Temporary help agencies and occupational mobility

This paper focuses upon the effect of Temporary Help Agencies (THAs) on occupational mobility through a comparison of the job-to-job upgrading chances of THA and non-THA workers. A screening approach to the role of these labor "brokers" suggests that agency workers can expect greater upgrading chances between two different occupations. Results obtained from a sample of Spanish workers show that working through these intermediaries allows workers in intermediate occupational levels to avoid occupational demotions more easily than non-THA ones. Moreover, THAs improve the probability for high-skilled workers of achieving a permanent contract. The empirical analysis demonstrates that the existence of self-selection is an important explanation for increased occupational mobility among THA workers in Spain

The nineties in Spain: too much flexibility in the youth labour market?

This paper examines movements into and out of employment in the Spanish youth labour market throughout the nineties. We analyze how differences in personal and economic circumstances influence such movements. In addition, we consider the importance of duration dependence in determining them. Our main findings are that: (i) Very young workers, women and those with lower qualification levels are more likely to be affected by high labour turnover; (ii) The existence of unobserved heterogeneity has important consequences in the unemployment hazard rate; (iii) In the 90's, employment hazard rates were substantially affected by the extensive use of fixed-term contracts, although the 1997 labour market reform seems to have reduced this hazard rate; (iv) The intervention of temporary help agencies has a positive impact on the likelihood of leaving unemployment, although only for short-term unemployed individuals; at the same time, however, the employment hazard rate is substantially higher within these agencies

Are temporary help agencies changing mobility patterns in the Spanish labour market?

This paper examines to what extent Temporary Help Agency intermediation in the labour market affects workers' transitions into and out of employment in the Spanish youth labour market throughout the nineties. Results obtained show that this intermediation presents a positive impact on the likelihood of leaving unemployment, although only for short-term unemployed individuals; at the same time, however, the employment hazard rate is substantially higher for agency workers. We also find that employment hazard rates were substantially affected in the 90's by the extensive use of fixed-term contracts, although the 1997 labour market reform is found to reduce this hazard rate. Finally, very young workers, women and those with lower qualification levels are more likely to be affected by higher labour turnover

Transitions into permanent employment in Spain : an empirical analysis for young workers

We analyze the Spanish temporary workers’ transitions into permanent employment and to what extent those who become unemployed are able to achieve a permanent job. Our focus is placed on the role of the individual’s sequence of temporary contracts on the probability of moving from temporary into permanent employment. We apply multiplespell duration techniques to a longitudinal dataset of temporary workers obtained from Social Security records for the period 1996-2003. We basically find that even though transitions into permanent employment increase with tenure, temporary jobs do not constitute stepping stones towards permanent employment, since the probability of obtaining a permanent job decreases with repeated temporary jobs. Results also show that individuals with high duration of unemployment flow into permanent work less frequently

Temporary help agencies and workers' occupational mobility

This paper focuses on the occupational mobility of temporary help agency workers by studying their job-to-job upgrading chances as opposed to those who have not been hired through these intermediaries. A screening approach to the role of those labor ‘brokers’ suggests that agency workers may expect greater chances of upgrading from one occupation to another. Results obtained with a sample of Spanish workers show that working through those intermediaries comparatively offers stronger prospects of occupational upgrading for workers of a medium qualification level. This basic result is reinforced when the existence of self-selection into this type of intermediated work is appropriately taken into account.Temporary help agencies, screening, self-selection, switching models

TEMPORARY HELP AGENCIES AND OCCUPATIONAL MOBILITY

This paper focuses upon the effect of Temporary Help Agencies (THAs) on occupational mobility through a comparison of the job-to-job upgrading chances of THA and non-THA workers. A screening approach to the role of these labor “brokers” suggests that agency workers can expect greater upgrading chances between two different occupations. Results obtained from a sample of Spanish workers show that working through these intermediaries allows workers in intermediate occupational levels to avoid occupational demotions more easily than non-THA ones. Moreover, THAs improve the probability for high-skilled workers of achieving a permanent contract. The empirical analysis demonstrates that the existence of self-selection is an important explanation for increased occupational mobility among THA workers in Spain.

The wage gap between immigrant and native workers in Spain: an analysis using matched employer-employee data

The fact that Spain has witnessed a sharp increase in the number of immigrants over the past decade has generated considerable interest, particularly as regards wages earned by immigrants in host industries. We analyze whether controlling for both observable and unobservable characteristics of employers —in addition to individual variables and the economic context— makes any difference as regards the debate regarding the existence of wage differences between immigrant and native workers in Spain. As we show, doing this considerably reduces (or even eliminates) the inequalities found in previous research, thereby questioning the results attained by previous studies on this issue.Immigration, salaries, assimilation.

Cauchy–Riemann equations and J-symplectic forms

AbstractLet (Σ,j) be a Riemann surface. The almost complex manifolds (M,J) for which the J-holomorphic curves ϕ:Σ→M are of variational type, are characterized. This problem is related to the existence of a vertically non-degenerate closed complex 3-form on Σ×M (see Theorem 4.3 below), which determines a family of J-symplectic structures on (M,J) parametrized by Σ

Beach Nourishment: A 21st Century Review

Long-term erosion is experienced by most of the coastlines worldwide, and it is usually attributed not only to sea level rise but also to the retention of sand in dams, the occupation of dry beaches by urbanized areas, the disturbance of the natural patterns of longshore drift, the mining of sand as building material for construction, and so on. Beach nourishment has evolved as the favored erosion-mitigation strategy in many areas of the world. The increasing number of people living on the coast, the safety of those people, and the high values of coastal property are all factors that have made beach nourishment a cost-effective strategy for managing erosion in many locations. However, a new scenario of sand scarcity and environmental care has arisen in recent decades. There have been a number of different and interesting cases of various aspects of beach nourishment in the last years. The purpose of this Special Issue has been to publish the different experiences and research related to this topic. After a careful review process, nine papers were included. Their thematic contributions include the use of field methods such as the use of remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) or un-manned aerial vehicles (UAV) for faster and automated mapping of the coastal area or the acquisition of geomagnetic data in marine environments; the use of multi-approach methodologies to assess the interaction between coastal structures and beaches and in particular of submerged pipelines; the need to adopt a plan for the optimal use of limited resources of available sediment from a regional perspective and the assessment of the effectiveness of beach nourishments; the understanding of the role of submerged geological control of beach profiles together with the implementation of innovative beach nourishment strategies while facing the non-trivial challenge of visualizing and communicating mesoscale modeling assumptions, uncertainties and outcomes to both coastal specialists and decision makers; and the influence of sea-level rise and erosion on diminution of beach habitats

Biodegradation and biological treatments of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin: an overview

In nature, cellulose, lignocellulose and lignin are major sources of plant biomass; therefore, their recycling is indispensable for the carbon cycle. Each polymer is degraded by a variety of microorganisms which produce a battery of enzymes that work synergically. In the near future, processes that use lignocellulolytic enzymes or are based on microorganisms could lead to new, environmentally friendly technologies. This study reviews recent advances in the various biological treatments that can turn these three lignicellulose biopolymers into alternative fuels. In addition, biotechnological innovations based on natural delignification and applied to pulp and paper manufacture are also outlined