The Gender Pay Gap in Informal Employment in Poland

This paper addresses the issue of the gender pay gap in the formal and informal labour markets in Poland. The authors verify the hypothesis of the existence of a gender pay gap in informal work and compare this gap with the one observed in the formal (registered) labour market. Various analyses of available data show that size and characteristics of gender pay gap differ depending on the level of earnings. The inequality of earnings among unregistered women and men is more pronounced at the bottom tail of the earnings distribution. In the case of formal employees, inequality at the top of the distribution tends to be larger, confirming the existence of a ‘glass ceiling’. The decomposition of the gender pay gap for selected quintiles indicates that it would be even higher if women had men’s characteristics. A possible explanation of the results is the lack of minimum wage regulations in the informal market and the greater flexibility in agreement on wages in the higher quantiles.gender pay gap, informal employment, quantile regression

W kierunku zrównoważonego rozwoju. Koncepcje, interpretacje, konteksty

O ile nie zaznaczono inaczej, wykorzystane fotografie pochodzą z serwisów: https://www.pexels.com i https://pixabay.com/, nie są chronione prawami autorskimi, są udostępnione na licencji Creative Commons Public Domain CC0. Zdjęcie na stronie tytułowej zostało opublikowane przez NASA w ramach konkursu „Earth as Art” wykonane z kosmosu przez satelitę Landsat. Przedstawia plankton w wodach Bałtyku. Wykonano je pobliżu szwedzkiej wyspy Gotlandii 13 lipca 2005 roku. Źródło: nasa.govPublikacja finansowana ze środków funduszy norweskich i funduszy EOG, pochodzących z Islandii, Liechtensteinu i Norwegii, oraz środków krajowych w ramach projektu „Zrównoważony rozwój, zrównoważone społeczeństwo – opracowanie i wdrożenie innowacyjnego programu kształcenia w zakresie nowoczesnych metod pomiaru, ewaluacji i prognozowania jakości życia” (nr umowy FSS/2014/HEI/W/0115/U/0012

Synthesis and Properties of Multiblock Terpoly(Ester-Aliphatic- Amide) and Terpoly(Ester-Ether-Amide) Thermoplastic Elastomers with Various Chemical Compositions of Ester Block

Two series of thermoplastic elastomers with various chemical compositions of ester block were prepared via the reaction of α,ω-dicarboxylic oligo(laurolactam) (PA12, Mw≈2000 g/mol) with oligo(oxytetramethylene)diol (PTMO, Mw≈1000 g/mol) or linoleic alcohol dimer (DLAol) and with dimethyl terephthalate and a low molecular weight glycol (forming during the synthesis of the ester block). The degree of polycondensation (DPGT) of poly(multi-methylene terephtalate) equals to DPGT=2. The influence of the number of carbons separating the terephtalate groups, as well as the effect of meta- or para- positions of the ester groups in the benzene ring of other blocks, on the synthesis, properties and structure of these elastomers have been evaluated. A nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to carbon (13C NMR) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) were used to confirm their assumed chemical structure. The influence of chemical compositions of ester block on the functional properties and on the values of phase transition temperatures of the products have been determined. The thermal properties and the phase separation of obtained systems were defined by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA), wide-angle x-ray diffraction (WAXS) and other standard physical methods. The mechanical and elastic properties of obtained polymers were evaluated

Social Security, Labour Market and Restructuring: Current Situation and Expected Outcomes of Reforms

The paper focuses on the social safety nets in Russian Federation and Ukraine in the view of changes on the labour market since the beginning of economic transition. We showed that many past phenomena (e.g. restructuring of the economy, wage and pension arrears, new groups at-risk-of-poverty, demographic transition) caused a need to change an old type social safety net (SSN) into the new one, better adapted to emerging more liberal economy problems. Additionally, we analysed some gender specific issues related to social security that are caused mainly by inequalities in the labour market. Differences of earnings between men and women in Russia caused by sector segregation account for seem to be more important than the gap between gender earnings attributed to the position. In Ukraine the main contributors to gross gender differential of log earnings (that equals to 32%) explained by our model are sector segregation and occupation. We also pointed out to future policy challenges in the area of social security systems in both countries. The retirement reforms introduced recently are a step in the right direction, although their impact will not be felt for a number of years. Other reforms, with more immediate results, are necessary. Social safety nets should be made more efficient and social benefits should be better targeted.Social safety net, labour market, transitional economies

Non-tariff barriers in Ukrainian export to the EU

The economic relations between the EU and Ukraine have intensified in recent years. Following the 2004 enlargement, Ukraine became the direct neighbour of the EU. At the same time, the country has been developing rapidly and both local production capacities and demand for foreign produce have been increasing. Ukraine also become more open to external partners. All this is reflected in the gradual effective trade integration with the EU; i.e. in growing bilateral trade flows. The overall EU tariffs for Ukrainian products are rather low and other tradition protection measures apply to selective sectors only. Moreover they are expected to disappear gradually within the next few years, following Ukraine WTO entry and expected establishment of the free trade area in manufacturing goods between the EU and Ukraine. However, there exist other so called 'non-tariff’ barriers to trade that protect and will protect the EU market. For a relatively poorer country these barriers may turn to be prohibitive. This is probably the cause that there is general perception about Ukrainian export to the EU still being below its potential. The goal of this report is to explore whether the non-tariff barriers impede Ukrainian export to the EU and to what extent. This report is published about the time when the free trade agreement between the EU and Ukraine is negotiated. The authors hope that the findings will turn useful for designing the extent of this agreement and contribute to the discussion about it by showing the extent of non-tariff barriers faced currently by Ukrainian exporters. The report starts from the overview of Ukraine trade policy (chapter 1), with the special emphasis put on economic relations between the EU and Ukraine. Evolution of bilateral trade flows is discussed next (chapter 2). This is supplemented with the brief discussion of recently conducted surveys on barriers hampering Ukrainian exports (chapter 3). The experience of some current EU members from Central and Eastern Europe, which together with gradual phasing out of tariff and traditional protection measures in the 1990s faced growing non-tariff barriers to trade with the EU, seems to be relevant for Ukraine. Chapter 4 reviews the exposure of CEECs exports to the EU’s non-tariff barriers, and describes how the countries were changing its trade-related legislation towards the EU laws in order to tackle these barriers. Chapter 4 also shows the extent of the EU’s technical barriers to trade in different sectors and how well CEE enterprises were prepared to meet them, once the EU commodity markets opened up completely for the new EU members in 2004. Results of the survey on non-tariff barriers to trade that are faced by Ukrainian exporters to the EU are presented in chapter 5. This is the main empirical contribution and the focus of this paper. The survey covered such areas as certification of origin, customs procedures and technical standards. Finally, chapter 6 concludes with policy recommendations. The authors are grateful for the assistance received from the State Committee of Ukraine for Technical Regulation and Consumer Policy and Association of Light Industry Producers of Ukraine. This publication was made possible due to the financial support provided by the 2006 Foreign Aid Programme of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Poland.Ukraine, EU neighbourhood, trade, non-tariff barriers to trade (NTBs), technical barriers to trade (TBTs)

Informal care for adults: a comparison of Time Use Surveys of 2004 and 2013

The aim of this paper is to describe daily patterns and changes in time use of people dealing with elderly informal care in Poland. Based on Time Use Survey 2004 and 2013 we show that with increasing population of adults requiring care the profile of average caregiver also changes. We observe more caregivers. More often they are women and more often are retired. In consequence average time spent on caregiving also increases. We conclude that this trend will continue and therefore both market and state suppy of the caregiving services is required

El efecto de las vacaciones de verano sobre la composición corporal y la fuerza muscular respiratoria en nadadores púberes

[Abstract] Changes in daily routine and decrease in physical activity during summer holidays period, often result in body weight gain in school-age children. However, the impact of summer break on body composition in athlete children has not been thoroughly investigated. The current study was aimed at identifying possible changes in body composition and respiratory muscle strength after an 8-week summer break in age-group swimmers. Eighteen girls and fifteen boys ages 10-13 years (mean 11.6±1.0) participated in the study. The measurements were taken in June and repeated in September the same year. Body composition was assessed with an InBody 720 analyzer, and respiratory muscle strength was assessed with a MicroRPM device. A fifty-meter front-crawl test was conducted to induce respiratory muscle fatigue. All analyzed body composition parameters; i.e., body mass, body mass index, tissue, and muscle components increased substantially after the summer break (p0.05). It can be concluded that 8-week summer break had an effect on body composition parameters in juvenile swimmers, but no effect on their respiratory muscle strength was apparent. Studies involving a greater number of participants engaged in various sports activities are needed to better understand the effect of summer break on anthropomorphic and respiratory parameters in youth athletes.[Resumen] Los cambios en la rutina diaria y la disminución de la actividad física durante el periodo de vacaciones de verano, suelen provocar un aumento de peso corporal en los niños en edad escolar. Sin embargo, no se ha investigado a fondo el impacto de las vacaciones de verano en la composición corporal de los niños deportistas. El presente estudio tenía como objetivo identificar los posibles cambios en la composición corporal y la fuerza muscular respiratoria tras unas vacaciones de verano de 8 semanas en nadadores jovenes. Dieciocho niñas y quince niños de 10 a 13 años (media de 11.6±1.0) participaron en el estudio . Las mediciones se realizaron en junio y se repitieron en septiembre del mismo año. Se evaluó la composición corporal con un analizador InBody 720 y la fuerza muscular respiratoria con un dispositivo MicroRPM. Se realizó una prueba de crol frontal de cincuenta metros para inducir la fatiga de los músculos respiratorios. Todos los parámetros de composición corporal analizados, es decir, la masa corporal, el índice de masa corporal, el tejido y los componentes musculares, aumentaron sustancialmente tras el descanso estival (p0.05). Se puede concluir que las vacaciones de verano de 8 semanas tuvieron un efecto sobre los parámetros de composición corporal en los nadadores juveniles, pero no se observó ningún efecto sobre su fuerza muscular respiratoria. Se necesitan estudios con un mayor número de participantes que practiquen diversas actividades deportivas para comprender mejor el efecto de las vacaciones de verano en los parámetros antropomórficos y respiratorios de los deportistas juveniles

Unemployment and subjective well-being among the youth: evidence from a longitudinal study in Poland

The main aim of this paper is to investigate the impact of becoming unemployed on the well-being of young people. Particularly, we examine to what extent this relationship is moderated by the local unemployment rate. To address this topic, we use the Polish longitudinal dataset: Social Diagnosis: Objective and Subjective Quality of Life in Poland (2005-2015). Using a fixed effect model, we find that young individuals who lost a job feel worse off than their counterparts who remained employed, and that these effects differ by gender, with men being more susceptible to changes in the employment status. Moreover, we show that the impact of unemployment on the well-being of men is the smaller the higher the unemployment rate is. However, contrary to expectations, this effect is driven by the decreasing well-being of employed men and not by a decline in the distress level of unemployed men when aggregate unemployment grows

Unemployment and Subjective Well-being Among the Youth: Evidence from a Longitudinal Study in Poland

The main aim of this paper is to investigate the impact of becoming unemployed on the well-being of young people. Particularly, we examine to what extent this relationship is moderated by the local unemployment rate. To address this topic, we use the Polish longitudinal dataset: Social Diagnosis: Objective and Subjective Quality of Life in Poland (2005-2015).Using a fixed effect model, we find that young individuals who lost a job feel worse off than their counterparts who remained employed, and that these effects differ by gender, with men being more susceptible to changes in the employment status. Moreover, we show that the impact of unemployment on the well-being of men is the smaller the higher the unemployment rate is. However, contrary to expectations, this effect is driven by the decreasing well-being of employed men and not by a decline in the distress level of unemployed men when aggregate unemployment grows.