IZA World of Labor is an online platform that provides policy analysts, journalists, academics and society generally with relevant and concise information on labor market issues. Based on the latest research, it provides current thinking on labor markets worldwide in a clear and accessible style. IZA World of Labor aims to support evidence-based policy making and increase awareness of labor market issues, including current concerns like the impact of Covid-19, and longer-term problems like inequality.
View our content on Covid-19—Pandemics and the labor market
The relationship between recessions and health
UpdatedEconomic recessions seem to reduce overall mortality rates, but increase suicides and mental health problems
Recessions are complex events that affect personal health and behavior via various potentially opposing mechanisms. While recessions are known to have negative effects on mental health and lead to an increase in suicides, it has been proven that they reduce mortality rates. A general health policy agenda in relation to recessions remains ambiguous due to the lack of consistency between different individual- and country-level approaches. However, aggregate regional patterns provide valuable information, and local social planners could use them to design region-specific policy responses to mitigate the negative health effects caused by recessions.
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Ethnic enclaves and immigrant economic integration Updated
High-quality enclave networks encourage labor market success for newly arriving immigrants
Simone SchüllerTanika Chakraborty , March 2022Immigrants tend to live in clusters within host countries. Does clustering in ethnic enclaves explain the persistent differences in skill, employment rates, and earnings between immigrants and the native population? Empirical studies consistently find that residing in an enclave can increase earnings. While it is ambiguous whether employment probabilities are also affected or whether earnings benefits accrue to all immigrants, irrespective of their skill levels, it is clear that effects are driven by enclave “quality” (in terms of income, education, and employment) rather than enclave size.Rabbit backpack -
Informal employment in emerging and transition economies Updated
Reducing informality requires better enforcement, more reasonable regulation, and economic growth
Fabián Slonimczyk , March 2022In developing and transition economies as much as half the labor force works in the informal sector (or “shadow economy”). Informal firms congest infrastructure and other public services but do not contribute the taxes needed to finance them. Informal workers are unprotected against such negative shocks as ill-health, but for certain groups there can be scarce opportunities to enter the formal sector meaning informal employment is the only feasible option. Reducing informality requires better enforcement, more reasonable regulation, and economic growth.Tweed jacket -
The labor market impact of Covid-19 on immigrants
Job loss from Covid-19 was greater among immigrants than the native-born in most developed countries
Hugh Cassidy , February 2022The labor market disruptions due to the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdowns impacted immigrant workers more severely than native-born workers in the US, Canada, Australia, and most EU countries. Immigrant workers in most of these countries were more vulnerable to the pandemic since they were more likely to be employed in jobs that are not as easy to perform remotely. The labor market recovery for both groups in the US was rapid, and by Fall 2020, the employment gaps between immigrant and native-born workers, both for men and women, had returned to pre-pandemic levels.Leather crossbody bag -
The transformations of the French labor market, 2000–2021 Updated
The transformations of the French labor market, 2000–2021
Philippe Askenazy , February 2022France has the second largest population of countries in the EU. Since 2000, the French labor market has undergone substantial changes resulting from striking trends, some of which were catalyzed by the Great Recession and the Covid-19 crisis. The most interesting of these changes have been the massive improvement in the education of the labor force (especially of women), the resilience of employment during recessions, and the dramatic emergence of very-short-term employment contracts (less than a week) and low-income independent contractors, which together have fueled earnings inequality.Wool coat
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The 2022 SDG Gender Index shows progress towards gender equality is lacking; Hundreds of Roma refugees from Ukraine face discrimination
Today’s global news summary brings news affecting the world, Moldova, and the UK, and discusses issues as diverse as gender inequality, discrimination, and inflation. -
Feb 22, 2022
Belgium adopted a 4-day work week; thousands of Saudi women applied for just 30 jobs
Today’s global news summary brings news affecting Belgium, Saudi Arabia, and Japan, and discusses issues as diverse as working hours, female labor force participation, and gender discrimination. -
Feb 08, 2022
Increasing number of doctors emigrating from Turkey; Desperate Zimbabweans risk dangerous border crossings
Today’s global news summary brings news affecting Turkey, Zimbabwe, and the UK, and discusses issues as diverse as brain drain, illegal immigration, and ethnicity pay gaps. -
Feb 01, 2022
India is facing widespread unemployment; The minimum wage in Germany will be raised to €12 per hour
Today’s global news summary brings news from India, Germany, and the UK and discusses issues as diverse as unemployment due to Covid-19, minimum wages, and shortages of skilled workers.
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Apr 07, 2022 - Apr 08, 2022
Call for Papers: 14th Workshop on Labour Economics, 7-8 April 2022
Trier, Germany
Solicited contributions from a range of topics and perspectives are welcome, including but not restricted to: labour and personnel economics, human resources, well-being, migration, inequality, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Apr 22, 2022 - Apr 23, 2022
18th Annual Migration Meeting
Cambridge, USA
Going into its 18th year, the Annual Migration Meeting is following a long and successful tradition of bringing together experienced scholars and talented young economists to discuss cutting-edge work on migration.
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May 06, 2022 - May 07, 2022
SOLE: 27th Annual Meeting
Minneapolis, USA
The Society of Labor Economists will hold its Twenty-Seventh Annual Meetings May 6–7,2022, at the Radisson Blu in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.
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show morePanel discussion on the impact of Covid-19 and today's labor market in Europe and the U.S.
IZA World of Labor Panel discussion on inequality, unemployment, wage setting and inflation
IZA World of Labor Panel Discussion on Women in Leadership
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opinion
David Lam, Ahmed Elsayed
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opinion
Jackline Wahba
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opinion
Luna Bellani, Andrea Fazio, Francesco Scervini
show moreLabor markets in low-income countries: Challenges and opportunities
Who benefits when migrants return to developing countries?
How do widespread shocks affect people’s desires to redistribute income?