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PAUVRETE - POVERTY 

. Escaping the poverty trap : Will Europe 2020 deliver more equal societies ?, C. Dhéret, European Policy Centre, Brussels, Policy brief, October, 4 p., (2010).
Zone géographique / Geographical area : Europe

. In-work poverty in the EU, S. Ponthieux, Eurostat, Luxembourg, Eurostat methodologies and working papers, 52 p., (2010).

Résumé  : Le document aborde deux aspects problématiques de lapproche statistique de la notion de «travailleur pauvre»: la définition des travailleurs (y compris celle utilisée pour l'indicateur européen «risque de pauvreté des travailleurs») et le double niveau (travailleur-individu/ménage présentant un risque de pauvreté) de construction de la catégorie. Il en ressort que l'approche adoptée pour définir les travailleurs est peut-être trop restrictive pour prendre en considération la variété des structures d'emploi dans les États membres de l'UE et que le double niveau de la définition complique l'analyse des corrélations entre le statut sur le marché du travail au niveau de l'individu et le risque de pauvreté. Il prône donc une approche plus exhaustive des travailleurs et une analyse complémentaire afin de mieux appréhender les dimensions «marché du travail» et «famille» du phénomène.

Summary : The aim of this paper is to discuss two problematical aspects of the statistical approach to the notion of ‘working poor’: the definition of workers (including the definition used for the European indicator ‘in-work poverty risk’); and the two-level construction of the category (worker-individual / at-risk-ofpoverty household). It argues that the approach adopted in defining workers might be too narrow to take into account the variety of employment structures in EU Member States, and that the combination of individual and household in the definition makes it difficult to analyse the links between labour market status at the individual level and the risk of poverty. This argues in favour of a more encompassing approach to workers as well as further analysis aimed at gaining a better understanding of the ‘labour market’ and ‘family’ dimensions of the phenomenon.
Zone géographique / Geographical area : Europe

. Poverty in the enlarged European Union. A discussion about definitions and reference groups, T. Goedemé and S. Rottiers, Centre for Social Policy, Antwerp, CSB working paper, n° 10/06, October, 24 p., (2010).

Résumé - Summary : The enlargement of the EU has stirred discussion about the relevance of the traditional EU poverty indicator. This indicator measures poverty in relative and national terms. As a result, the poor in the least wealthy EU member states have very different living conditions from those in more wealthy member states. Consequently, some authors have argued for alternative or additional poverty measures. One line of thought is that the reference groups people use for evaluating their living standard are significantly Europeanised and that a Europeanised poverty measure should incorporate this evolution. With this article, we aim to embed this debate into a proper conceptual framework. Therefore, we first review the literature on poverty definitions, and argue that despite diverging conceptualisations, scholars assume that somehow poverty is a relative concept. Second, we discuss the relevance of reference group theory for conceiving this relativity. We argue that a distinction must be made between privately-oriented reference groups and publicly-oriented reference groups. Only the latter offer a norm to define the minimum acceptable standard of living in society. Hence, poverty researchers should investigate publicly-oriented reference groups. Nevertheless, the discussion has largely focused on privately-oriented reference groups. We conclude that EU-wide research on budget standards in combination with survey-based approaches offer a promising way forward to construct poverty lines driven by publicly-oriented reference groups.
Zone géographique / Geographical area : Europe

. Ressources, crise et pauvreté, Statistiques d'accueil 2009, Secours catholique, Paris, novembre, 35 p., (2010).
Zone géographique / Geographical area : France

EMPLOI - EMPLOYMENT

. Opening clauses in collective bargaining agreements : More flexibility to save jobs ?, T. Brändle and W. D. Heinbach, IAW, Tübingen, IAW discussion paper, n° 67, October, 28 p., (2010).
Zone géographique / Geographical area : Allemagne / Germany

. The right skills for silver workers : an empirical analysis, Cedefop, Thessaloniki, Research paper, n° 8, November, 76 p., (2010).

Résumé - Summary : This research paper deals with skill mismatch among ageing workers. Not only is population ageing a dominant trend in the EU, but ageing workers are one of the groups particularly affected by skill mismatch. The paper features detailed empirical analyses of the impacts of skill mismatch on ageing workers and compares them with younger and prime-age workers. It discusses the determinants of different types of mismatch and provides a comprehensive analysis of its impacts on wages, job satisfaction, career and employment prospects and health. The results clearly indicate the need to take skill mismatch seriously and improve the use of skills in the workplace. It also highlights the role workplace conditions can play in better matching skills and jobs.
Zone géographique / Geographical area : Europe

REVENU - INCOME

. The impact of income distribution on the length of retirement, D. Baker and D. Rosnick, Center for Economic Policy Research, Washington, Issue brief, October, 5 p., (2010).
Zone géographique / Geographical area : Etats-Unis / United States

. Montée en charge du RSA. Bilan statistique après un an d’existence, M. Le Tiec, Cnaf, Paris, Dossier d'études, n° 131, 66 p. (2010).
Zone géographique / Geographical area : France

. Wage disparities in Britain : People or place ?,  S. Gibbons, H. G. Overman and P. Pelkonen, Spacial Economics Research Centre, London, SERC discussion paper, n° 60, October, 53 p., (2010).

Résumé - Summary : This paper investigates wage disparities across sub-national labour markets in Britain using a newly available microdata set. The findings show that wage disparity across areas is very persistent over time. While area effects play a role in this wage disparity, most of it is due to individual characteristics (sorting). Area effects contribute a very small percentage to the overall variation of wages and so are not very important for understanding overall levels of wage disparity. Specifically, in our preferred specification area effects explain less than 1% of overall wage variation. This share has remained roughly constant over the period 1998- 2008.
Zone géographique / Geographical area : Royaume-Uni / United Kingdom

AUTRES DONNEES SOCIALES - OTHER SOCIAL ISSUES

. L'autonomie des jeunes au service de l'égalité,  A. Marceau, G. Allègre et M. Arnov, Terra Nova, Paris, 48 p., novembre, (2010).
Zone géographique / Geographical area : France

. La dépense nationale pour la formation professionnelle continue et l’apprentissage, en 2008, A. Delort, Dares, Paris, Dares analyses, n° 073, novembre, 15 p., (2010).
Zone géographique / Geographical area : France

. Early childhood stimulation interventions in developing countries : A comprehensive literature review, H. Baker-Henningham and F. Lopez Boo, Institute for the Study of Labor, Bonn, IZA discussion paper, n° 5282, October, 71 p., (2010).

Résumé - Summary : This report reviews the effectiveness of early childhood stimulation interventions in developing countries. The report aims to answer the questions: What works in terms of early stimulation for young children in developing countries? For whom and under what conditions do these programs work and why do they work. The report is divided into several sections. Firstly, a brief discussion of the importance of early stimulation for young children in developing countries is provided. Secondly, the methods used to identify and characterize studies are provided and a review of randomized or quasi-experimental trials is presented. Thirdly, a review of the evidence for who benefits most from early interventions is presented followed by a review of program characteristics that affect the success of interventions and an examination of potential mechanisms through which interventions achieve their effects. Finally, recommendations for practice and future research are provided.
Zone géographique / Geographical area : Pays en développement / Developing countries

. Geographic dispersion  and the well-being of the Elderly, S. Bianchi, K. McGarry and J. Seltzer, Michigan Retirement Research Center, Ann Arbor, Working paper, n° 2010-234, October, 43 p., (2010).

Résumé - Summary : Perhaps the largest problem confronting our aging population is the rising cost of health care, particularly the costs borne by Medicare and Medicaid. A chief component of this expense is long-term care. Much of this care for an unmarried (mostly widowed) mother is currently provided by adult children. The provision of family care depends importantly on the geographic dispersion of family members. In this study we provide preliminary evidence on the geographic dispersion of adult children and their older unmarried mother. Coresidence is less likely for married adult children, those who are parents and the highly educated and more likely for those who are not working or only employed part time and for black and Hispanic adult children. Close proximity is more common for married children who are parents but less common for the highly educated. When we look at transitions between one wave of data collection and the next (a two-year interval), about half of adult children live more than 10 miles away at both points, a little less than one quarter live within 10 miles at both points, and 8 percent are coresident at both points in time. Among the 17 percent who make a transition, about half of the changes result in greater distance between the adult child and mother and half bring them into closer proximity. The needs of both generations are likely reflected in these transitions. In fact, a mother’s health is not strongly related to most transitions and if anything, distance tends to be greater for older mothers relative to those mothers in their early 50s.
Zone géographique / Geographical area : Etats-Unis / United States

. How much do educational outcomes matter in OECD countries ?, E. A. Hanushek and L. WOessmann, CESifo, Munich, CESifo working paper, n° 3238, November, 56 p., (2010).

Résumé - Summary : Existing growth research provides little explanation for the very large differences in long-run growth performance across OECD countries. We show that cognitive skills can account for growth differences within the OECD, whereas a range of economic institutions and quantitative measures of tertiary education cannot. Under the growth model estimates and plausible projection parameters, school improvements falling within currently observed performance levels yield very large gains. The present value of OECD aggregate gains through 2090 could be as much as $275 trillion, or 13.8 percent of the discounted value of future GDP. Extensive sensitivity analyses indicate that, while differences between model frameworks and alternative parameter choices make a difference, the economic impact of improved educational outcomes remains enormous. Interestingly, the quantitative difference between an endogenous and neoclassical model framework – with improved skills affecting the long-run growth rate versus just the steady-state income level – matters less than academic discussions suggest. We close by discussing evidence on which education policy reforms may be able to bring about the simulated improvements in educational outcomes.
Zone géographique / Geographical area : Pays de l'OCDE / OECD countries

. Recent advances in the economics of individual subjective well-being, A. Stutzer and B. S. Frey, Wirtschaftswissenschaftliches Zentrum, Basel, WWZ discussion paper, n° 04/10, 35 p., (2010).
Zone géographique / Geographical area : none

. Les systèmes d’information sur les retraites en Europe et aux États-Unis, N. El Mekkaoui de Freitas, B. Legendre et B. Kukla, Centre d'études de l'Emploi, Noisy-le-Grand, Rapport de recherche, n° 59, octobre, 75 p., 2010.
Zone géographique / Geographical area : Europe, Etats-Unis / Europe, United States

. Territorialité et offre de soins. Approche prospective des besoins en professionnels de santé dans l'aménagement du territoire de l'Ile-de-France, O. Aynaud,  Conseil économique et social de la région Ile-de-France, Paris, octobre, 127 p., (2010).
Zone géographique / Geographical area : France