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Jessen, Robin, Davud Rostam-Afschar & Viktor Steiner (2017): Getting the poor to work: three welfare increasing reforms for a busy Germany. In: Finanzarchiv, Jg. 73, H. 1, S. 1-41. DOI:10.1628/001522117X14864674910065

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Kenworthy, Lane & Ive Marx (2017): In-work poverty in the United States. (IZA discussion paper 10638), Bonn, 24 S.

Abstract

"In-work poverty became a prominent policy issue in the United States long before the term itself acquired any meaning and relevance in other industrialized countries. With America's embrace of an employment-centered antipoverty strategy, the working poor have become even more of an issue. This paper reviews some key trends, drivers and policy issues. How much in-work poverty is there in the United States? How does the US compare to other rich democracies? Has America's in-work poverty rate changed over time? Who are the in-work poor? What are the main drivers of levels and changes in in-work poverty? Finally, what are the prospects for America's working poor going forward?" (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Spannagel, Dorothee, Daniel Seikel, Karin Schulze Buschoff & Helge Baumann (2017): Aktivierungspolitik und Erwerbsarmut. (WSI-Report 36), Düsseldorf, 18 S.

Abstract

"Erwerbsarmut - auch bekannt als working poor - ist ein weit verbreitetes Phänomen in ganz Europa. Deutschland ist hierbei keine Ausnahme. Im Jahr 2014 war in Deutschland nahezu jeder zehnte Erwerbstätige zwischen 18 und 64 erwerbsarm. Wie lässt sich Erwerbsarmut wirksam bekämpfen? Welchen Einfluss hat die Arbeitsmarkt- und Sozialpolitik auf Erwerbsarmut? Ist aktivierende Arbeitsmarktpolitik ein geeignetes Mittel, um Erwerbsarmut zu senken?
Der vorliegende Report analysiert auf Grundlage eines systematischen Vergleichs zwischen 18 EU-Mitgliedstaaten die Auswirkungen unterschiedlicher arbeitsmarkt- und sozialpolitischer Instrumente auf Erwerbsarmut." (Textauszug, IAB-Doku)

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Bailey, Nick (2016): Exclusionary employment in Britain's broken labour market. In: Critical social policy, Jg. 36, H. 1, S. 82-103. DOI:10.1177/0261018315601800

Abstract

"There is growing evidence of the problematic nature of the UK's 'flexible labour market' with rising levels of in-work poverty and insecurity. Yet successive governments have stressed that paid work is the route to inclusion, focussing attention on the divide between employed and unemployed. Past efforts to measure social exclusion have tended to make the same distinction. The aim of this article is to apply Levitas et al.'s (2007) framework to assess levels of exclusionary employment, i.e. exclusion arising directly from an individual's labour market situation. Using data from the Poverty and Social Exclusion UK survey, results show that one in three adults in paid work is in poverty, or in insecure or poor quality employment. One third of this group have not seen any progression in their labour market situation in the last five years. The policy focus needs to shift from 'Broken Britain' to Britain's broken labour market." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Fusaro, Vincent A. & H. Luke Shaefer (2016): How should we define "low-wage" work? An analysis using the Current Population Survey. In: Monthly labor review, Jg. 139, H. Oktober, S. 1-11.

Abstract

"Low-wage work is a central concept in considerable research, yet it lacks an agreed-upon definition. Using data from the Current Population Survey's Annual Social and Economic Supplement, the analysis presented in this article suggests that defining low-wage work on the basis of alternative hourly wage cutoffs changes the size of the low-wage population, but does not noticeably alter time trends in the rate of change. The analysis also indicates that different definitions capture groups of workers with substantively different demographic, social, and economic characteristics. Although the individuals in any of the categories examined might reasonably be considered low-wage workers, a single definition obscures these distinctions." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Gautié, Jérôme & Sophie Ponthieux (2016): Employment and the working poor. In: D. Brady & L. M. Burton (Hrsg.) (2016): The Oxford handbook of the social science of poverty, S. 486-504. DOI:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199914050.013.22

Abstract

"This article examines the phenomenon of working poverty and issues relating to employment and the working poor. It first provides an overview of the problems of definition and measurement regarding the working poor, along with the consequences of the diversity of definitions. In particular, it considers different current definitions of the statistical category 'working poor' and how definitions affect the assessment of the in-work poverty phenomenon. It also provides a 'statistical' portrait of the working poor and explores how the risk of working poverty has evolved in the 2000s. Finally, it discusses the causes of working poverty, including low income at the individual level and the role of welfare states, and outlines potential remedies in terms of public policies." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Horemans, Jeroen, Ive Marx & Brian Nolan (2016): Hanging in, but only just. Part-time employment and in-work poverty throughout the crisis. In: IZA journal of European Labor Studies, Jg. 5, S. 1-19. DOI:10.1186/s40174-016-0053-6

Abstract

"The crisis has deepened pre-existing concerns regarding low-wage and non-standard employment. Countries where unemployment increased most strongly during the crisis period also saw part-time employment increasing, particularly involuntary part-time work. With involuntary part-time workers, as a particular group of underemployed, facing especially high poverty rates, this was accompanied by an increase, on average, in the poverty risk associated with working part-time. However, this was not reflected in a marked increase in the overall in-work poverty rate because full-time work remains dominant and its poverty risk did not change markedly. The household context is of the essence when considering policy implications." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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McKnight, Abigail, Kitty Stewart, Sam Mohun Himmelweit & Marco Palillo (2016): Low pay and in-work poverty. Preventative measures and preventative approaches. Evidence review. Brüssel, 136 S. DOI:10.2767/43829

Abstract

"This review pulls together the existing evidence from across the European Union on the effectiveness of different policy interventions aimed at reducing low pay and in-work poverty." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Plum, Alexander (2016): Can low-wage employment help people escape from the no-pay - low-income trap? In: The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis and Policy, Jg. 16, H. 4, S. 1-28. DOI:10.1515/bejeap-2016-0078

Abstract

"The experience of unemployment itself increases the risk of staying unemployed, and the unemployed face a high poverty risk. Moreover, experiencing poverty reduces the chances of reemployment. As wage inequality has expanded in recent decades, low-paid employment and in-work poverty have both risen. This study analyzes whether low-pay employment helps people escape the no-pay - low-income trap. Survey data from the German Socio-Economic Panel for the period 1995 - 2012 are used to estimate correlated random-effects probit models on the labor-market and income dynamics. The findings suggest that low-paid employment is especially helpful to exit the no-pay - low-income trap for persons who are long-term unemployed, as well as for those over 40 who have been unemployed for a short period of time. No indications of a low-pay - low-income trap are found." (Author's abstract, © De Gruyter) ((en))

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Wagner, Bettina & Anke Hassel (2016): Posting, subcontracting and low-wage employment in the German meat industry. In: Transfer, Jg. 22, H. 2, S. 163-178. DOI:10.1177/1024258916636012

Abstract

"During the last few decades, the German meat industry has experienced an incomparable economic expansion, becoming one of the largest European producers and exporters in the sector. At the same time, Germany, traditionally characterized as a coordinated market economy with strong social partners and labour market institutions, has been nationally as well as internationally criticized for establishing a system of institutional exploitation of mobile and migrant labour in the industry. The aim of this article is to analyse how it was possible to create and maintain such a system under the eyes of social partners and to identify the defining factors for this development." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Giesselmann, Marco (2015): Differences in the patterns of in-work poverty in Germany and the UK. In: European Societies, Jg. 17, H. 1, S. 27-46. DOI:10.1080/14616696.2014.968796

Abstract

"This study analyses differences in individual-level working poverty determinants between Germany and the UK. These differences are linked to institutional patterns at the country level. Here, we observe that the two countries differ especially in bargaining centralisation, employment protection legislation and family policy. At the same time, the levels of decommodification and labour market regulation are no longer core differences in the institutional settings of Germany and the UK, which is interpreted as a consequence of Germany's departure from a traditional conservative regime since the mid-1990s. Adopting economic and sociological approaches, we explain how Germany's closed employment system channels the effects of deregulation policies to the periphery of the labour market. Additionally, we argue that open employment relationships that dominate in the UK put specifically older employees at risk. Finally, we identify country-specific differences in the economic dependency of women, resulting from a stronger male breadwinner orientation of family policy in Germany. Accordingly, multivariate analyses based on harmonised versions of the British Household Panel Study (2002 - 2005) and the Socio-Economic Panel Study (2003 - 2006) reveal that entrants and re-entrants to the labour market, women and - unexpectedly - low-educated persons are particularly affected by in-work poverty in Germany; whereas older workers are more likely to face precarious economic conditions in the UK." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Halleröd, Björn, Hans Ekbrand & Mattias Bengtsson (2015): In-work poverty and labour market trajectories. Poverty risks among the working population in 22 European countries. In: Journal of European social policy, Jg. 25, H. 5, S. 473-488. DOI:10.1177/0958928715608794

Abstract

"Is in-work poverty a low-wage or an unemployment problem, and is it the same problem all across Europe? Because of the definitional ambiguity, we really do not know. In this article, we use longitudinal European Union-Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC) data from 22 countries and derive a set of distinct clusters of labour market trajectories (LMTs) from information about monthly labour market position from a 36-month observation window and estimate in-work poverty risk for each LMT. The results show that in-work poverty is a problem that affects the self-employed and people in a marginal labour market position, that is, those who for different reasons move in and out of employment. Hence, in-work poverty is mainly an unemployment problem, not a low-wage problem. Besides the fact that the size of LMTs varies between countries, we also expected to find systematic country differences in the effect of LMTs. The analysis did not support that assumption." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Jessen, Robin, Davud Rostam-Afschar & Viktor Steiner (2015): Getting the poor to work: three welfare increasing reforms for a busy Germany. (SOEPpapers on multidisciplinary panel data research at DIW Berlin 781), Berlin, 39 S.

Abstract

"We study three budget-neutral reforms of the German tax and transfer system designed to improve work incentives for people with low incomes: a feasible flat tax reform that provides a basic income which is equal to the current level of the means tested unemployment benefit, and two alternative reforms that involve employment subsidies to stimulate participation and full-time work, respectively. We estimate labor supply reactions and welfare effects using a microsimulation model based on household data from the Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP) and a structural labor supply model. We find that all three reforms increase labor supply in the first decile of the income distribution. However, the flat tax scenario reduces overall labor supply by 4.9%, the reform scenario designed to increase participation reduces labor supply by 1%, while the reform that provides improved incentives to work full-time has negligible effects on overall labor supply. With equal welfare weights, aggregate welfare gains are realizable under all three reforms." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Thiede, Brian C., Daniel T. Lichter & Scott R. Sanders (2015): America's working poor. Conceptualization, measurement, and new estimates. In: Work and occupations, Jg. 42, H. 3, S. 267-312. DOI:10.1177/0730888415573635

Abstract

"This article addresses measurement challenges that have stymied contemporary research on the working poor. The authors review previously used measurement schemes and discuss conceptual assumptions that underlie each. Using 2013 March Current Population Survey data, the authors estimate national- and race-specific rates of working poverty using more than 125 measures. The authors then evaluate the association between each measure and a latent construct of working poverty using factor analysis and develop a working poverty index derived from these results. Finally, the authors estimate multivariate regression models to identify key social and demographic risk factors for poverty among workers. The authors' national estimates of working poverty range from 2% to nearly 19% and are highly sensitive to alternative assumptions. The authors' analyses find that the latent construct is most highly correlated with empirical measures of working poverty that include part-time or part-year employment and that use poverty income thresholds that include both the poor and near poor. Crude rates and conditional risks of poverty among workers vary considerably among racial groups. This article provides a conceptual and empirical baseline for decisions about how best to estimate the magnitude and composition of America's working poor population." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Albelda, Randy & Michael Carr (2014): Double trouble: US low-wage and low-income workers, 1979 - 2011. In: Feminist economics, Jg. 20, H. 2, S. 1-28. DOI:10.1080/13545701.2014.886125

Abstract

"There is research on low-wage earners and on low-income adults, yet little that looks specifically at workers who are both. Changes in antipoverty programs and job structure in the United States suggest a rise in this group of workers, but not necessarily an accompanying change in the set of social protections that might cover them. We track the share of low-wage and low-income (LW/LI) workers and their access to a subset of employer benefits and antipoverty programs from 1979 - 2011. We explore changes by worker's gender and family status based on feminist labor market and welfare state regime research that argues jobs and social protection programs are shaped by a heteronormative male-breadwinner model. We find increased shares of LW/LI workers; that LW/LI workers are least likely to receive antipoverty supports and employer benefits; and evidence for a male-breadwinner model in US social protection programs." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Bennett, Fran (2014): The 'living wage', low pay and in work poverty. Rethinking the relationships. In: Critical social policy, Jg. 34, H. 1, S. 46-65. DOI:10.1177/0261018313481564

Abstract

"The 'living wage' is an idea with a long history in the UK currently enjoying a renaissance. This article explores possible reasons for its reemergence as a policy demand, but argues that thinking of low pay primarily as 'poverty pay' caused by employers' failure to pay a living wage raises practical and conceptual issues that are problematic. It examines to what extent recent attempts to resolve such issues in the UK and elsewhere have succeeded, and concludes by suggesting that alternative ways of analysing and addressing the two key issues associated with the living wage, low pay and in work poverty, are required." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Buch, Tanja & Stefan Hell (2014): Niedriglohnbeschäftigung junger Erwerbseinsteiger nach der Berufsausbildung - Sprungbrett oder Armutsfalle? In: Berliner Journal für Soziologie, Jg. 24, H. 3, S. 339-366., 2014-05-26. DOI:10.1007/s11609-014-0255-6

Abstract

"Nach der Berufsausbildung startet rund die Hälfte der Ausbildungsabsolventen mit einem Niedriglohn in das Berufsleben. Die vorliegende empirische Untersuchung auf der Grundlage von Daten des 'Ausbildungspanels Saarland' zeigt, dass es in den ersten Berufsjahren nur einer kleinen Gruppe dieser formal gut qualifizierten Erwerbseinsteiger gelingt, eine besser entlohnte Tätigkeit zu finden. Umgekehrt haben Absolventen, die mit einem höheren Lohn in das Erwerbsleben starten, ein geringes Risiko, in den Niedriglohnbereich abzurutschen. Sie weisen darüber hinaus eine stetigere Beschäftigungsbiografie auf als Jobstarter im Niedriglohnbereich. Ausbildungsabsolventen scheinen sich demnach in einen ausgeprägt segmentierten Arbeitsmarkt integrieren zu müssen. Die Untersuchungsergebnisse zeigen weiter, dass neben individuellen Merkmalen wie der Humankapitalausstattung und dem Geschlecht insbesondere auch Merkmale des Ausbildungs- bzw. Beschäftigungsbetriebes sowie die Berufswahl über das Risiko bestimmen, nach der Ausbildung im Niedriglohnbereich zu arbeiten. Auch die Aufstiegschancen in besser entlohnte Einkommenssegmente werden von diesen Determinanten maßgeblich beeinflusst. Eine Anhebung des Qualifikationsniveaus schwacher Absolventen und eine Veränderung des Berufswahlverhaltens insbesondere von jungen Frauen werden abschließend als mögliche Strategien diskutiert, um die Niedriglohnfalle nach der Berufsausbildung zu umgehen." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Lewchuk, Wayne, Michelynn Laflèche, Diane Dyson, Luin Goldring, Alan Meisner, Stephanie Procyk, Dan Rosen, John Shields, Peter Viducis & Sam Vrankulj (2014): Is precarious employment low income employment? The changing labour market in Southern Ontario. In: Just Labour: A Canadian Journal of Work and Society, Jg. 22, H. Autumn, S. 51-73.

Abstract

"This paper examines the association between income and precarious employment, how this association is changing and how it is shaped by gender and race. It explores how precarious employment has spread to even middle income occupations and what this implies for our understanding of contemporary labour markets and employment relationship norms. The findings indicate a need to refine our views of who is in precarious employment and a need to re-evaluate the nature of the Standard Employment Relationship, which we would argue is not only becoming less prevalent, but also transitioning into something that is less secure." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Saint-Martin, Anne, Mark Keese, Alexander Hijzen, Hande Inanc, Sandrine Cazes, Stijn Broecke, Glenda Quintini, Paolo Falco, Andrea Bassanini & Balint Menyhert Saint-Martin, Anne, Mark Keese, Alexander Hijzen, Hande Inanc, Sandrine Cazes, Stijn Broecke, Glenda Quintini, Paolo Falco, Andrea Bassanini & Balint Menyhert (sonst. bet. Pers.) (2014): OECD employment outlook 2014. (OECD employment outlook), Paris, 289 S. DOI:10.1787/empl_outlook-2014-en

Abstract

"The 2014 edition of the OECD Employment Outlook provides an in-depth review of recent labour market trends and short-term prospects in OECD countries. It zooms in on how the crisis has affected earnings, showing that the low paid have not been spared from a substantial slowdown in real wage growth. While more subdued earnings growth can help to restore competitiveness and employment growth, which is essential to drive down unemployment, the quality of the jobs being created also matters. The complexity of job quality can be captured through three dimensions: earnings; labour market security; and quality of the work environment. There are large differences across countries in each of these dimensions, but there is no need to trade off job quality for quantity: some countries manage to do well on both counts. Non-regular employment can have an adverse impact on job quality, especially in terms of employment security and the difficulties of moving to a job with a permanent contract. Reform to employment protection legislation is necessary in some countries to reduce high levels of non-regular jobs. Skills are a key determinant of a person's chances of working in a highquality job, as new results from the OECD's international Survey of Adult Skills show. This depends not just on the skills workers already have, but also on how these skills are used in the workplace, which in turn reflects countries' labour market institutions and policies.

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Schettkat, Ronald (2014): Niedriglohn, aber nicht bedürftig? (WISO direkt), Bonn, 4 S.

Abstract

"Niedriglohnbeschäftigung und Einkommensungleichheit haben in Deutschland zugenommen. Niedriglöhne sind kein Randphänomen mehr oder lediglich 'Zusatzeinkommen', sondern rund zwei Drittel der Niedriglohnbezieher und -bezieherinnen sind Haupternährer ihrer Haushalte. Sie gleichen in ihren Charakteristiken mehr und mehr den übrigen Arbeitnehmerinnen und Arbeitnehmern und gehören zu 70 Prozent Haushalten an, deren Haushaltseinkommen unterhalb des Medianeinkommens liegt. Löhne sind nicht ökonomisch determiniert und spiegeln nicht die individuellen Produktionsbeiträge. Daher muss die Politik der Zunahme der Lohnungleichheit entgegenwirken - z. B. durch Mindestlöhne." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)