WageIndicator News Flash http://www.wageindicator.org Pay gap freeze around the globe -March 2012 http://www.wageindicator.org/main/WageIndicatorgazette/wageindicator-news/pay-gap-freeze-around-the-globe-march-2012 Pay gap freeze around the globe

Solution: facilitate childrearing tasks

 

Frozen in Time, gender pay gap unchanged for 10 years, March 2012, is the apt title of a report covering trends in gender pay relations, since the beginning of the millenium. In search for an explanation of this big pay gap freeze across the globe, researchers from the University of Amsterdam found Wage Indicator data most helpful. Other than the aggregate data provided by national statistical offices and international public sources, the Wage Indicator data allows for a breakdown of labour market behaviour of working individuals in motivating and/or inhibiting factors.

 

Individual´s motives and possibilities to participate in the labour market may and do vary per occupation, industry, composition of the household, education, firm size etc. Taking these variables into account researchers analyze that in most countries child rearing is much more detrimental to women´s wages than to men´s wages, thereby contributing to the gender pay gap. This conclusion is followed up by the obvious implication of what might be one of the strongest factors perpetuating the traditional gender pay gap well into the 21rst century.
The researchers´ observe that: any policies to facilitate childrearing tasks for both men and women will decrease the gender pay gap.

 

The report ´Frozen in Time´ has been compiled for the ITUC, the International Trade Union Federation, and is published at the occasion of Women´s Day March 8.

 

]]> No publisher Amitesh 2012-03-09T20:42:02Z News Item Women journalists sick and tired of gender pay gap -March 2012 http://www.wageindicator.org/main/WageIndicatorgazette/wageindicator-news/women-journalists-sick-and-tired-of-gender-pay-gap-march-2012 Female journalists are paid less, receive fewer benefits and are more often without a fixed contract than their male colleagues. They know it and it makes them less satisfied with their wage, working environment and – indeed – their colleagues, then men. Yet it seems hard to remedy these situations of factual discrimination in terms of working conditions. This finding is in line with the persistent pay gap typical for all gender relations of the working population, whatever their occupation, branch of industry, or region of the world they work in. It is however telling that this structural deprivation persists even amongst that part of the workforce that is supposedly well informed and assertive when it comes to getting things done.    

 

Male wages exceed female wages in all 16 studied countries, from the EU, the former Soviet Union and in Central and Latin America. The only asset women broadly share seems to be that they, less then their male colleagues, work in shifts or at irregular hours, on Saturdays, Sundays, or in the evenings, or do telework. But their more regular working week apparently does not compensate enough to make them feel as satisfied with their jobs as the men they work with on an equal footing.

 

These are the main findings of the report Gender Pay Gap in Journalism, March 2012. It is based on the international dataset of wages per occupation, compiled through the Wage Indicator Salary Surveys from 2009 till 2011. During this period nearly 2,000 journalists across the globe completed the questionnaire.

 The Gender Pay Gap in Journalism report has been made in cooperation with the International Federation of Journalists .

]]> No publisher Amitesh 2012-03-07T11:01:27Z News Item Waste workers least rewarded -February 2012 http://www.wageindicator.org/main/WageIndicatorgazette/wageindicator-news/waste-workers-least-rewarded-february-2012 In terms of earnings, working hours and work safety employees in the waste sector are off worse than their colleagues in the energy and water supply sub-sectors. This outcome results from a comparison between the utilities sectors in 13 European countries, based on data collected online by Wage Indicator in 2010 and 2011. Europe’s waste workers earn less, work longer hours and are more often exposed to unsafe working conditions than the energy and water supply workers. The ownership of the companies that employ them, i.e. state or private, has no measurable impact on these overall findings.

]]> No publisher Amitesh 2012-02-05T21:41:24Z News Item Minimum wages in Brazil and Indonesia hit young women -February 2012 http://www.wageindicator.org/main/WageIndicatorgazette/wageindicator-news/minimum-wages-in-brazil-and-indonesia-hit-young-women-february-2012 In both Brazil and Indonesia women and young workers are more likely to earn the minimum wage – or less than the minimum wage -  as compared to men. This means that a legal minimum wage or a higher minimum wage will work out most positively for (young) women. These measures combined therefore are most likely to reduce poverty and the gender pay gap. This overall result from an analysis of Wage Indicator data collected for 14 countries, in a special research dedicated to young working women (2009-2011), confirms research outcomes from many other countries.

 

When looking at some characteristics of individual work situations in both Brazil and Indonesia, first of all shorter working hours go together with earnings above the minimum wage. Also, contributing to social security makes it more likely to be paid above the minimum wage. Shorter hours and social security matching with higher earnings, suggest that in both countries a layer of privileged workers coexists with a working underclass, denied such decent labour rights. One would expect these working poor to work irregular hours, or have no formal employment at all. And indeed, being an own account worker makes earning under the minimum wage more likely in Brazil, though not in Indonesia. In Indonesia the answer of many seems to be to have two or more small jobs, thereby increasing one´s income. This goes together with the practice of being paid cash in hand when the job is done.

]]> No publisher Amitesh 2012-02-01T21:38:32Z News Item Experts opinions differ from practitioners -January 2012 http://www.wageindicator.org/main/WageIndicatorgazette/wageindicator-news/experts-opinions-differ-from-practitioners-january-2012 So-called experts might be wrong more often than we think. This at least is suggested by the outcome of a comparison between what midwives say they do and what experts say they think midwives do. This comparison reveals certain remarkable differences of opinion from ´within´ and ´without´. Thus midwives more often advise that expectant mothers give birth in a natural way. Also they put more emphasis on educational advice than experts tend to think. And again, they prescribe medicine and medical treatment less frequently than assumed by experts in their field.

These differences of opinion persist, notwithstanding the fact that both midwives and professional experts in their field cooperate a lot, practically speaking. It was precisely for this reason that these experts were asked to include their opinion in the job descriptions that were gathered for 150 occupations in 8 European countries over the past few years. Wage Indicator job observations were used to collect the information that made this comparison possible.

When trying to assess the significance of this discrepancy in findings, it should be borne in mind that midwives were just one of 150 occupations charted. There is no specific reason to believe that other occupations and relevant ´expert´ opinions are exempt to possible shortcomings of the presumably well informed. These therefore should not be followed blindly.

 

]]> No publisher Amitesh 2012-02-01T17:45:53Z News Item Hungarians with jobs happier than 5 years ago -January 2012 http://www.wageindicator.org/main/WageIndicatorgazette/wageindicator-news/hungarians-with-jobs-happier-than-5-years-ago-january-2012 In the midst of political turmoil at the beginning of 2012, Berbarometer registered changes in levels of satisfaction with working life amongst the population. A comparison was made between the response to the online survey in 2006 and 2010. The analysis of survey results focused on two questions: how satisfied are you with your job and with your wage? Regarding job satisfaction the happy number increased by a good 5 percent to 45 percent on average. This can be seen as a sign that people who are still with jobs cherish them more, given the steep rise in unemployment over the past few years. They simply count their blessings. By contrast the crisis does not seem to influence satisfaction with wage levels yet. More than half of respondents, both in 2006 and 2010, said to be (very) unhappy with their wages, men and women alike. Having children yes or no, did not change this score on wage satisfaction significantly. The wage happiness figures remained steady over the past 5 years. See the full report.

 

REPORT-1  (pdf, downloadable)


Summary

SZGTI (Trade Union Institute of Economic and Social Research, Hungary) within its BérBarométer project (EQUAL H005) based on the WageIndicator system gathers since 2006 the on-line data on labour market, employment (www.berbarometer.hu). The on-line questionnaire asks also about the satisfaction with the life in general. People filling the questionnaire could evaluate their satisfaction with life in a scale from 1 to 10, where the score 1 means that the answerer is not at all satisfied, meanwhile the score 10 means that he or she is totally satisfied with the life. So, we can consider (mostly) satisfied with the life those who vote with score from 6 to 10, meanwhile those who give score from 1 to 5 can be considered not or less satisfied with their life. The questionnaire in the five years has been filled by 2250 women and 1870 men.

 

REPORT-2  (pdf, downloadable)


Summary

SZGTI (Trade Union Institute of Economic and Social Research, Hungary) within its BérBarométer project (EQUAL H005) based on the WageIndicator system gathers since 2006 the on-line data on labour market, employment (www.berbarometer.hu). The on-line questionnaire – among a lot of other topics - asks about satisfaction with wage and job. People filling the questionnaire could evaluate their happiness with wage and job voting to “Very satisfied”, “Satisfied”, “Averagely satisfied”, “Dissatisfied” and “Very dissatisfied”. Both in 2006 and 2010 500-500 persons answered this question. Now we examine how the answers differ according to gender and to rear or not a child.

 

]]> No publisher Amitesh 2012-01-11T23:31:43Z News Item Work, family and happiness - January 2012 http://www.wageindicator.org/main/WageIndicatorgazette/wageindicator-news/work-family-and-happiness-january-2012 In the study, the relationship between different household arrangements and happiness is investigated. It explains how best one can organize his or her life to be happy. Happiness is not something that happens to you but what you as an individual can exert influence on it yourself.

]]> No publisher Amitesh 2012-01-11T22:59:02Z News Item Upping the minima: Brazil and Indonesia reviewed -January 2012 http://www.wageindicator.org/main/WageIndicatorgazette/wageindicator-news/upping-the-minima-brazil-and-indonesia-reviewed-january-2012 In what respects do workers earning (less than) the minimum wage differ from those above the minimum wages? And which characteristics influence the probability of being paid above the minimum wage? These questions have been analyzed using the Wage Indicator data collected for 14 countries participating in its research program. Given the size of populations, impact on the world economy, as well as the size of the data-sets gathered, the following analysis focuses on Brazil and Indonesia only.

The bread and butter question is: do the workers earning (less than) the minimum wage differ from those earning more?

Working women and the young

First of all, looking at personal characteristics, in both Brazil and Indonesia women and young workers are more likely to earn (less than) the minimum wage as compared to men. These results confirm results from many other countries that a statutory minimum wage or an increased minimum wage will work out most positively for (young) women, most likely reducing poverty and the gender pay gap.

Education and skills

Regarding education, in Brazil a high education increases the chances of earning above the minimum wage, but in Indonesia no effect is found. Skill level increases the chances of earning above the minimum wage in both Brazil and Indonesia.

Working hours and overtime

In Brazil working on Saturdays and Sundays is usually paid worse. It decreases the chances of earning above the minimum wage level. No such ‘weekend’ effect is found in Indonesia. Working in the evening has no noticeable effect on the chance of earning (less than) the minimum wage. Working in shifts or irregular hours however decrease substantially the chances of earning more than the minimum wage in Indonesia, whereas no such effect is found in Brazil. In both countries the duration of the working day is a major indicator: shorter working hours seem to go well together with earnings above the minimum wage.

(Self)employed

Own account workers in Brazil as a rule do not earn above the minimum wage leve. In Indonesia no significant effect is found. Those workers contributing to social security are more likely to be paid above the minimum wage in both countries. Having two or more jobs seems to be the way up the wage scale in Indonesia, but not in Brazil.

Working in a firm or organization with more than ten employees has no noticeable effect on being paid above the minimum wage in either Brazil or Indonesia. The same holds true for the type of contract.
Having a permanent employment contract does not influence the chance of being paid (less than) the minimum wage. Having a supervisory position likewise does not effect this chance. Yet, being covered by a collective bargaining agreement increases the chances of being paid above the minimum wage in Brazil, whereas no such effect is measurable in Indonesia.

Cash or not

Receiving the wage cash in hand does not relate to being paid (less than) the minimum wage in Brazil, but it decreases substantially the chances of being paid above the minimum wage in Indonesia. The same holds true for wage levels varying across the months. This has a downgrading effect in Indonesia, but not in Brazil. Finally, having received a pay increase in the previous year increases chances of being paid above the minimum wage in Brazil, whereas it has no effect in Indonesia.

 

]]> No publisher Amitesh 2012-01-11T23:42:36Z News Item