Evaluating the effects of labour market reforms at the margin on unemployment and employment stability: the Spanish case

This study analyses the effects on unemployment and the quality of employment of the Spanish labour market reform in 2001 for the most important age groups. The content of the reform was based on the implementation of two policies: (i) a new permanent contract with lower firing costs than the ordinary one, and (ii) the reduction of the payroll taxes paid by firms to foster creation/ conversion of/ into permanent contracts. This reform extended to further groups of workers similar measures adopted in a previous reform in 1997. Using a data base of unemployed workers in the region of Madrid from January 1997 up to September 2003, and methods for non-experimental data, the results suggest that, regardless of gender, workers below 30 years are negatively affected by the reform, and workers above 55 years show positive but small effects. The influence of the reform for workers between 45 and 50 years is negligible. As regards education, graduates are more sensitive to the reform than workers with a lower level of education (primary and secondary education)

Evaluating the effects of labour market reforms at the margin on unemployment and employment stability: the Spanish case.

This study analyses the effects on unemployment and the quality of employment of the Spanish labour market reform in 2001 for the most important age groups. The content of the reform was based on the implementation of two policies: (i) a new permanent contract with lower firing costs than the ordinary one, and (ii) the reduction of the payroll taxes paid by firms to foster creation/ conversion of/ into permanent contracts. This reform extended to further groups of workers similar measures adopted in a previous reform in 1997. Using a data base of unemployed workers in the region of Madrid from January 1997 up to September 2003, and methods for non-experimental data, the results suggest that, regardless of gender, workers below 30 years are negatively affected by the reform, and workers above 55 years show positive but small effects. The influence of the reform for workers between 45 and 50 years is negligible. As regards education, graduates are more sensitive to the reform than workers with a lower level of education (primary and secondary education).

EVALUATING THE EFFECTS OF LABOUR MARKET REFORMS “AT THE MARGIN” ON UNEMPLOYMENT AND EMPLOYMENT STABILITY: THE SPANISH CASE

This study analyses the effects on unemployment and the quality of employment of the Spanish labour market reform in 2001 for the most important age groups. The content of the reform was based on the implementation of two policies: (i) a new permanent contract with lower firing costs than the ordinary one, and (ii) the reduction of the payroll taxes paid by firms to foster creation/ conversion of/ into permanent contracts. This reform extended to further groups of workers similar measures adopted in a previous reform in 1997. Using a data base of unemployed workers in the region of Madrid from January 1997 up to September 2003, and methods for non-experimental data, the results suggest that, regardless of gender, workers below 30 years are negatively affected by the reform, and workers above 55 years show positive but small effects. The influence of the reform for workers between 45 and 50 years is negligible. As regards education, graduates are more sensitive to the reform than workers with a lower level of education (primary and secondary education).

Do training programmes get the unemployedback to work?: a look at the Spanish experience

This study analyzes the effect of some training courses for economic disadvantaged unemployed workers elaborated by the Spanish Department of Employment (INEM) on exit rate from unemployment. Two groups of Spanish unemployed workers are compared between April 2000 and February 2001, one of them did training courses in the first quarter of 2000. Non-parametric techniques, parametric and semi-parametric continuous time duration methods are used to analyze this relationship. The results suggest a higher positive effect of some training courses for women than for men, especially with medium level courses. The lower the age and the period of active labour demand are, the higher exit rate to a job is. However, education and disabilities do not affect significantly the exit rate to employment

DO TRAINING PROGRAMMES GET THE UNEMPLOYEDBACK TO WORK?: A LOOK AT THE SPANISH EXPERIENCE

This study analyzes the effect of some training courses for economic disadvantaged unemployed workers elaborated by the Spanish Department of Employment (INEM) on exit rate from unemployment. Two groups of Spanish unemployed workers are compared between April 2000 and February 2001, one of them did training courses in the first quarter of 2000. Non-parametric techniques, parametric and semi-parametric continuous time duration methods are used to analyze this relationship. The results suggest a higher positive effect of some training courses for women than for men, especially with medium level courses. The lower the age and the period of active labour demand are, the higher exit rate to a job is. However, education and disabilities do not affect significantly the exit rate to employment.

Do training programmes get the unemployedback to work?: a look at the Spanish experience.

This study analyzes the effect of some training courses for economic disadvantaged unemployed workers elaborated by the Spanish Department of Employment (INEM) on exit rate from unemployment. Two groups of Spanish unemployed workers are compared between April 2000 and February 2001, one of them did training courses in the first quarter of 2000. Non-parametric techniques, parametric and semi-parametric continuous time duration methods are used to analyze this relationship. The results suggest a higher positive effect of some training courses for women than for men, especially with medium level courses. The lower the age and the period of active labour demand are, the higher exit rate to a job is. However, education and disabilities do not affect significantly the exit rate to employment.

UNA REVISIÓN SOBRE LOS MÉTODOS DE ESTUDIO Y EVALUACIÓN EN LAS POLÍTICAS ACTIVAS DE EMPLEO

The paper provides a review of the methodology of Survival Analysis and Causal Inference in the labour market context. This literature has been used to analyse and study the effects of (active) labour market policies adopted during the last years. Determining factors of the literature are also analysed: the types of data bases, the makeup of treatment and control groups, and the outcome variables. Kaplan-Meier (non-parametric) estimates and duration models constitute the main instruments in Survival Analysis. Causal Inference focuses on Matching methods, Difference-in Difference method and Instrumental Variables procedure to determine the causal effect of a policy. Se ofrece en este artículo una revisión de la metodología sobre Análisis de Supervivencia e Inferencia Causal en el ámbito del mercado de trabajo. Esta literatura se ha utilizado para analizar y estudiar los efectos de las medidas laborales que se han adoptado en los últimos años en diversas economías. Se analizan los factores determinantes de esta literatura, como son la naturaleza de las bases de datos, y la constitución de los grupos de tratamiento y de control y la variable objeto de estudio. Mientras las estimaciones no paramétricas de Kaplan y Meier y los modelos de duración constituyen los principales instrumentos en el Análisis de Supervivencia, en la Inferencia Causal se utilizan los métodos de emparejamiento, de diferencias en diferencias y variables instrumentales para determinar el efecto causal de una política.Inferencia Causal, Análisis de Supervivencia, Políticas Activas de Empleo Causal Inference, Survival Analysis, Active labour market policies.

The effect of outplacement services on earning prospects of unemployed

I use two administrative databases combining information about workers' characteristics and earnings to estimate the effect of outplacement services on wage prospects of unemployed workers. The results suggest that the impact of outplacement is positive, although the magnitude depends on the type of service and gender. On one side, the group with the best results is constituted by men who receive individual outplacement, increasing their average annual gross wage by around 42%. On the other side, women who receive group outplacement show small results, whose figures are near 17%. Se utilizan dos bases de datos administrativas que combinan información sobre las características de los trabajadores y sus ingresos para estimar el efecto de los servicios de recolocación en las perspectivas salariales de los trabajadores desempleados. Los resultados sugieren que el impacto de la recolocación es positivo, aunque la magnitud depende del tipo de servicio y del género del trabajador. Por un lado, el grupo con los mejores resultados está constituido por hombres que reciben el servicio de recolocación individual, aumentando en media su salario bruto anual cerca del 42%. Por otro lado, las mujeres que reciben el servicio de recolocación grupal muestran resultados pequeños, con un incremento cercano al 17%.recolocación, salarios, desempleados, métodos de empareja-miento (no paramétricos) outplacement, wages, unemployed workers, (non-parametric) matching methods

Eficacia del gasto en algunas políticas activas en el mercado laboral español

A partir de la cumbre de Luxemburgo, en noviembre de 1997, las políticas activas en el mercado de trabajo recibieron un notable impulso en la Unión Europea (UE). Los acuerdos adoptados supusieron la puesta en marcha del llamado ?proceso de Luxemburgo?, dirigido a coordinar políticas de empleo para resolver los problemas estructurales del mercado de trabajo en la UE. Dichas políticas se asientan en cuatro pilares básicos: la mejora en el acceso al mercado laboral, el estímulo del espíritu empresarial, el aumento de la capacidad de adaptación de empresas y trabajadores y el fomento de la igualdad de oportunidades. A pesar de las buenas intenciones, los cambios introducidos desde 1997 no han alterado significativamente el funcionamiento del mercado laboral. En lo que se refiere al acceso al mercado de trabajo, se ha recurrido esencialmente a programas de formación para los grupos de población con mayores dificultades, como son los jóvenes, trabajadores con escasa preparación y parados de larga duración. Las directrices europeas han planteado únicamente objetivos de carácter cuantitativo centrándose en la reactivación de políticas activas preexistentes, cuya eficacia frente al problema del paro es más que dudosa. Por otra parte, existe una gran heterogeneidad entre los países miembros de la UE, tanto en lo que respecta al funcionamiento de su mercado de trabajo como a las respuestas adoptadas por parte de sus gobiernos frente al paro. Así, mientras el impulso del ?proceso de Luxemburgo? ha sido aprovechado por algunos países para evaluar concienzudamente la efectividad de sus políticas de empleo, otros se han limitado a adecuar mecánicamente sus planteamientos a las nuevas directrices europeas. En el caso de España, el plan propuesto por el anterior Gobierno conservador parece haber optado por la segunda vía, preocupándose más por cumplir en las formas que por establecer una verdadera estrategia para el empleo a medio plazo. La mayor exposición a la competencia internacional, como resultado de la creciente globalización, intensificada por la ampliación de la UE hacia el Este, exige incrementar la eficiencia en la oferta de protección social. Ello hace imprescindible evaluar la eficacia de las diferentes políticas activas de empleo con objeto de identificar aquellas que son realmente efectivas. España se sitúa a la cola de la UE en lo que respecta al gasto per cápita en políticas de empleo. Ello es especialmente preocupante teniendo en cuenta que se trata de uno de los países con mayor tasa de paro. Si nos ceñimos al gasto en políticas activas de empleo, la situación es todavía peor. Uno de los aspectos que más llama la atención es la ausencia de una evaluación sistemática de las medidas adoptadas mediante una metodología estadística apropiada

Assessment of a New ROS1 Immunohistochemistry Clone (SP384) for the Identification of ROS1 Rearrangements in Patients with Non–Small Cell Lung Carcinoma: the ROSING Study

Introduction: The ROS1 gene rearrangement has become an important biomarker in NSCLC. The College of American Pathologists/International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer/Association for Molecular Pathology testing guidelines support the use of ROS1 immunohistochemistry (IHC) as a screening test, followed by confirmation with fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) or a molecular test in all positive results. We have evaluated a novel anti-ROS1 IHC antibody (SP384) in a large multicenter series to obtain real-world data. Methods: A total of 43 ROS1 FISH-positive and 193 ROS1 FISH-negative NSCLC samples were studied. All specimens were screened by using two antibodies (clone D4D6 from Cell Signaling Technology and clone SP384 from Ventana Medical Systems), and the different interpretation criteria were compared with break-apart FISH (Vysis). FISH-positive samples were also analyzed with next-generation sequencing (Oncomine Dx Target Test Panel, Thermo Fisher Scientific). Results: An H-score of 150 or higher or the presence of at least 70% of tumor cells with an intensity of staining of 2+ or higher by the SP384 clone was the optimal cutoff value (both with 93% sensitivity and 100% specificity). The D4D6 clone showed similar results, with an H-score of at least 100 (91% sensitivity and 100% specificity). ROS1 expression in normal lung was more frequent with use of the SP384 clone (p < 0.0001). The ezrin gene (EZR)-ROS1 variant was associated with membranous staining and an isolated green signal FISH pattern (p = 0.001 and p = 0.017, respectively). Conclusions: The new SP384 ROS1 IHC clone showed excellent sensitivity without compromising specificity, so it is another excellent analytical option for the proposed testing algorithm