This article illustrates how literature can bring models to life in undergraduate courses on labor market economics. The authors argue that economics instructors and students can benefit from even small doses of literature. The authors examine excerpts from five American novels: "Sister Carrie" by Theodore Drieser (1900/2005); "The Grapes of…

The labor force is the number of people ages 16 or older who are either working or looking for work. It does not include active-duty military personnel or the institutionalized population, such as prison inmates. Determining the size of the labor force is a way of determining how big the economy can get. The size of the labor force depends on two…

In order to profit from the economic growth in their society farmers can (1) increase the yields of their crops and animals, (2) switch to the production of high value products for which there is an increasing demand in the market, (3) increase the labour productivity on their farm, (4) find non-farm sources of income for some or all of their…

Despite numerous empirical studies, there is surprisingly little agreement about whether the Social Security earnings test affects male labor supply. In this paper, we provide a comprehensive analysis of the labor supply effects of the earnings test using longitudinal administrative earnings data and more commonly used survey data. We find that…

An analysis of 1980 census data reveals that immigrants tend to substitute for some labor market groups and complement others. The effects of immigrant supply on the earnings of native-born men is small. However, increases in the immigrant supply have a sizeable impact on the earnings of immigrants themselves. (Author/CH)

The author examines some of the complexities involved in trying to answer the question: jobs or productivity? human labor or machines? She discusses calculation of labor intensity, Australian statistics on the subject, trends in productivity, and institutional discouragement of labor intensity. (CT)

A study used an econometric model to examine the effect of income taxation on labor supply of married women and men. Male labor supply was found to be relatively invariant to income. Impact on married women depended upon the method used to estimate the labor supply function. (SK)

This article addresses the nursing shortage from an economic standpoint by exploring supply and demand factors that influence the availability of nurses. Demand factors include payment mechanisms, cost containment, and availability of substitutes. Supply factors include the women's movement, labor force participation, and entry-level preparation.…

With data from the Survey of Income Program Participation, a three-equation, reduced-form econometric model is used to generate estimates revealing that the cost of market child care decreases the labor force participation of married women. High wages increase likelihood of working and use of paid child care. (SK)

Analyzes the consolidation of the world economic system as a condition for the emergence of migration as a labor system. Discusses effects of the growing presence of immigrant labor in the tertiary sector of all core countries. (Author/GC)

With data from the Survey of Income Program Participation, a structural model analyzed decision to use child care of married and single mothers. Simulations indicated that a refundable child care tax credit would distribute child care benefits more equally and would also increase labor force participation of mothers. (SK)

The authors believe that one should beware of adopting too general an approach to Third World training which fails to take account of different types of education and training. At the same time, they view the economy as a whole, including the rural sector and informal activities. (Author/CT)

Demonstrates the dramatic difference in labor force descriptions resulting from use of the Bureau of Labor Statistics' measure labelled U-7 rather than U-5, the official measure. U-7 includes both discouraged workers and involuntary part-time workers. U-7 is the more appropriate index for accurately picturing many parts of rural America. (DHP)

This article discusses international migration as an economic and political concern, comments on recent literature dealing with social aspects of migration, and introduces the articles which follow in this special journal issue dedicated to Caribbean migration to New York. (MC)

A work preference model of artists' labor supply was applied to data on Australian artists. Results show that artists subsidize their profession by working outside the arts; the higher their nonarts income, the more they subsidize arts work. Artists reduce hours worked in their principal artistic occupation when they receive a higher arts income.…