DEAD-END JOBS OR STEPPING STONES? THE LONG-RUN CONSEQUENCES OF EARLY INDUSTRY AND OCCUPATION

Dead-end jobs can be defined as a line of work in ones early work history that leads to lower long-run wages. This study shows how early lines of work predict long-run worker wages and finds that there are significant differences in this relationship based on the skill level of the worker. In general, service-producing lines of work appear to penalize long-run wages, especially for low-skilled workers. Low-skilled workers in retail food/foodservice lines of work rank about in the middle of the spectrum between dead-end jobs and stepping stones. Long-run wage potential is better in retail food/foodservice than in manufacturing/operative jobs. On the other hand, early experience in retail food/foodservice leads to lower long-run wages, all else equal, compared to early experience in a professional services industry (other than health) and a non-business professional occupation. Overall, this research provides evidence that early line of work matters to a workers long run wages at all skill levels; there is little difference between men and women. These results are based on analyzing data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, 1979.Long term wages, early occupations, retail food, foodservice, Labor and Human Capital,

THE IMPACT OF THE 1990s ECONOMIC BOOM ON LESS-EDUCATED WORKERS IN RURAL AMERICA

This article uses National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY79) data to investigate the impact of local labor market conditions on the employment and earnings of rural non-college-educated workers. The results suggest that local economic conditions in the late 1990s did have a positive impact on wages, and the effect is larger for workers with no more than a high school degree compared to their college-educated counterparts. Further, there is evidence of a difference between rural and urban labor markets, suggesting that the 1990s boom helped urban less-educated workers but not those in rural areas. The rural/urban difference is most apparent for male workers.employment, local labor markets, NLSY79, rural, unemployment, wages, wage curve, Labor and Human Capital,

Student-crafted experiments “from the ground up”

If experiential learning activities support engagement and deeper student learning, student-owned experiments constructed “from the ground up” might have benefits that exceed pre-designed classroom experiences. This paper provides a framework for embedding a custom experiment project within an existing course. Students manage every aspect of the process, from experimental design to analysis. Two example implementations are described. Undergraduate behavioral economics students created original experiments, exploring anchoring and adjustment in the context of pyramid scheme pitches (in spring 2013) and reciprocity in attraction (in fall 2014). Perceived benefits and potential pitfalls are explored. While this paper does not represent a controlled study of student learning or engagement, both student reflection and instructor observation support the continued use of this pedagogical approach

STORE-LEVEL INNOVATION IN THE RETAIL FOOD INDUSTRY: THE ECR INITIATIVE AND BEYOND

Agribusiness,

Multilevel Marketing Diffusion and the Risk of Pyramid Scheme Activity: The Case of Fortune Hi‐Tech Marketing in Montana

While statisticians have simulated the expected rate of growth in pyramid schemes, this research examines actual data on the spread of an alleged pyramid scheme in Montana. Fortune Hi-Tech Marketing (FHTM) was a multilevel marketing firm, sued by six states and the Federal Trade Commission and permanently shut down in 2014. Data from a settlement with the State of Montana provide a population of participants in a geographic region with definable markets and offer unique insights into local contagion. The authors analyze the pattern of FHTM adoption within a diffusion-of-innovation framework. The findings confirm that nearly all adoption results from interpersonal influence (i.e., imitation) and indicate that participation is higher in counties with larger economic contractions. The authors add to existing guidance about early indicators of fraudulent activity and discuss intervention and prevention strategies that reflect the imitative nature of this diffusion process

Minimally invasive medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction for patellar instability using an artificial ligament: A two year follow-up

Introduction: Recurrence of acute patellar dislocation affects approximately 30% of individuals, and up to 75% of those with grade IV instability. The medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL) is considered to be critical for patella stabilisation. MPFL reconstruction with allografts has been proposed to reduce risk of recurrence, but there is limited evidence about the safety and effectiveness of techniques using synthetic allografts. Method: We present a retrospective case series of 29 individuals who underwent a MPFL reconstruction between 2009 and 2012, using an artificial ligament for patellar instability by a single surgeon. Clinical, radiological and functional outcomes were measured at a minimum of 24 months. Results: 31 knees (29 individuals) were followed up for a median of 43 (range: 24 – 68) months. Using the Crosby and Insall grading system, 21 (68%) were graded as excellent, 9 (29%) were good, 1 (3%) as fair and none as worse at 24 months. The mean improvement in Lysholm knee score for knee instability was 68 points (standard deviation 10). Ligamentous laxity was seen in 17 (55 %) of individuals. In this subset, 12 were graded as excellent, 4 as good and 1 as fair. The mean improvement in patellar height was 11 % at 3 months follow-up. All knees had a stable graft fixation with one re-dislocation following trauma. Conclusions: We propose a minimally invasive technique to reconstruct the MPFL using an artificial ligament allowing early mobilization without bracing. This study indicates the procedure is safe, with a low risk of re-dislocation in all grades of instability

Guidance and Individual Learning Accounts

This report presents the results of a CeGS/NICEC project on the role of formal and informal guidance in support of Individual Learning Accounts. It draws on five casestudies of good/interesting practice in implementing this role, including learner profiles, and supported by a literature review. It concludes that guidance can play a significant role in engaging non-traditional learners; that it needs to be marketed more effectively; that a strategy is needed for funding for in-depth guidance; and that the use of ILAs themselves as a route for such funding should be encouraged

On phenomenon of scattering on resonances associated with discretisation of systems with fast rotating phase

Numerical integration of ODEs by standard numerical methods reduces a continuous time problems to discrete time problems. Discrete time problems have intrinsic properties that are absent in continuous time problems. As a result, numerical solution of an ODE may demonstrate dynamical phenomena that are absent in the original ODE. We show that numerical integration of system with one fast rotating phase lead to a situation of such kind: numerical solution demonstrate phenomenon of scattering on resonances that is absent in the original system.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figure

Guidance and Individual Learning Accounts

This report presents the results of a CeGS/NICEC project on the role of formal and informal guidance in support of Individual Learning Accounts. It draws on five casestudies of good/interesting practice in implementing this role, including learner profiles, and supported by a literature review. It concludes that guidance can play a significant role in engaging non-traditional learners; that it needs to be marketed more effectively; that a strategy is needed for funding for in-depth guidance; and that the use of ILAs themselves as a route for such funding should be encouraged

Careers Service Work with Adults: A Survey

This report summarises the findings from a postal survey of all Careers Service Companies in England about their adult guidance services and services to employers. The survey was conducted by the Centre for Guidance Studies (University of Derby) and the National Institute for Careers Education and Counselling (NICEC) for the Department for Education and Employment (DfEE)