Thursday, July 03, 2008
[IWS] NO MESSAGES until 5 August 2008
IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor---------------------- Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________
NO MESSAGES will be sent until 5 August 2008.
______________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.
Stuart Basefsky
Director, IWS News Bureau
Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell/ILR School
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Telephone: (607) 255-2703
Fax: (607) 255-9641
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu
****************************************
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor---------------------- Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________
NO MESSAGES will be sent until 5 August 2008.
______________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.
Stuart Basefsky
Director, IWS News Bureau
Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell/ILR School
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Telephone: (607) 255-2703
Fax: (607) 255-9641
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu
****************************************
# posted by SBasefsky : 1:18 PM
[IWS] ILO: COSTA RICA: OFFSHORING & EMPLOYMENT in the DEVELOPING WORLD [
IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor---------------------- Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________
International Labour Organization (ILO)
Employment Analysis and Research Unit
Economic and Labour Market Analysis Department
Employment Sector
Employment Working Paper No. 4 2008
Offshoring and employment in the developing world: The case of Costa Rica
Christoph Ernst and Diego Sánchez-Ancochea
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/employment/download/wpaper/wp4.pdf
Abstract:
This paper evaluates the impact of offshoring activities, particularly in the manufacturing sector, in the creation of quality employment
through a detailed analysis of the Costa Rican experience. This country constitutes a particular interesting case study. The country began
participating in the global apparel commodity chain in the early 1980s, when the Reagan administration introduced the Caribbean Basin
Initiative. During the 1990s, Costa Rica adopted a selective policy of promoting high tech foreign direct investment, and succeeded in
attracting Intel and other large multinational corporations.
Through a detailed analysis of the direct and indirect effects of offshoring on the quantity and quality of employment, we make two central
arguments. First of all, foreign investment in offshoring activities in Costa Rica has contributed to the expansion of skilled, well paid jobs,
particularly since the arrival of Intel and other high tech companies. Secondly, offshoring activities have created some spillovers into other
areas of the economy. Nevertheless, offshoring activities have remained relatively marginal in the overall economy, even in the
manufacturing sector. Offshoring activities are characterized by higher productivity, but create just a small number of direct and indirect
jobs. Building new linkages between offshoring production and the rest of the economy and expanding the technological capabilities of
small and medium firms have become an urgent but difficult challenge for the Costa Rican economy.
Contents
1. Introduction.................................................................................................................................... 1
2. Offshoring and the new economic model in the Costa Rican economy ......................................... 2
2.1 The role of offshoring in the creation of the new export structure ........................................... 4
2.2 Offshoring and employment: direct implications...................................................................... 8
A. The evolution of offshoring employment by sector and skill ............................................ 8
B. The technological content of employment ...................................................................... 11
C. Productivity and wages .................................................................................................. 12
3. Offshoring and employment: its relevance for the Costa Rican economy .......................................... 15
3.1 Employment ........................................................................................................................... 15
3.2 Wages.................................................................................................................................... 17
3.3 Skill level ............................................................................................................................... 17
3.4 Technology............................................................................................................................ 19
3.5 A new phenomenon: Rising offshoring in services ............................................................... 20
3.6 The creation of linkages and spillovers .............................................................................. 21
A. Linkages ......................................................................................................................... 21
B. Spillovers ........................................................................................................................ 24
4. The successes and challenges of offshoring in Costa Rica ................................................................. 26
4.1 Costa Rica's success in developing new offshoring activities ............................................... 26
A. Selective promotion of foreign investment ..................................................................... 26
B. Long term accumulation of intangible assets................................................................. 27
4.2 The challenges: how to expand the potential positive effects of offshoring.......................... 27
A. The learning challenge: technology and skills............................................................... 28
B. The challenge of public revenues .................................................................................. 29
C. The external challenge: The emergence of China......................................................... 30
5. Conclusions ........................................................................................................................................ 32
References .............................................................................................................................................. 33
______________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.
Stuart Basefsky
Director, IWS News Bureau
Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell/ILR School
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Telephone: (607) 255-2703
Fax: (607) 255-9641
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu
****************************************
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor---------------------- Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________
International Labour Organization (ILO)
Employment Analysis and Research Unit
Economic and Labour Market Analysis Department
Employment Sector
Employment Working Paper No. 4 2008
Offshoring and employment in the developing world: The case of Costa Rica
Christoph Ernst and Diego Sánchez-Ancochea
http://www.ilo.org/public/english/employment/download/wpaper/wp4.pdf
Abstract:
This paper evaluates the impact of offshoring activities, particularly in the manufacturing sector, in the creation of quality employment
through a detailed analysis of the Costa Rican experience. This country constitutes a particular interesting case study. The country began
participating in the global apparel commodity chain in the early 1980s, when the Reagan administration introduced the Caribbean Basin
Initiative. During the 1990s, Costa Rica adopted a selective policy of promoting high tech foreign direct investment, and succeeded in
attracting Intel and other large multinational corporations.
Through a detailed analysis of the direct and indirect effects of offshoring on the quantity and quality of employment, we make two central
arguments. First of all, foreign investment in offshoring activities in Costa Rica has contributed to the expansion of skilled, well paid jobs,
particularly since the arrival of Intel and other high tech companies. Secondly, offshoring activities have created some spillovers into other
areas of the economy. Nevertheless, offshoring activities have remained relatively marginal in the overall economy, even in the
manufacturing sector. Offshoring activities are characterized by higher productivity, but create just a small number of direct and indirect
jobs. Building new linkages between offshoring production and the rest of the economy and expanding the technological capabilities of
small and medium firms have become an urgent but difficult challenge for the Costa Rican economy.
Contents
1. Introduction.................................................................................................................................... 1
2. Offshoring and the new economic model in the Costa Rican economy ......................................... 2
2.1 The role of offshoring in the creation of the new export structure ........................................... 4
2.2 Offshoring and employment: direct implications...................................................................... 8
A. The evolution of offshoring employment by sector and skill ............................................ 8
B. The technological content of employment ...................................................................... 11
C. Productivity and wages .................................................................................................. 12
3. Offshoring and employment: its relevance for the Costa Rican economy .......................................... 15
3.1 Employment ........................................................................................................................... 15
3.2 Wages.................................................................................................................................... 17
3.3 Skill level ............................................................................................................................... 17
3.4 Technology............................................................................................................................ 19
3.5 A new phenomenon: Rising offshoring in services ............................................................... 20
3.6 The creation of linkages and spillovers .............................................................................. 21
A. Linkages ......................................................................................................................... 21
B. Spillovers ........................................................................................................................ 24
4. The successes and challenges of offshoring in Costa Rica ................................................................. 26
4.1 Costa Rica's success in developing new offshoring activities ............................................... 26
A. Selective promotion of foreign investment ..................................................................... 26
B. Long term accumulation of intangible assets................................................................. 27
4.2 The challenges: how to expand the potential positive effects of offshoring.......................... 27
A. The learning challenge: technology and skills............................................................... 28
B. The challenge of public revenues .................................................................................. 29
C. The external challenge: The emergence of China......................................................... 30
5. Conclusions ........................................................................................................................................ 32
References .............................................................................................................................................. 33
______________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.
Stuart Basefsky
Director, IWS News Bureau
Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell/ILR School
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Telephone: (607) 255-2703
Fax: (607) 255-9641
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu
****************************************
# posted by SBasefsky : 5:51 AM
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
[IWS] Eurofound OBSERVATORIES USERS' SURVEY- Please Fill Out & Return by 31 July 2008
IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor---------------------- Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________
European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Dublin Foundation) or (Eurofound)
Observatories Users' Survey
Dear Sir/Madam,
The European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Eurofound) is carrying out a users' survey of its three observatories:
· European Industrial Relations Observatory (EIRO) www.eurofound.europa.eu/eiro
· European Working Conditions Observatory (EWCO) www.eurofound.europa.eu/ewco
· European Restructuring Monitor (ERM) www.eurofound.europa.eu/emcc/erm
This survey is one of the activities of an evaluation exercise in preparation for the next four-year work programme of Eurofound, in discussion at the moment.
The aim of the survey is to consult stakeholders and key users of the observatories on issues such as quality and usefulness of reporting, products and presentation. Your contribution to this exercise will be very valuable and help Eurofound to provide an improved service to its stakeholders and users.
Please note that the deadline for answering is 31st July 2008.
To access the survey please click on http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/network/neouserssurvey.htm or cut and paste the hyperlink to your internet browser.
The survey should not take more than 10 minutes to complete.
For further information on the Observatories and on this survey please contact:
Camilla Galli da Bino
Information Liaison Officer
Observatories & Surveys Unit
Eurofound
Wyattville Road, Loughlinstown, Co. Dublin, Ireland
Fax: 00 353 1 2822533
NEOsurvey@eurofound.europa.eu
Thank you for your help and feedback!
The Observatories Team
______________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.
Stuart Basefsky
Director, IWS News Bureau
Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell/ILR School
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Telephone: (607) 255-2703
Fax: (607) 255-9641
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu
****************************************
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor---------------------- Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________
European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Dublin Foundation) or (Eurofound)
Observatories Users' Survey
Dear Sir/Madam,
The European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Eurofound) is carrying out a users' survey of its three observatories:
· European Industrial Relations Observatory (EIRO) www.eurofound.europa.eu/eiro
· European Working Conditions Observatory (EWCO) www.eurofound.europa.eu/ewco
· European Restructuring Monitor (ERM) www.eurofound.europa.eu/emcc/erm
This survey is one of the activities of an evaluation exercise in preparation for the next four-year work programme of Eurofound, in discussion at the moment.
The aim of the survey is to consult stakeholders and key users of the observatories on issues such as quality and usefulness of reporting, products and presentation. Your contribution to this exercise will be very valuable and help Eurofound to provide an improved service to its stakeholders and users.
Please note that the deadline for answering is 31st July 2008.
To access the survey please click on http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/network/neouserssurvey.htm or cut and paste the hyperlink to your internet browser.
The survey should not take more than 10 minutes to complete.
For further information on the Observatories and on this survey please contact:
Camilla Galli da Bino
Information Liaison Officer
Observatories & Surveys Unit
Eurofound
Wyattville Road, Loughlinstown, Co. Dublin, Ireland
Fax: 00 353 1 2822533
NEOsurvey@eurofound.europa.eu
Thank you for your help and feedback!
The Observatories Team
______________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.
Stuart Basefsky
Director, IWS News Bureau
Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell/ILR School
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Telephone: (607) 255-2703
Fax: (607) 255-9641
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu
****************************************
# posted by SBasefsky : 11:46 AM
[IWS] ILR Press: New! EUROPEAN UNIONS: LABOR'S QUEST FOR A TRANSNATIONAL DEMOCRACY [July 2008]
IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor---------------------- Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________
ILR Press (an imprint of Cornell University Press)
EUROPEAN UNIONS: Labor's Quest for a Transnational Democracy
Roland Erne
http://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/cup_detail.taf?ti_id=4812
$29.95s cloth
2008, 280 pages, 6 x 9, 9 charts
ISBN: 978-0-8014-4648-1
Roland Erne's view of transnational trade union networks challenges the assertion that no realistic prospect exists for remedying the European Union's democratic deficitthat is, its domination by corporate interests and lack of a cohesive European people. His book describes the emergence of a European trade union movement that crosses national boundaries. Erne assesses national and EU-level trade union politics in two core areas: wage bargaining in the European Monetary Union and job protection during transnational corporate mergers and restructuring. The wage coordination policies of the European metal and construction workers' unions and the unions' responses in the ABB-Alstom Power and Alcan-Pechiney-Algroup merger cases, Erne finds, show that the activities of labor are not confined to the national level: labor's policies have undergone Europeanization. This cross-national borrowing of tactics is itself proof of the increasing integration of European states and societies.
European Unions is based on an exceptionally wide range of research methods, including statistical analysis, participant observation, and interviews with EU-level, national, and local trade unionists and works councilors. It also draws on a wide range of European, German, French, Italian, and Swiss union documents and a multilingual body of academic literature across several disciplines, including political science, sociology, and law. Erne's multilevel inquiry goes beyond country-by-country comparisons of national cases and his book will prove of great relevance to readers interested in the future of labor, social justice, and democracy in an increasingly integrated world.
Reviews
"European Unions is rigorous and original. In this excellent book, Roland Erne organizes his analysis around an illuminating range of strategies and draws on a wide array of sources. Erne is exceptionally well informed about labor and industrial relations, and his book is unusually broad in scope, covering the politics of the European Union, the political economy of wage bargaining, and the role of unions in EU competition and merger policy."John Kelly, University of London
"In European Unions, Roland Erne offers an original and compelling view of how trade unions can contribute to remedying the European Union's 'democratic deficit.' He argues that unions can do so if they mobilize collective action in EU decision-making processes as opposed to alternative 'technocratic' or 're-nationalizing' strategies. Theoretically and through case studies, he analyzes the conditions under which unions are likely to adopt strategies that have democratizing effects on EU governance."Andrew Martin, The Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies, Harvard University
About the Author
Roland Erne is Lecturer of International and Comparative Employment Relations at University College Dublin.
______________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.
Stuart Basefsky
Director, IWS News Bureau
Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell/ILR School
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Telephone: (607) 255-2703
Fax: (607) 255-9641
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu
****************************************
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor---------------------- Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________
ILR Press (an imprint of Cornell University Press)
EUROPEAN UNIONS: Labor's Quest for a Transnational Democracy
Roland Erne
http://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/cup_detail.taf?ti_id=4812
$29.95s cloth
2008, 280 pages, 6 x 9, 9 charts
ISBN: 978-0-8014-4648-1
Roland Erne's view of transnational trade union networks challenges the assertion that no realistic prospect exists for remedying the European Union's democratic deficitthat is, its domination by corporate interests and lack of a cohesive European people. His book describes the emergence of a European trade union movement that crosses national boundaries. Erne assesses national and EU-level trade union politics in two core areas: wage bargaining in the European Monetary Union and job protection during transnational corporate mergers and restructuring. The wage coordination policies of the European metal and construction workers' unions and the unions' responses in the ABB-Alstom Power and Alcan-Pechiney-Algroup merger cases, Erne finds, show that the activities of labor are not confined to the national level: labor's policies have undergone Europeanization. This cross-national borrowing of tactics is itself proof of the increasing integration of European states and societies.
European Unions is based on an exceptionally wide range of research methods, including statistical analysis, participant observation, and interviews with EU-level, national, and local trade unionists and works councilors. It also draws on a wide range of European, German, French, Italian, and Swiss union documents and a multilingual body of academic literature across several disciplines, including political science, sociology, and law. Erne's multilevel inquiry goes beyond country-by-country comparisons of national cases and his book will prove of great relevance to readers interested in the future of labor, social justice, and democracy in an increasingly integrated world.
Reviews
"European Unions is rigorous and original. In this excellent book, Roland Erne organizes his analysis around an illuminating range of strategies and draws on a wide array of sources. Erne is exceptionally well informed about labor and industrial relations, and his book is unusually broad in scope, covering the politics of the European Union, the political economy of wage bargaining, and the role of unions in EU competition and merger policy."John Kelly, University of London
"In European Unions, Roland Erne offers an original and compelling view of how trade unions can contribute to remedying the European Union's 'democratic deficit.' He argues that unions can do so if they mobilize collective action in EU decision-making processes as opposed to alternative 'technocratic' or 're-nationalizing' strategies. Theoretically and through case studies, he analyzes the conditions under which unions are likely to adopt strategies that have democratizing effects on EU governance."Andrew Martin, The Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies, Harvard University
About the Author
Roland Erne is Lecturer of International and Comparative Employment Relations at University College Dublin.
______________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.
Stuart Basefsky
Director, IWS News Bureau
Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell/ILR School
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Telephone: (607) 255-2703
Fax: (607) 255-9641
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu
****************************************
# posted by SBasefsky : 11:04 AM
[IWS] EIRO: DEVELOPMENTS IN INDUSTRIAL ACTION 2003-2007 [1 July 2008]
IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor---------------------- Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________
European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Dublin Foundation)
European Industrial Relations Observatory (EIRO)
COMPARATIVE STUDY
Developments in industrial action 20032007 [1 July 2008]
http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/eiro/studies/tn0804039s/tn0804039s.htm
or
http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/docs/eiro/tn0804039s/tn0804039s.pdf
[full-text, 38 pages]
Abstract:
This overview examines developments in industrial action across the European Union and in Norway over the period 20032007. The data show that while overall levels of industrial action were low in historical terms during this period, there were considerable variations between countries. The most 'strike-prone' countries included Belgium, France and Spain, while Latvia and Lithuania were essentially strike-free. The level of action in the new Member States was only about a quarter of that in the former EU15; however, some new Member States have begun to see a rise in strike activity in recent times. Industry and manufacturing were the sectors most prone to conflict, followed by transport and communications, and the broad public sector. The most common cause of industrial action was disputes over pay.
CONTENTS
Introduction
Basic industrial action indicators
- Absolute industrial action levels
- Relative industrial relations levels
Sectors most affected
Reasons for industrial action
Strike threats
Government intervention
Annex 1: Sectors most affected by industrial action in EU countries
Annex 2: Main causes for industrial action
______________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.
Stuart Basefsky
Director, IWS News Bureau
Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell/ILR School
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Telephone: (607) 255-2703
Fax: (607) 255-9641
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu
****************************************
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor---------------------- Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________
European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Dublin Foundation)
European Industrial Relations Observatory (EIRO)
COMPARATIVE STUDY
Developments in industrial action 20032007 [1 July 2008]
http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/eiro/studies/tn0804039s/tn0804039s.htm
or
http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/docs/eiro/tn0804039s/tn0804039s.pdf
[full-text, 38 pages]
Abstract:
This overview examines developments in industrial action across the European Union and in Norway over the period 20032007. The data show that while overall levels of industrial action were low in historical terms during this period, there were considerable variations between countries. The most 'strike-prone' countries included Belgium, France and Spain, while Latvia and Lithuania were essentially strike-free. The level of action in the new Member States was only about a quarter of that in the former EU15; however, some new Member States have begun to see a rise in strike activity in recent times. Industry and manufacturing were the sectors most prone to conflict, followed by transport and communications, and the broad public sector. The most common cause of industrial action was disputes over pay.
CONTENTS
Introduction
Basic industrial action indicators
- Absolute industrial action levels
- Relative industrial relations levels
Sectors most affected
Reasons for industrial action
Strike threats
Government intervention
Annex 1: Sectors most affected by industrial action in EU countries
Annex 2: Main causes for industrial action
______________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.
Stuart Basefsky
Director, IWS News Bureau
Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell/ILR School
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Telephone: (607) 255-2703
Fax: (607) 255-9641
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu
****************************************
# posted by SBasefsky : 9:11 AM
[IWS] USITC: RECENT TRENDS in U.S. SERVICES TRADE: 2008 ANNUAL REPORT [30 June 2008]
IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor---------------------- Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________
U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC)
Recent Trends in U.S. Services Trade: 2008 Annual Report
Investigation No. 332--345
Publication 4015 June 2008
http://hotdocs.usitc.gov/docs/pubs/332/pub4015.pdf
[full-text, 138 pages]
ABSTRACT
The report Recent Trends in U.S. Services Trade, 2008 Annual Report focuses principally
on infrastructure services, i.e., telecommunications, banking, insurance, and logistics, that
are consumed by every firm irrespective of economic sector. It finds that U.S. services
overall, and infrastructure services in particular, grew faster in 2006 in terms of gross
domestic product, employment, and cross-border exports than the average annual basis in
the preceding five-year period. Separately, services supplied to foreign consumers by
foreign-based affiliates of U.S. firms, including those in infrastructure services, also
experienced recent strong growth. The report also finds that U.S. infrastructure service firms
continued to encounter various impediments to trade in other countries. The report also
summarizes recent and ongoing initiatives by international organizations and countries to
improve services trade statistics.
The report highlights the services and the geographic markets and regions that contributed
most substantially to recent services trade performance. Separate chapters on particular
infrastructure services and retail services describe how each service is traded, identify trends
and issues affecting competitive conditions in the industry, and compare recent trade
performance to historical trends.
Includes NUMEROUS TABLES....
PRESS RELEASE June 30, 2008
News Release 08-063
Inv. No. 332-345
ITC REPORTS STRONG U.S. PERFORMANCE IN GLOBAL SERVICES TRADE
http://www.usitc.gov/ext_relations/news_release/2008/er0630ff2.htm
U.S. service firms were preeminent in global services trade in 2006, reports the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) in its report Recent Trends in U.S. Services Trade, 2008 Annual Report.
The United States remains the world's largest services market and also the world's leading exporter and importer of services, according to the report.
AND MUCH MORE....
______________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.
Stuart Basefsky
Director, IWS News Bureau
Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell/ILR School
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Telephone: (607) 255-2703
Fax: (607) 255-9641
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu
****************************************
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor---------------------- Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________
U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC)
Recent Trends in U.S. Services Trade: 2008 Annual Report
Investigation No. 332--345
Publication 4015 June 2008
http://hotdocs.usitc.gov/docs/pubs/332/pub4015.pdf
[full-text, 138 pages]
ABSTRACT
The report Recent Trends in U.S. Services Trade, 2008 Annual Report focuses principally
on infrastructure services, i.e., telecommunications, banking, insurance, and logistics, that
are consumed by every firm irrespective of economic sector. It finds that U.S. services
overall, and infrastructure services in particular, grew faster in 2006 in terms of gross
domestic product, employment, and cross-border exports than the average annual basis in
the preceding five-year period. Separately, services supplied to foreign consumers by
foreign-based affiliates of U.S. firms, including those in infrastructure services, also
experienced recent strong growth. The report also finds that U.S. infrastructure service firms
continued to encounter various impediments to trade in other countries. The report also
summarizes recent and ongoing initiatives by international organizations and countries to
improve services trade statistics.
The report highlights the services and the geographic markets and regions that contributed
most substantially to recent services trade performance. Separate chapters on particular
infrastructure services and retail services describe how each service is traded, identify trends
and issues affecting competitive conditions in the industry, and compare recent trade
performance to historical trends.
Includes NUMEROUS TABLES....
PRESS RELEASE June 30, 2008
News Release 08-063
Inv. No. 332-345
ITC REPORTS STRONG U.S. PERFORMANCE IN GLOBAL SERVICES TRADE
http://www.usitc.gov/ext_relations/news_release/2008/er0630ff2.htm
U.S. service firms were preeminent in global services trade in 2006, reports the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) in its report Recent Trends in U.S. Services Trade, 2008 Annual Report.
The United States remains the world's largest services market and also the world's leading exporter and importer of services, according to the report.
AND MUCH MORE....
______________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.
Stuart Basefsky
Director, IWS News Bureau
Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell/ILR School
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Telephone: (607) 255-2703
Fax: (607) 255-9641
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu
****************************************
# posted by SBasefsky : 5:47 AM
[IWS] OECD EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK, 2008 Edition [2 July 2008]
IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor---------------------- Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
OECD Employment Outlook, 2008 Edition [2 July 2008]
http://www.oecd.org/document/46/0,3343,en_2649_37457_40401454_1_1_1_37457,00.html
or
http://www.oecd.org/employment/outlook
The OECD Employment Outlook provides an annual assessment of labour market developments and prospects in member countries. Each issue contains an overall analysis of the latest labour market trends and short-term forecasts, and examines key labour market developments. Reference statistics are also included.
Press Release 2 July 2008
Labour market discrimination still a big problem in OECD countries
http://www.oecd.org/document/41/0,3343,en_2649_201185_40939753_1_1_1_1,00.html
02/07/2008 - Women are 20% less likely than men to have a paid job in OECD countries and they earn on average 17% less than men, according to the latest edition of OECD's Employment Outlook. At least 30% of the gap in wages and 8% of the gap in employment rates result from discriminatory practices in the labour market.
The need to step up efforts to fight labour market discrimination is one of the main messages of the 2008 Employment Outlook. Promoting equal opportunities is a key policy goal in OECD countries, and virtually all OECD countries have enacted anti-discrimination laws in recent decades. But governments still need to do more to ensure a level playing field for all.
"Labour market discrimination is still a big obstacle," OECD Secretary General Angel Gurría commented. "Many workplaces not only have a glass ceiling but also a glass door, which keeps out women and ethnic minorities."
In some OECD countries, individuals from ethnic minorities take 40% to 50% more time to get a job interview than others with the same characteristics but belonging to majority groups. And even when they do succeed in getting a job, Mr Gurría noted, they often earn lower wages than their majority-groups counterparts.
Policies to help fight discrimination
In support of a drive to combat labour discrimination, the OECD report makes a number of recommendations:
* Long-term investment in education and training can prepare people better for the labour market.
* Structural reforms to promote stronger and more sustainable economic growth can boost demand for workers, creating a more competitive environment that forces managers to drop discriminatory hiring and promotion practices.
* Specific anti-discrimination legislation needs to be backed up by effective enforcement.
* Enforcement agencies should be empowered, even in the absence of individual complaints, to investigate companies and sanction employers when they find evidence of discrimination.
This year's Employment Outlook also looks at other policy issues, including how to promote more and better employment opportunities for young people, workers with mental health problems and people employed in the informal sector. It also assesses pay and working conditions in foreign affiliates of multinationals and how policy can promote foreign direct investment and responsible business conduct.
* Youth labour market conditions have improved in many OECD countries over the past decade, but many young people still find it hard to get a job. Temporary and low-paid jobs can serve as stepping stones for better paying and more stable jobs, but a minority of young job starters become trapped at the low end of the market. More must be done to help young people complete secondary schooling and to assist those without educational qualifications to find jobs.
* Informal employment and undeclared work loom large in some lower- and middle-income OECD countries. A review of seven countries -- Czech Republic, Hungary, Korea, Mexico, Poland, the Slovak Republic and Turkey prompts suggestions of ways to curb informal employment, including reducing excessive taxes on labour, making employment protection legislation more flexible and making employee affiliation to social protection schemes more attractive.
* Work-related mental health problems are believed to be a leading cause of sickness leave and disability in OECD countries. But athough working conditions have become more stressful for some workers, there is little evidence of any overall increase in mental health problems among the working-age population. Getting work can actually be positive for mental health, although the conditions of work are an important factor. Moving into a temporary job or one that involves long hours is likely to be less helpful than a standard employment arrangement.
* OECD-based multinationals tend to provide better pay than their domestic counterparts, especially in developing and emerging economies. FDI-friendly policies can help to promote investment by multinationals, but lowering core labour standards in order to attract foreign investors should not form part of them. Such action can in fact discourage FDI from responsible multinationals anxious to ensure that minimum labour standards are respected throughout their operations.
______________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.
Stuart Basefsky
Director, IWS News Bureau
Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell/ILR School
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Telephone: (607) 255-2703
Fax: (607) 255-9641
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu
****************************************
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor---------------------- Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
OECD Employment Outlook, 2008 Edition [2 July 2008]
http://www.oecd.org/document/46/0,3343,en_2649_37457_40401454_1_1_1_37457,00.html
or
http://www.oecd.org/employment/outlook
The OECD Employment Outlook provides an annual assessment of labour market developments and prospects in member countries. Each issue contains an overall analysis of the latest labour market trends and short-term forecasts, and examines key labour market developments. Reference statistics are also included.
Press Release 2 July 2008
Labour market discrimination still a big problem in OECD countries
http://www.oecd.org/document/41/0,3343,en_2649_201185_40939753_1_1_1_1,00.html
02/07/2008 - Women are 20% less likely than men to have a paid job in OECD countries and they earn on average 17% less than men, according to the latest edition of OECD's Employment Outlook. At least 30% of the gap in wages and 8% of the gap in employment rates result from discriminatory practices in the labour market.
The need to step up efforts to fight labour market discrimination is one of the main messages of the 2008 Employment Outlook. Promoting equal opportunities is a key policy goal in OECD countries, and virtually all OECD countries have enacted anti-discrimination laws in recent decades. But governments still need to do more to ensure a level playing field for all.
"Labour market discrimination is still a big obstacle," OECD Secretary General Angel Gurría commented. "Many workplaces not only have a glass ceiling but also a glass door, which keeps out women and ethnic minorities."
In some OECD countries, individuals from ethnic minorities take 40% to 50% more time to get a job interview than others with the same characteristics but belonging to majority groups. And even when they do succeed in getting a job, Mr Gurría noted, they often earn lower wages than their majority-groups counterparts.
Policies to help fight discrimination
In support of a drive to combat labour discrimination, the OECD report makes a number of recommendations:
* Long-term investment in education and training can prepare people better for the labour market.
* Structural reforms to promote stronger and more sustainable economic growth can boost demand for workers, creating a more competitive environment that forces managers to drop discriminatory hiring and promotion practices.
* Specific anti-discrimination legislation needs to be backed up by effective enforcement.
* Enforcement agencies should be empowered, even in the absence of individual complaints, to investigate companies and sanction employers when they find evidence of discrimination.
This year's Employment Outlook also looks at other policy issues, including how to promote more and better employment opportunities for young people, workers with mental health problems and people employed in the informal sector. It also assesses pay and working conditions in foreign affiliates of multinationals and how policy can promote foreign direct investment and responsible business conduct.
* Youth labour market conditions have improved in many OECD countries over the past decade, but many young people still find it hard to get a job. Temporary and low-paid jobs can serve as stepping stones for better paying and more stable jobs, but a minority of young job starters become trapped at the low end of the market. More must be done to help young people complete secondary schooling and to assist those without educational qualifications to find jobs.
* Informal employment and undeclared work loom large in some lower- and middle-income OECD countries. A review of seven countries -- Czech Republic, Hungary, Korea, Mexico, Poland, the Slovak Republic and Turkey prompts suggestions of ways to curb informal employment, including reducing excessive taxes on labour, making employment protection legislation more flexible and making employee affiliation to social protection schemes more attractive.
* Work-related mental health problems are believed to be a leading cause of sickness leave and disability in OECD countries. But athough working conditions have become more stressful for some workers, there is little evidence of any overall increase in mental health problems among the working-age population. Getting work can actually be positive for mental health, although the conditions of work are an important factor. Moving into a temporary job or one that involves long hours is likely to be less helpful than a standard employment arrangement.
* OECD-based multinationals tend to provide better pay than their domestic counterparts, especially in developing and emerging economies. FDI-friendly policies can help to promote investment by multinationals, but lowering core labour standards in order to attract foreign investors should not form part of them. Such action can in fact discourage FDI from responsible multinationals anxious to ensure that minimum labour standards are respected throughout their operations.
______________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.
Stuart Basefsky
Director, IWS News Bureau
Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell/ILR School
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Telephone: (607) 255-2703
Fax: (607) 255-9641
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu
****************************************
# posted by SBasefsky : 5:31 AM
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
[IWS] ILR Press: THE GOOD TEMP [July 2008]
IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor---------------------- Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________
ILR Press (an imprint of Cornell University Press)
THE GOOD TEMP
Vicki Smith; Esther B. Neuwirth
http://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/cup_detail.taf?ti_id=4836
$29.95s cloth
2008, 248 pages, 6 x 9, 3 tables, 2 charts/graphs
ISBN: 978-0-8014-4580-4
Temporary agencies place approximately two and a half million people in jobs each day in the United States. Every year, about twelve million people use these placement agencies to find temporary work. Many Americans, even those who desire permanent jobs, decide to enter the labor market through the portal of temporary agencies. Compared with the postWorld War II era, when it was a marginal labor practice, temporary employment is today an entrenched feature of jobs and labor markets. How have temporary employment relationships become so widespread and normalized? In The Good Temp, Vicki Smith and Esther B. Neuwirth provide some novel answers to this question.
Their provocative analysis is based on an insider's view of the interior dynamics of a temporary help agency in Silicon Valley. It incorporates a historical perspective on the rise of the temporary help service industry. Smith and Neuwirth document how this powerful industry not only created a new market for temporary labor but also played a fundamental role in the erosion of the permanent employment model. They analyze how agencies themselves came to manufacture and market this reinvented product-the good temp, an employee who is effective and efficient, committed, and sometimes preferable to a permanent staff member.
Joining extensive participant observation data with historical analysis, The Good Temp contains some surprising findings about temporary employment today and fills a significant gap in our understanding of this important labor relationship.
Reviews
"The Good Temp opens wide the doors to a hitherto hidden employment world that has grown so explosively over the last few decades. But even more consequential than the sheer size of this industry is its ideological impact, which has emboldened many American managers to see all labor, and not just their 'temps,' as contingent, episodically employed workers. Vicki Smith and Esther B. Neuwirth tell this story with insight and brio."Nelson Lichtenstein, Department of History, University of California, Santa Barbara
"The Good Temp is an authoritative study of the interactions among temporary help agencies, temp workers, and their employers. These contractual relationships are also social processes in which all parties sustain the image of the 'good temp.' Vicki Smith and Esther B. Neuwirth offer fascinating historical and ethnographic material on the role of the temp industry in creating and promoting this new category. They also provide new ideas on how to improve the economic status of this fast-growing segment of the labor force. The Good Temp is an important book not only for the information it contains but also for the original way it synthesizes the labor market's social, economic, and political dynamics."Sanford M. Jacoby, UCLA
"The Good Temp provides a textured and convincing portrait of the Temporary Help Services industry. Through deep fieldwork the authors bring to light features of the industry that are poorly understood and underappreciated. They show how temporary help firms shape the demand for their product, how they upgrade the quality of jobs in which they place people, and how they attract and retain their workforce. Vicki Smith and Esther B. Neuwirth fully recognize and demonstrate the downsides of temporary employment, but their portrait of the industry is sophisticated and useful in ways that go well beyond most previous research and popular discussion."Paul Osterman, NTU Professor of Human Resources and Management, Sloan School, MIT
"How agencies have defined, stabilized, and expanded 'temporary work' is a big story. By serving as the intermediary between this new type of employee and the organizations that hire them, they have played a crucial role in helping to frame how we experience employment today."Paul M. Hirsch, James Allen Distinguished Professor of Strategy and Organization and Chair, Department of Management and Organization, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University
About the Author
Vicki Smith is Professor and Chair of the Department of Sociology at the University of California, Davis. She is the author of Crossing the Great Divide, also from Cornell, and Managing in the Corporate Interest. Esther B. Neuwirth is an applied researcher at the Care Management Institute, Kaiser Permanente, in Oakland, California.
______________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.
Stuart Basefsky
Director, IWS News Bureau
Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell/ILR School
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Telephone: (607) 255-2703
Fax: (607) 255-9641
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu
****************************************
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor---------------------- Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________
ILR Press (an imprint of Cornell University Press)
THE GOOD TEMP
Vicki Smith; Esther B. Neuwirth
http://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/cup_detail.taf?ti_id=4836
$29.95s cloth
2008, 248 pages, 6 x 9, 3 tables, 2 charts/graphs
ISBN: 978-0-8014-4580-4
Temporary agencies place approximately two and a half million people in jobs each day in the United States. Every year, about twelve million people use these placement agencies to find temporary work. Many Americans, even those who desire permanent jobs, decide to enter the labor market through the portal of temporary agencies. Compared with the postWorld War II era, when it was a marginal labor practice, temporary employment is today an entrenched feature of jobs and labor markets. How have temporary employment relationships become so widespread and normalized? In The Good Temp, Vicki Smith and Esther B. Neuwirth provide some novel answers to this question.
Their provocative analysis is based on an insider's view of the interior dynamics of a temporary help agency in Silicon Valley. It incorporates a historical perspective on the rise of the temporary help service industry. Smith and Neuwirth document how this powerful industry not only created a new market for temporary labor but also played a fundamental role in the erosion of the permanent employment model. They analyze how agencies themselves came to manufacture and market this reinvented product-the good temp, an employee who is effective and efficient, committed, and sometimes preferable to a permanent staff member.
Joining extensive participant observation data with historical analysis, The Good Temp contains some surprising findings about temporary employment today and fills a significant gap in our understanding of this important labor relationship.
Reviews
"The Good Temp opens wide the doors to a hitherto hidden employment world that has grown so explosively over the last few decades. But even more consequential than the sheer size of this industry is its ideological impact, which has emboldened many American managers to see all labor, and not just their 'temps,' as contingent, episodically employed workers. Vicki Smith and Esther B. Neuwirth tell this story with insight and brio."Nelson Lichtenstein, Department of History, University of California, Santa Barbara
"The Good Temp is an authoritative study of the interactions among temporary help agencies, temp workers, and their employers. These contractual relationships are also social processes in which all parties sustain the image of the 'good temp.' Vicki Smith and Esther B. Neuwirth offer fascinating historical and ethnographic material on the role of the temp industry in creating and promoting this new category. They also provide new ideas on how to improve the economic status of this fast-growing segment of the labor force. The Good Temp is an important book not only for the information it contains but also for the original way it synthesizes the labor market's social, economic, and political dynamics."Sanford M. Jacoby, UCLA
"The Good Temp provides a textured and convincing portrait of the Temporary Help Services industry. Through deep fieldwork the authors bring to light features of the industry that are poorly understood and underappreciated. They show how temporary help firms shape the demand for their product, how they upgrade the quality of jobs in which they place people, and how they attract and retain their workforce. Vicki Smith and Esther B. Neuwirth fully recognize and demonstrate the downsides of temporary employment, but their portrait of the industry is sophisticated and useful in ways that go well beyond most previous research and popular discussion."Paul Osterman, NTU Professor of Human Resources and Management, Sloan School, MIT
"How agencies have defined, stabilized, and expanded 'temporary work' is a big story. By serving as the intermediary between this new type of employee and the organizations that hire them, they have played a crucial role in helping to frame how we experience employment today."Paul M. Hirsch, James Allen Distinguished Professor of Strategy and Organization and Chair, Department of Management and Organization, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University
About the Author
Vicki Smith is Professor and Chair of the Department of Sociology at the University of California, Davis. She is the author of Crossing the Great Divide, also from Cornell, and Managing in the Corporate Interest. Esther B. Neuwirth is an applied researcher at the Care Management Institute, Kaiser Permanente, in Oakland, California.
______________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.
Stuart Basefsky
Director, IWS News Bureau
Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell/ILR School
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Telephone: (607) 255-2703
Fax: (607) 255-9641
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu
****************************************
# posted by SBasefsky : 7:49 AM
[IWS] World Bank: CHINA QUARTERLY UPDATE, JUNE 2008
IWS Documented News Service
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor---------------------- Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________
World Bank
China Quarterly Update, June 2008
http://siteresources.worldbank.org/CHINAEXTN/Resources/cqu_june08_en.pdf
[full-text, 23 pages]
Summary
http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/EASTASIAPACIFICEXT/CHINAEXTN/0,,contentMDK:21809859~menuPK:3968048~pagePK:64027988~piPK:64027986~theSitePK:318950,00.html
and
SLIDE SHOW of CHARTS to accompany this report
http://digitalmedia.worldbank.org/slideshow/?slideshow_id=306
OVERVIEW
* China's economic growth has moderated to a more sustainable pace.
* Headline inflation is receding even as non-food price pressures emerge.
* Amidst weaker and uncertain global prospects, China's growth will be supported by strong international competitiveness and a robust domestic economy.
* On current growth forecasts, there is no need to ease the overall macroeconomic stance, although global uncertainty calls for vigilance and flexibility.
* Reducing China's very large external surpluses remains a key policy challenge.
AND MORE.....
______________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.
Stuart Basefsky
Director, IWS News Bureau
Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell/ILR School
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Telephone: (607) 255-2703
Fax: (607) 255-9641
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu
****************************************
_______________________________
Institute for Workplace Studies----------------- Professor Samuel B. Bacharach
School of Industrial & Labor Relations-------- Director, Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell University
16 East 34th Street, 4th floor---------------------- Stuart Basefsky
New York, NY 10016 -------------------------------Director, IWS News Bureau
________________________________________________________________________
World Bank
China Quarterly Update, June 2008
http://siteresources.worldbank.org/CHINAEXTN/Resources/cqu_june08_en.pdf
[full-text, 23 pages]
Summary
http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/EASTASIAPACIFICEXT/CHINAEXTN/0,,contentMDK:21809859~menuPK:3968048~pagePK:64027988~piPK:64027986~theSitePK:318950,00.html
and
SLIDE SHOW of CHARTS to accompany this report
http://digitalmedia.worldbank.org/slideshow/?slideshow_id=306
OVERVIEW
* China's economic growth has moderated to a more sustainable pace.
* Headline inflation is receding even as non-food price pressures emerge.
* Amidst weaker and uncertain global prospects, China's growth will be supported by strong international competitiveness and a robust domestic economy.
* On current growth forecasts, there is no need to ease the overall macroeconomic stance, although global uncertainty calls for vigilance and flexibility.
* Reducing China's very large external surpluses remains a key policy challenge.
AND MORE.....
______________________________
This information is provided to subscribers, friends, faculty, students and alumni of the School of Industrial & Labor Relations (ILR). It is a service of the Institute for Workplace Studies (IWS) in New York City. Stuart Basefsky is responsible for the selection of the contents which is intended to keep researchers, companies, workers, and governments aware of the latest information related to ILR disciplines as it becomes available for the purposes of research, understanding and debate. The content does not reflect the opinions or positions of Cornell University, the School of Industrial & Labor Relations, or that of Mr. Basefsky and should not be construed as such. The service is unique in that it provides the original source documentation, via links, behind the news and research of the day. Use of the information provided is unrestricted. However, it is requested that users acknowledge that the information was found via the IWS Documented News Service.
Stuart Basefsky
Director, IWS News Bureau
Institute for Workplace Studies
Cornell/ILR School
16 E. 34th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Telephone: (607) 255-2703
Fax: (607) 255-9641
E-mail: smb6@cornell.edu
****************************************
# posted by SBasefsky : 7:20 AM
