Keeping up with the Joneses by finding a better-paid job - The effect of relative income on job mobility

It has been shown that a person’s relative income – compared to a reference group – has a negative impact on self-reported happiness. This suggests that people who aim at increasing their happiness should try to find a better-paid job if their relative income is low. In this paper we study this hypothesis by estimating the effect of relative income on job mobility, using a dataset containing information on roughly four million Dutch employees. We consider three different reference groups: people who live in the same neighborhood, people who work for the same employer, and people who share certain demographic characteristics. Our findings suggest that workers compare their own income to that of their neighbors, and low relative income is associated with higher job mobility. We conclude that low relative income (compared to the neighbors) reduces workers’ happiness, and workers react to this by finding a new job which may offer the prospect of higher pay.

Keeping up with the Joneses by finding a better-paid job - The effect of relative income on job mobility

It has been shown that a person’s relative income – compared to a reference group – has a negative impact on self-reported happiness. This suggests that people who aim at increasing their happiness should try to find a better-paid job if their relative income is low. In this paper we study this hypothesis by estimating the effect of relative income on job mobility, using a dataset containing information on roughly four million Dutch employees. We consider three different reference groups: people who live in the same neighborhood, people who work for the same employer, and people who share certain demographic characteristics. Our findings suggest that workers compare their own income to that of their neighbors, and low relative income is associated with higher job mobility. We conclude that low relative income (compared to the neighbors) reduces workers’ happiness, and workers react to this by finding a new job which may offer the prospect of higher pay.Relative income, job mobility, happiness, social status

Business relocations in the Netherlands: Why do firms move, and where do they go?

This study analyzes determinants of business relocation and identifies regional characteristics which attract relocating firms, using register data provided by Statistics Netherlands. Results indicate that the relocation decisions of firms are not only influenced by firm- and location-specific characteristics, but also by the qualities of a firm’s workforce, and by the attractiveness of a municipality for individuals regarding the amenities which are provided. Furthermore, the findings show that relocation decisions are sector-dependent. Generally, its age and being located in an appealing municipality with high sectoral specialization keep a firm from relocating, whereas firms employing large shares of highly educated workers, paying high average salaries and being located in a municipality with high sector-specific wages are pushed out of their present location. Relocating firms avoid specialized municipalities, while they are attracted by densely populated, appealing municipalities with high wage levels (both general and sector-specific) and large shares of highly educated workers, and which are specialized in the firm’s own sector.

Dematerialisation of consumption: a win-win strategy?

A dematerialisation of the economy can provide a crucial contribution toward sustainable devel-opment. It can take place in the production sphere through technological change or in the con-sumption sphere through altered consumer behaviour. This paper focuses on the second case, a shift of expenditure from material consumption (e.g. manufactured products) to non-material consumption (e.g. services). Since all production requires material, an input-output model is used to account for indirect material use. The model features post-Keynesian macroeconomic founda-tions, which make it possible to study the effects of altered consumption patterns on total con-sumption, output, and income distribution. The empirical application for the case of Germany shows that a dematerialisation of consumption might be considered a win-win strategy from an ecological and economic viewpoint. However, its effects on the distribution of income and inter-national trade may be problematic.Sustainable consumption, input-output model, social sustainability, income distribution

Advances in Lasers for the Treatment of Stones-a Systematic Review

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Laser lithotripsy is increasingly used worldwide and is a continuously evolving field with new and extensive research being published every year. RECENT FINDINGS: Variable pulse length Ho:YAG lithotripters allow new lithotripsy parameters to be manipulated, and there is an effort to integrate new technologies into lithotripters. Pulsed thulium lasers seem to be a viable alternative to holmium lasers. The performance of similar laser fibers varies from manufacturer to manufacturer. Special laser fibers and "cleaving only" fiber tip preparation can be beneficial for the lithotripsy procedure. Different laser settings and the surgical technique employed can have significant impact on the success of laser lithotripsy. When safely done, complications of laser lithotripsy are rare and concern the endoscopic nature of procedure, not the technology itself, making laser lithotripsy one of the safest tools in urology. Laser lithotripsy has had several new developments and more insight has been gained in recent years with many more advances expected in the future.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Study program to improve fuel cell performance by pulsing techniques quarterly report, period ending feb. 28, 1965

Pulsing techniques to improve fuel cell performanc

Job and residential mobility in the Netherlands: the influence of human capital, household composition and location

This study identifies and evaluates determinants of employees’ job and residential mobility. It examines mobility of fulltime employees in selected sectors in 2003/2004, using register data provided by Statistics Netherlands. We estimate a multinomial model of job and residential change. The results illustrate that individuals decide upon changing jobs and/or relocating by taking into account the strength of their family- and job-related ties. We also find that the prevalence of internal versus external career opportunities impedes job changes. While a high salary facilitates relocation, our findings regarding the effect of salary on interfirm mobility were inconclusive. A long commuting distance encourages (simultaneous) job and housing mobility, while being situated in the municipality of a large city encourages employees to either change jobs, or to relocate.Job mobility, residential mobility, regional migration, human capital

The effects of workforce composition, labor turnover, and the qualities of entering and exiting workers on productivity growth

This study identifies and analyzes the effects of firms’ workforce composition, labor turnover, and the qualities of entering and exiting employees on consequent changes in their productivity. Using register data provided by Statistics Netherlands, we examine the productivity dynamics of Dutch manufacturing firms between the years 2002 and 2005. The regression results illustrate that changes in firm productivity are not only determined by the composition of the firm’s current workforce and the degree of labor turnover, but also by the characteristics of the workers who enter and exit the firm. Firms benefit from the inflow of employees previously employed with other firms in the same industry, and with highly productive firms, whereas the inflow of workers from non-employment has a negative effect on their new employers’ productivity growth. Furthermore, the outflow of workers into non-employment, and to highly productive firms positively affects their old employers’ productivity growth, while the exit of workers who leave for firms in the same industry, and of those who simultaneously relocate (across long distances) has a negative effect.workforce composition; labor turnover; job mobility; employee mobility; productivity growth