The Educational Experience of Young Men of Color: A Review of Research, Pathways and Progress

This report synthesizes the literature on high school, postsecondary pathways, and higher education for African American, Asian Amerian and Pacific Islander, Hispanic/Latino, and Native American and Alaska Native males. The result is a set of findings that are in common among these groups, as well as a number of distinct challenges and opportunities for each

New Market Power Models and Sex Differences in Pay

In the context of certain general equilibrium search models, it is possible to infer the elasticity of labor supply to the firm from the elasticity of the quit rate with respect to the wage. We use this framework to estimate the elasticity of labor supply for men and women workers at a chain of grocery stores operating in the southwestern United States, identifying separation elasticities from differences in wages and separation rates across different job titles within the firm. We estimate elasticities of labor supply to the firm of about 2.7 for men and about 1.5 for women, suggesting significant wage-setting power for the firm. Since women have lower elasticities of labor supply to the firm, a Robinson-style monopsony model might explain lower relative pay of women in the grocery industry. The wage gaps we observe among workers in US retail grocery stores are close to what the monopsony model predicts for the elasticities we have estimated.monopsony papers, labor supply, grocery stores, elasticity

Estimating the Firm's Labor Supply Curve in a "New Monopsony" Framework: School Teachers in Missouri

In the context of certain dynamic models, it is possible to infer the elasticity of labor supply to the firm from the elasticity of the quit rate with respect to the wage. Using this property, we estimate the average labor supply elasticity to public school districts in Missouri. We take advantage of the plausibly exogenous variation in pre-negotiated district salary schedules to instrument for actual salary. Instrumental variables estimates lead to a labor supply elasticity estimate of about 3.7, suggesting the presence of significant market power for school districts, especially over more experienced teachers. The presence of monopsony power in this labor market may be partially explained by institutional features of the teacher labor market.labor monopsony, teachers

Modern Models of Monopsony in Labor Markets: A Brief Survey

This brief survey contains a review of several new empirical papers that attempt to measure the extent of monopsony in labor markets. As noted originally by Joan Robinson, monopsonistic exploitation represents the gap between the value of a worker's marginal product and the worker's wage, and it represents both a distortion in the allocation of resources and an income transfer away from workers. The evidence surveyed from a fairly broad range of labor markets suggests that monopsony may be far more pervasive than is sometimes suggested.imperfect labor markets, monopsony

Executive Function Differences In Medicated Depressed, Non-Medicated Depressed, And Non-Medicated Non-Depressed Individuals

The purpose of the current study was to assess the performance of depressed young adults on tests of executive function, while addressing the variables of age and medication status, which have been inconsistently measured in previous research. It was hypothesized that statistically significant group differences would occur on tests of executive functions in three distinct groups: medicated depressed, non-medicated depressed, and non-medicated non-depressed individuals. Participants included 53 adults who were medicated depressed ( n = 15), non-medicated depressed (n = 16), and non-medicated non-depressed (n = 22) and were between the ages of 19 and 40 years. Participants completed measures assessing depression, psychological well-being (including anxiety), intelligence, and executive functions. Between group comparisons revealed several statistically significant differences on executive function measures including the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) Trials Administered, WCST Failure to Maintain Set, Trail Making Test (TMT) B, Stroop Word, Stroop Color, Stroop Color-Word, and Stroop Interference. The non-medicated non-depressed group performed better overall than those in the non-medicated depressed and medicated depressed groups. Post hoc stepwise regression analyses indicated that anxiety predicted performance on a number of executive function measures to a greater degree than did depression. Findings suggest that executive functions of young adults are affected by depression, medication status, and anxiety. Results of the present study contradict the assumption that psychotropic medications do not affect cognitive abilities. These findings also suggest that future research investigating the interaction between anxiety and executive functions are necessary

Potential water and energy conservation and improved flexibility for water users in the oasis area of the Coachella Valley Water District, California

Presented during the USCID water management conference held on October 13-16, 2004 in Salt Lake City, Utah. The theme of the conference was "Water rights and related water supply issues."The Oasis Area of the Coachella Valley Water District (CVWD) consists of approximately 12,000 acres of farmland with 220 water users. Approximately 50,000 acre-feet of Colorado River water are delivered to the area annually. Water is conveyed from the Coachella Canal across the valley in a single irrigation lateral. Once in the Oasis Area, the water enters a small storage tower where it is distributed to 4 sub laterals. All pumps operate off of 2 of the sublaterals which lift 10,000 acre-feet of water annually to 2,000 acres of land. Approximately 265 acre-feet of regulatory discharge and operational spillage occur annually from regulatory meters at the ends of the laterals or from the tower overflow. A study was conducted by JMLord, Inc. to determine the feasibility of improvements to the Oasis Area distribution system of CVWD. Recommended improvements were selected based on their ability to provide water and energy conservation and to increase flexibility in water ordering by, and delivery to, water users within operational limits. The basis of the Feasibility study of the Oasis system provides a discussion and recommendation for the following: 1. Improving efficiencies of the seven (7) booster pump stations; 2. Replacing/upgrading water distribution controls at each of the seven (7) booster pump stations to facilitate improved leak detection and to increase flexibility in water ordering by, and delivery to, water users within operational limits; 3. Constructing an operating spill and regulatory recovery systems, which includes associated collection, conveyance and pumping facilities; and 4. Automating the distribution system. The overall benefit cost ratio of recommended improvements was 1.90 with an annualized cost of $78,743 and an annual benefit of$149,610. Recommended improvements include upgrading six of seven pump stations with variable frequency drives and SCADA controls, connecting regulatory meters to existing farm reservoirs and installation of flow meters, and construction of a regulating reservoir with a high water elevation equal to that of the tower.Proceedings sponsored by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Central Utah Project Completion Act Office and the U.S. Committee on Irrigation and Drainage

The Changing Occupational Distribution by College Major

In this paper we examine the occupational distribution of individuals who hold bachelor degrees in particular fields in the United States using data from the various waves of the National Survey of College Graduates. We propose and calculate indexes that describe two related aspects of the occupational distribution by major field of study: distinctiveness (how dissimilar are the occupations of a particular major when compared with all other majors) and variety (how varied are the occupations among those who hold that particular major). We discuss theoretical properties of these indices and statistical properties of their estimates. We show that the occupational variety has increased since 1993 for most major fields of study, particularly between the 1993 and 2003 waves of the survey. We explore reasons for this broadening of the occupation distribution. We find that this has not led to an increase in reported mismatch between degree and occupation

Manager ethnicity and employment segregation

Using nine years of personnel records from a regional grocery store chain in the United States, this study examines the effect of manager ethnicity on the ethnic composition of employment at the firm's 73 stores. We estimate separate models with store fixed effects for several departments and job titles at each store. We first compare the rates at which Hispanic employees are hired under Hispanic and non-Hispanic, white managers, and then examine the effects of manager-employee ethnic differences on separations and on transfers between stores. We find significant effects of manager ethnicity on hiring patterns in the four job positions that are in small departments, but not in the two positions in larger departments. Manager-employee ethnic dissimilarity has no significant effects on transfers, and affects rates of employee separations in only one case