Job searching with a history of drugs and crime

This article explores the experiences and aspirations of offenders with histories of substance misuse in job searching. The analysis is based upon qualitative data from a localised study of 27 men and two women who were undertaking community-based court orders in Scotland. Their perspectives on job searching, job-readiness and aspirations for sustained employment including the role of self-employment are presented. The article concludes that with adequate support, greater tolerance and flexibility by employers and job searchers could contribute to reducing the vicious cycle of suspicion and dishonesty. Policy action needs to be sustained and possibly augmented to include enterprise training

Investigating a Wage Curve for New Zealand

This paper examines evidence for a stable inverse relationship between the wages paid to workers and the unemployment rate across local labour markets in New Zealand, a phenomenon known as the wage curve. A variety of specifications of the wage curve are examined. Overall, weighted least squares estimates reveal a value of the unemployment elasticity of pay that is close to the international consensus estimate of— 0.1. Some support is also found for the concept of a positive long-run relationship between wages and unemployment existing alongside the wage curve. However, there is evidence of potential endogeneity of the unemployment rate, although data limitations severely restrict the availability of suitable instruments.