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Globalisation and the Labour Market: Trade, Technology and Less Skilled Workers in Europe and the United States
Contributor(s): Anderton, Robert (Editor), Brenton, Paul (Editor), Whalley, John (Editor)
ISBN: 0415320127     ISBN-13: 9780415320122
Publisher: Routledge
OUR PRICE:   $152.00  
Product Type: Hardcover - Other Formats
Published: February 2006
Qty:
Annotation:

Although there have been major globalisation episodes prior to the current one, previous globalisation experiences did not seem as pervasive as the episode which began in the last quarter of the twentieth century. It is claimed that the current globalisation wave is causing social disruption: redistributing income from poor to rich, and displacing vulnerable workers. This book provides a careful investigation into the impacts of globalisation on the labour market.
"Globalization and the labour market "examines the relative decline in the economic fortunes of unskilled workers in the major industrialised countries over the last thirty years. In the United States and United Kingdom this has resulted in a relative decline in the wages of unskilled workers. In the 'continental' European economies it has tended to manifest itself in the least skilled facing a higher probability of being unemployed or of being unemployed for longer. Many make the case that globalisation was responsible for this. But globalisation is not the only possible explanation. The last 30 years have also been a period of significant technological change - impressive both in its scale and speed. This has increased the demand for skilled workers and made them better off in economic terms.
The contributions contained in this volume provide a detailed insight into how the labour market impacts of globalisation differ across different firms, industries and countries and how the impacts of technology and trade are intertwined. The analysis contained within this book will make it invaluable to academic researchers and policy makers.
Additional Information
BISAC Categories:
- Political Science | Labor & Industrial Relations
- Political Science | Globalization
Dewey: 331.798
LCCN: 2005019594
Series: Routledge Studies in the Modern World Economy (Hardcover)
Physical Information: 0.66" H x 6.34" W x 9.22" (0.99 lbs) 198 pages
 
Descriptions, Reviews, Etc.
Publisher Description:

Incorporating new empirical data and using a wide variety of methods such as econometrics, general equilibrium and case studies, this detailed volume provides a thorough investigation into the causes of the deterioration in the relative economic fortunes of less-skilled workers across various countries, with a focus on the role of globalization.

It reveals how in the past thirty years, the decline in the wages and employment of less-skilled workers relative to skilled workers in Europe and North America has coincided with an acceleration in 'globalization'. The latter's rapid pace is indicated by the strong growth in both world trade and foreign direct investment which, in turn, have been stimulated by various factors such as reductions in trade barriers a drastic decline in the costs of communication and transportation and the internationalization of production. Although it is now widely held that the main cause of this rise in inequality seems to be a shift in demand towards higher skilled workers, this book aims to shed light on whether it is trade or technology that is primarily responsible for this demand shift.

Importantly, the studies in this book describe how globalisation and technological change are interacting rather than separate forces. Topical and timely, this significant book will be a valuable read for academic researchers, analysts and professional economists in the policy making community.