people searching for work, the unemployment rate declined 0.2 percentage points to 6.9%, the lowest rate since July 2015. Full-time employment rose by 61,000 in May. This increase was largely offset by a decline of 47,000 in part-time work. In the 12 months to May, employment increased by 109,000 or 0.6%, the result of gains in full-time work. … Continue reading →

The Work Gap in US – Lower-income men’s work rates have declined by 11 percentage points

The decline in labor force participation rates has been widely documented, but the growing gulf in the work gap between the bottom third and the rest of the population is truly striking:While the share of men who are employed in the top two-thirds has been quite stable since 1980, lower-income men’s work rates have declined … Continue reading →

Pathways to Employment – There are multiple strategies local and regional leaders can use

Employment is down among everyone between the ages of 16 and 64—particularly among teens, but with a great deal of variation by geography, race, and education. The disparity between blacks and whites is especially stark. For example, unemployment among white young adults peaked at 14% in 2010—still considerably lower than unemployment rates for black young … Continue reading →

Newspaper Publishing in US – From 458,000 to 183,000 jobs between 1990 and 2016

Few industries have been affected by the digital or information age as much as newspapers and other traditional publishing industries (books, magazines, etc.). In June 1990, there were nearly 458,000 people employed in the newspaper publishing industry; by March 2016, that figure had fallen to about 183,000, a decline of almost 60 percent. Over the … Continue reading →

Digitalisation and Jobs – The risk of greater job insecurity, growing inequality and even mass ‘technological’ unemployment

This policy brief discusses how demographic shifts, globalisation and new technologies are changing the nature of work and careers. Digitalisation is seen as a key influence on the future of work over the next decades. Ever-increasing computing power, Big Data, the penetration of the Internet, Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Internet-of-Things and online platforms are among … Continue reading →

Youth in US – The employment rate for teens fell from 43 percent in 2000 to 26 percent in 2014. Why ?

The employment rate for teens fell from 43 percent in 2000 to 26 percent in 2014, and for young adults aged 20 to 24, it fell from 70 to 62 percent. These are big drops. In a new analysis, I take a deeper look at employment trends among young people. When employment rates are broken … Continue reading →

Technology and Jobs – Automation and digitalisation are unlikely to destroy large numbers of jobs

In recent years, there has been a revival of concerns that automation and digitalisation might after all result in a jobless future. The debate has been fuelled by studies for the US and Europe arguing that a substantial share of jobs is at “risk of computerisation”. These studies follow an occupation-based approach proposed by Frey … Continue reading →

Canada – Recent developments in the labour market

Total employment increased by 64,000 (+0.4%) in the last six months of 2015 on gains in  part-time work and self employment. Full-time employment was little changed during the second half of the year after notable gains in the first six months (+123,000). Individuals aged 55 and older  accounted for all of the net gain in … Continue reading →

Job Outlook in Alberta’s Oil Sand Sector – A decrease of 84% of on-site construction jobs by 2020

In today’s economic environment, fluctuations in oil prices are resulting in regular revisions of capital and operating expenditure projections. This report, together with other industry and sectoral employment outlooks to be released in 2016, serve to provide projected employment based on 2015 spending projections, as well as forecasted production volumes released by the Canadian Association of Petroleum … Continue reading →

Robots and the future of work – Interview with Professor Richard Freeman (video)

Europe – Nine new forms of employment with charts

Across Europe, new forms of employment are emerging that are different from traditional standard or non-standard employment in a number of ways. Some transform the relationship between employer and employee, some change work organisation and work patterns, and some do both. This report identifies nine forms of employment that are new or have become increasingly … Continue reading →