scholarly journals Economic Shocks and Crime: Evidence from the Brazilian Trade Liberalization

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 158-195 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rafael Dix-Carneiro ◽  
Rodrigo R. Soares ◽  
Gabriel Ulyssea

This paper studies the effect of changes in economic conditions on crime. We exploit the 1990s trade liberalization in Brazil as a natural experiment generating exogenous shocks to local economies. We document that regions exposed to larger tariff reductions experienced a temporary increase in crime following liberalization. Next, we investigate through what channels the trade–induced economic shocks may have affected crime. We show that the shocks had significant effects on potential determinants of crime, such as labor market conditions, public goods provision, and income inequality. We propose a novel framework exploiting the distinct dynamic responses of these variables to obtain bounds on the effect of labor market conditions on crime. Our results indicate that this channel accounts for 75 to 93 percent of the effect of the trade–induced shocks on crime. (JEL D31, F13, F16, H41, K42, O17, O19)

ILR Review ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 60 (4) ◽  
pp. 477-498 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric A. Verhoogen ◽  
Stephen V. Burks ◽  
Jeffrey P. Carpenter

The authors draw on an internal attitude survey conducted yearly from 1996 to 2000 in the freight-handling terminals of a unionized trucking firm to investigate the effect of local labor market conditions on employee wage-fairness perceptions. Their research design exploits the fact that local managers had no discretion to vary wage rates in response to local labor market conditions; local economic shocks thus generated exogenous variation in the attractiveness of the wage paid by the firm relative to employees' options in the outside labor market. The authors find robust associations between the wage-fairness perceptions of employees in the firm and two indicators of local conditions—the rate of unemployment and the wages of similar workers in the outside market. They argue that these correlations reflect a causal relationship: an increase in unemployment or a decrease in outside wages led workers to perceive their wage to be more fair.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bongkyun Kim ◽  
Michael R. Thomsen ◽  
Rodolfo M. Nayga ◽  
Anthony Goudie

Abstract Background Macroeconomic conditions are widely known to influence health outcomes through direct behavioral change or indirect mental effects of individuals. However, they have not received much attention in relation to childhood obesity. Methods Using gender-specific predicted employment growth rates as an index for labor market conditions, we analyze how economic shocks affect children’s weight status in Arkansas. To understand the underlying mechanisms behind these results, we use data on individual time use to examine how economic shocks are related to activities related to children’s weight. Results Improvement in the female labor market is associated with an increase in body mass index (BMI) and the probability that a child is overweight or obese, while an improvement in the male labor market has no significant effects on children’s weight. This impact is particularly evident among female children, older children, and African-American children. We also find a negative effect of improvements in the female labor market on time spent on preparation for foods at home. Conclusions These results suggest that a decrease in time spent preparing home-cooked foods might be a plausible explanation for the pro-cyclical relationship between children’s weight and improvement in the labor market conditions. Thus, the policy implications of our paper should be aimed at mitigating the adverse effects of women’s labor participation.


Author(s):  
René Pawera ◽  
Monika Lavrovičová ◽  
Lucia Húsenicová

An important element of the management of modern companies and organizations is the proper use of diversity management and equal opportunities, aimed at eliminating discrimination in the labor market. The paper summarizes the starting points for these processes in the labor market. It describes the tendencies of the development of the solved problem in the context of the labor market conditions of the Slovak Republic. Key words: labor market inequality, equal opportunities management, diversity management


2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hess T. Chung ◽  
Bruce Fallick ◽  
Christopher J. Nekarda ◽  
David Ratner

1998 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 257-285 ◽  
Author(s):  
George R. Boyer

Historians have long acknowledged that London, because of its enormous size and rapidly growing demand for labor, acted as a powerful magnet for migrants from throughout southern England. However, while there is a large literature documenting the flow of migrants to London, there have been surprisingly few attempts to determine the consequences of this migration for southern labor markets. This article attempts to redress the imbalance in the literature by examining the influence of London on agricultural labor markets during the nineteenth century. In particular, the article examines the effect of distance from London on wage rates in southern England at various points in time, and the effect of labor market conditions in London on short-run changes in agricultural wage rates.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document