Recent perspectives on trade and inequality

The 1990's dealt a blow to traditional Heckscher-Ohlin analysis of the relationship between trade and income inequality, as it became clear that rising inequality in low-income countries and other features of the data were inconsistent with that model. As a result, economists moved away from trade as a plausible explanation for rising income inequality. In recent years, however, a number of new mechanisms have been explored through which trade can affect(and usually increase) income inequality. These include within-industry effects due to heterogeneous?firms; effects of offshoring of tasks; effects on incomplete contracting; and effects of labor-market frictions. A number these mechanisms have received substantial empirical support.Labor Markets,Economic Theory&Research,Labor Policies,Trade Policy,Emerging Markets

Recent findings on trade and inequality:

The 1990's dealt a blow to traditional Heckscher-Ohlin analysis of the relationship between trade and income inequality, as it became clear that rising inequality in low- income countries and other features of the data were inconsistent with that model. As a result, economists moved away from trade as a plausible explanation for rising income inequality. In recent years, however, a number of new mechanisms have been explored through which trade can affect (and usually increase) income inequality. These include within-industry effects due to heterogeneous firms; effects of offshoring of tasks; effects on incomplete contracting; and effects of labor-market frictions. A number of these mechanisms have received substantial empirical support.trade inequality,

Pathways to Employment for Young New Zealanders: Effects of Social Capital

The Pathways to Sustainable Employment (PAS£) research programme is a five-year programme aimed at determining the supply-side and demand-side parameters of employment-seeking and career development of New Zealanders aged 15-34, and developing policy implications. In an initial phase of the project, 866 participants sampled from four geographical areas and representative of different age, gender, and ethnic groups took part in a Computer Aided Telephone Interview (CAT/) concerning their employment experiences to date and their aspirations for the future. This paper reports on the experiences of participants in respect of seeking and finding their current job, their last job, and their first job and the role social networks play in supporting career decision making. The data, which demonstrate the key role that social capital plays in these regards, raises issues about such things as the expertise of network members, their objective understanding of others' capacities and interests, and their knowledge of the labour market. We suggest that the importance of social capital is underestimated and policy makers could do well to take this into account when considering developing strategies for sustainable employment

Recent Findings on Trade and Inequality

The 1990’s dealt a blow to traditional Heckscher-Ohlin analysis of the relationship between trade and income inequality, as it became clear that rising inequality in low- income countries and other features of the data were inconsistent with that model. As a result, economists moved away from trade as a plausible explanation for rising income inequality. In recent years, however, a number of new mechanisms have been explored through which trade can affect (and usually increase) income inequality. These include within-industry effects due to heterogeneous firms; effects of offshoring of tasks; effects on incomplete contracting; and effects of labor-market frictions. A number of these mechanisms have received substantial empirical support.

Investigating hill sheep farmers and crofters’ experiences of blackloss in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland

Hill sheep farming is an important component of Scottish agriculture and comprises a significant land use in much of the Highlands and Islands. However it faces significant challenges due to the natural constraints of the landscape. Hill sheep farming uses hardy traditional breeds, such as the Scottish blackface and North Country Cheviot to graze extensive areas, where the sheep are not housed and tend to lamb on the open hill. Flocks are gathered several times a year for stock checks, husbandry, and health treatments. Between these handling events, stock will disappear and be unaccounted for. These unexplained losses are known as blackloss in the Highlands and Islands. Previously reported figures for annual lamb blackloss give an average of 18.6%. These losses are in addition to the known losses of lambs and represent a significant welfare and sustainability issue. High parasite burdens, predation, a photosensitisation disease known as plochteach or yellowses, and poor nutrition are often given as presumed reasons for blackloss. A questionnaire was developed to assess the experiences, impacts and understanding flock managers have of blackloss. Typology analysis using partitioning around medoids was used to cluster respondents into three distinct groups: 1- very large extensive farms and Sheep Stock Clubs, 2- medium sized farms, and 3- small-scale crofts. The responses of these groups were subsequently analysed to see if their experiences and perceptions of blackloss differed with relation to lamb health challenges and predation impacts. The groups reported similar health challenges, apart from Group 1 which had a significantly higher plochteach challenge. In terms of predators, Group 1 also perceived white-tailed eagles (Haliaeetus albicilla) as a much higher threat to their lambs than the other groups. It was observed that many of the respondents believed blackloss is inevitable and that predators pose a large threat to lambs. However, most agreed that reducing these losses is important and that understanding the causes would enable them to do so.</p

Pathways to Employment for Young New Zealanders: Effects of Social Capital

The Pathways to Sustainable Employment (PAS£) research programme is a five-year programme aimed at determining the supply-side and demand-side parameters of employment-seeking and career development of New Zealanders aged 15-34, and developing policy implications. In an initial phase of the project, 866 participants sampled from four geographical areas and representative of different age, gender, and ethnic groups took part in a Computer Aided Telephone Interview (CAT/) concerning their employment experiences to date and their aspirations for the future. This paper reports on the experiences of participants in respect of seeking and finding their current job, their last job, and their first job and the role social networks play in supporting career decision making. The data, which demonstrate the key role that social capital plays in these regards, raises issues about such things as the expertise of network members, their objective understanding of others' capacities and interests, and their knowledge of the labour market. We suggest that the importance of social capital is underestimated and policy makers could do well to take this into account when considering developing strategies for sustainable employment