Women in the LAC Labor Market: The Remarkable 1990’s

We examine levels and trends of labor market outcomes for women in the 1990’s using household survey data for 18 Latin American countries covering several years per country. The outcomes we analyze include labor force participation rates, the distribution of employment of women across sectors of the economy (formal versus informal) and across industries (agriculture versus non-agriculture), unemployment, and earnings. Overall we document substantial progress made by women in many areas. The gender wage gap is closing steadily in Venezuela, Costa Rica, Brazil and Uruguay, while Colombian women now enjoy higher earnings than those of men. Women’s share of household labor earnings rose from 28% in the early 1990’s to 30% in the late 1990’s. Regarding the quality of jobs, we examine self-employment and employment in small forms as possible indicators of employment in the informal sector. There is no evidence of a systematic increase in self-employment nor in employment in small firms, and contrary to findings by the ILO, we find that the share of female employment accounted by domestic servants did not increase in the 1990’s. Perhaps the salient development of the 1990’s for women in LAC countries was the brisk-paced, secular rise in their labor force participation rates. We examine this development from several angles. We explore the Singh-Goldin-Durand hypothesis that women’s work status changes with economic development. Mammen and Paxson (2000) examine this hypothesis using data for 90 countries, and find that female participation of 45-59 year olds follows a U-shaped profile, with rates rising with GDP per capita increases above $3000. We find that female participation in LAC does not follow the Mammen-Paxson pattern. Next, we examine the role of schooling in explaining the increase in female labor force participation in LAC countries. We find that increases in female schooling account for 30% of the overall increase in female participation rates. The remaining 70% is explained by increases in participation rates at given schooling levels. Finally, we analyze the role of wages, especially the returns to different schooling levels, as a partial explanation for the pattern of changes in labor force participation rates. All of these findings suggest a fair degree of change in the role of women within households and in the labor market. We conclude that the macro economic picture of stagnation for LAC in the 1990s masks non-trivial developments in the division of labor and time allocation by gender.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/39885/2/wp500.pd

Stability and change in risky driving from the late teens to the late twenties

This paper examines patterns of risky driving from the late teens to the late twenties and identifies factors associated with persistence and change in risky driving tendencies.Key findings: Rates of risky driving remained fairly stable between the ages of 19-20 and 23-24 years, but had significantly decreased by 27-28 years. While there was a general trend for levels of risky driving to decrease, considerable variability was found in the risky driving patterns of individuals over this period. Antisocial behaviour appeared to be strongly linked to persistence and change in risky driving, adding support to the view that risky driving may form part of a broader underlying propensity to engage in problem behaviour(s). Low social skills were associated with an increasing propensity for risky driving among some young drivers. Binge drinking, gender, and parental status also differentiated between drivers who exhibited different across-time patterns of risky driving. These findings add to a growing body of research, which suggests that risky drivers are not identical - the factors that underlie their behaviour may differ

Women in the LAC Labor Market: The Remarkable 1990’s

We examine levels and trends of labor market outcomes for women in the 1990’s using household survey data for 18 Latin American countries covering several years per country. The outcomes we analyze include labor force participation rates, the distribution of employment of women across sectors of the economy (formal versus informal) and across industries (agriculture versus non-agriculture), unemployment, and earnings. Overall we document substantial progress made by women in many areas. The gender wage gap is closing steadily in Venezuela, Costa Rica, Brazil and Uruguay, while Colombian women now enjoy higher earnings than those of men. Women’s share of household labor earnings rose from 28% in the early 1990’s to 30% in the late 1990’s. Regarding the quality of jobs, we examine self-employment and employment in small forms as possible indicators of employment in the informal sector. There is no evidence of a systematic increase in self-employment nor in employment in small firms, and contrary to findings by the ILO, we find that the share of female employment accounted by domestic servants did not increase in the 1990’s. Perhaps the salient development of the 1990’s for women in LAC countries was the brisk-paced, secular rise in their labor force participation rates. We examine this development from several angles. We explore the Singh-Goldin-Durand hypothesis that women’s work status changes with economic development. Mammen and Paxson (2000) examine this hypothesis using data for 90 countries, and find that female participation of 45-59 year olds follows a U-shaped profile, with rates rising with GDP per capita increases above $3000. We find that female participation in LAC does not follow the Mammen-Paxson pattern. Next, we examine the role of schooling in explaining the increase in female labor force participation in LAC countries. We find that increases in female schooling account for 30% of the overall increase in female participation rates. The remaining 70% is explained by increases in participation rates at given schooling levels. Finally, we analyze the role of wages, especially the returns to different schooling levels, as a partial explanation for the pattern of changes in labor force participation rates. All of these findings suggest a fair degree of change in the role of women within households and in the labor market. We conclude that the macro economic picture of stagnation for LAC in the 1990s masks non-trivial developments in the division of labor and time allocation by gender.labor force participation, earnings, women, Latin America

Development and analysis of a structured data-capturing technique (SDCT) for classroom observation

This study was designed to (1) gather information regarding state of the art of classroom observation data-gathering, (2) develop and analyze a structured data-capturing technique, and (3) examine the effects of prior training in lesson observation skills and effective teaching on evaluators\u27 lesson analysis skills. Four instruments were designed for this study, one for a survey and three for the experiment. Two hundred and fifty administrators attending three teacher evaluation conferences throughout Iowa in the fall of 1984 provided the data for the survey. One hundred and sixty-eight principals and assistant principals attending workshops in Fairfax, Virginia and Muskegon, Michigan in February and March of 1985 provided the data for the experiment. These workshops were designed to provide school administrators with two days of training in teacher performance evaluation;The survey yielded several interesting findings. Five were of special interest. (1) Administrators perceived that the primary objective of teacher evaluation was to help teachers to grow, not to insure competence. (2) Administrators typically conducted only one or two formal lesson observations per year. (3) Administrators typically supervised approximately 22 teachers per year. (4) Most administrators record anecdotes when observing a lesson as opposed to using checklists or rating scales. (5) Administrators reported the need to improve their observation data-gathering skills and wanted a better way to record classroom observation data;There was no significant difference in data-gathering and lesson analysis proficiency between those who used the structured method of data-gathering and those who used the unstructured method;The effects of prior training in either lesson observation skills or effective teaching on evaluators\u27 lesson analysis skills were not significant

Smoking, particulate fuel use, increasing BMI (but not betel use) increase the probability of obstructive airway conditions in adults fron National Capital District, PNG

Exposure to tobacco smoke and particulates from biomass fuel smoke are a risk factors for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). Papua New Guinea has a high prevalence of smoking, which is a leading cause of COPD. In addition to tobacco use, many families in PNG also use fuels producing particulate smoke for cooking (e.g. wood, charcoal or kerosene) which may further increase the risk of developing lung disease. The chewing of Betel nut (Areca catechu) is also prevalent in PNG, and has been shown to cause bronchoconstriction in asthmatic patients. This study was conducted to determine the relative contribution of smoking, particulate fuel use, and betel use have on the probability of developing obstructive lung disease. A prospective cross-sectional study measured the lung function of apparently healthy adults residing in the National Capital District. Lung function was assessed using spirometry, which was conducted according to the American Thoracic Society guidelines. Seventy-six subjects met the inclusion criteria out of hundred and forty volunteers. Smoking and biomass smoke inhalation both independently increased the probability of decreased lung function as measured by a %FEV1/FVC less than 80% of the predicted value. The use of betel was not found to significantly alter the probability of lowering %FEV1/FVC below 80% of predicted values. Interesting, increasing BMI was found to increase the probability of decreasing lung function in smokers who did not use particulate fuels and in particulate fuel users who did not smoke, and was most significant in smokers who used particulate fuels. Understanding the interactive effects between COPD risk factors will help predict health outcomes in PNG and increase public education on COPD prevention

Calibration of the HemoCue point-of-care analyser for determining haemoglobin concentration in a lizard and a fish

Haemoglobin concentration ([Hb]) is measured for a wide variety of animal studies. The use of point-of-care devices, such as the HemoCue, is becoming increasingly common because of their portability, relative ease of use and low cost. In this study, we aimed to determine whether the [Hb] of blue-tongued skink (Tiliqua nigrolutea) blood can be determined accurately using the HemoCue and whether the HemoCue overestimates the [Hb] of reptile blood in a similar manner to fish blood. Additionally, we aimed to test whether ploidy affected [Hb] determined by the HemoCue using blood from diploid and triploid Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). The HemoCue Hb 201⁺ systematically overestimated [Hb] in both blue-tongued skinks and Atlantic salmon, and there was no difference between calibration equations determined for diploid or triploid salmon. The overestimation was systematic in both species and, as such, [Hb] determined by the HemoCue can be corrected using appropriate calibration equations