IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/obuest/v77y2015i6p872-896.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Low-Pay No-Pay Cycle: Are There Systematic Differences across Demographic Groups?

Author

Listed:
  • Yin King Fok
  • Rosanna Scutella
  • Roger Wilkins

Abstract

type="main" xml:id="obes12084-abs-0001"> We investigate transitions between unemployment, low-paid employment and higher-paid employment using dynamic panel data methods applied to household panel data. We find state dependence in both unemployment and low-paid employment and evidence of a low-pay no-pay cycle. However, we also find significant differences in effects across population subgroups. Typically, the young and better-educated face lower penalties from unemployment and low-paid employment. Further, low-paid employment is preferable to unemployment for women regardless of their demographic characteristics, but for men who have only completed secondary schooling, low-paid employment actually decreases the chances of entering higher-paid employment by more than does unemployment.

Suggested Citation

  • Yin King Fok & Rosanna Scutella & Roger Wilkins, 2015. "The Low-Pay No-Pay Cycle: Are There Systematic Differences across Demographic Groups?," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 77(6), pages 872-896, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:bla:obuest:v:77:y:2015:i:6:p:872-896
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1111/obes.2015.77.issue-6
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to look for a different version below or search for a different version of it.

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Stephen Knights & Mark N. Harris & Joanne Loundes, 2002. "Dynamic Relationships in the Australian Labour Market: Heterogeneity and State Dependence," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 78(242), pages 284-298, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Claus Schnabel, 2021. "Low-wage employment," IZA World of Labor, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), pages 276-276, March.
    2. Kabir Dasgupta & Alexander Plum, 2023. "Human capital formation and changes in low pay persistence," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 55(56), pages 6583-6604, December.
    3. Adrian Chadi & Clemens Hetschko, 2021. "How Job Changes Affect People's Lives — Evidence from Subjective Well‐Being Data," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 59(2), pages 279-306, June.
    4. Jeff Borland & Michael Coelli, 2016. "Labour Market Inequality in Australia," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 92(299), pages 517-547, December.
    5. Pacheco, Gail & Plum, Alexander T. & Sloane, Peter J., 2020. "Not Much Bounce in the Springboard: On the Mobility of Low Pay Workers," IZA Discussion Papers 12896, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    6. Plum Alexander, 2016. "Can Low-Wage Employment Help People Escape from the No-Pay – Low-Income Trap?," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 16(4), pages 1-28, October.
    7. Alexander Plum & Gail Pacheco & Kabir Dasgupta, 2021. "When There is No Way Up: Reconsidering Low‐paid Jobs as Stepping‐stones," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 97(318), pages 387-409, September.
    8. Cai, Lixin & Mavromaras, Kostas & Sloane, Peter J., 2016. "Low Paid Employment in Britain: Estimating State-Dependence and Stepping Stone Effects," IZA Discussion Papers 9633, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    9. Bryn Lampe & Catherine de Fontenay & Jessica Nugent & Patrick Jomini, 2022. "Climbing the Jobs Ladder Slower: Young People in a Weak Labour Market," Australian Economic Review, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, vol. 55(1), pages 40-70, March.
    10. Dütsch Matthias & Himmelreicher Ralf, 2020. "Characteristics Contributing to Low- and Minimum-Wage Labour in Germany," Journal of Economics and Statistics (Jahrbuecher fuer Nationaloekonomie und Statistik), De Gruyter, vol. 240(2-3), pages 161-200, April.
    11. Lixin Cai, 2020. "Is there a low-pay no-pay cycle in Australia? A note on Fok, Scutella and Wilkins (2015)," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 59(3), pages 1493-1511, September.
    12. Chiara Mussida & Dario Sciulli, 2023. "Low pay and household poverty in Italy," Working Papers 635, ECINEQ, Society for the Study of Economic Inequality.
    13. Selcuk GEMICIOGLU & Hasan SAHIN, 2023. "Unemployment Persistence in The Turkish Labor Market," Journal of Economic Policy Researches, Istanbul University, Faculty of Economics, vol. 10(1), pages 181-211, January.
    14. Anna Baranowska-Rataj & Zoltán Elekes & Rikard Eriksson, 2021. "Escaping from Low-Wage Employment: The Role of Co-worker Networks," CERS-IE WORKING PAPERS 2123, Institute of Economics, Centre for Economic and Regional Studies.
    15. Dütsch Matthias & Himmelreicher Ralf, 2020. "Characteristics Contributing to Low- and Minimum-Wage Labour in Germany," Journal of Economics and Statistics (Jahrbuecher fuer Nationaloekonomie und Statistik), De Gruyter, vol. 240(2-3), pages 161-200, April.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Sandra M. Leitner, 2022. "A skill‐specific dynamic labour supply and labour demand framework: A scenario analysis for the Western Balkan countries to 2030," LABOUR, CEIS, vol. 36(4), pages 471-504, December.
    2. Vespignani, Joaquin & Yanotti, Maria, 2020. "COVID-19 and Tasmanian youth unemployment: a policy recommendation," Working Papers 2020-07, University of Tasmania, Tasmanian School of Business and Economics.
    3. Bruce Chapman & Matthew Gray, 2002. "Youth Unemployment: Aggregate Incidence and Consequences for Individuals," CEPR Discussion Papers 459, Centre for Economic Policy Research, Research School of Economics, Australian National University.
    4. Taehyun Ahn, 2010. "Employment Dynamics of Married Women and the Role of Part-Time Work: Evidence from Korea," Working Papers 1003, Nam Duck-Woo Economic Research Institute, Sogang University (Former Research Institute for Market Economy).
    5. Lundin, Andreas & Hemmingsson, Tomas, 2013. "Adolescent predictors of unemployment and disability pension across the life course – a longitudinal study of selection in 49 321 Swedish men," Working Paper Series 2013:25, IFAU - Institute for Evaluation of Labour Market and Education Policy.
    6. Cain Polidano & Ha Vu, 2012. "Labour market impacts from disability onset," ANU Working Papers in Economics and Econometrics 2012-583, Australian National University, College of Business and Economics, School of Economics.
    7. Cuesta, Maite Blázquez & Budría, Santiago, 2017. "Unemployment persistence: How important are non-cognitive skills?," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 29-37.
    8. Colin P. Green & Gareth D. Leeves, 2013. "Job Security, Financial Security and Worker Well-being: New Evidence on the Effects of Flexible Employment," Scottish Journal of Political Economy, Scottish Economic Society, vol. 60(2), pages 121-138, May.
    9. Nick Carroll, 2006. "Explaining Unemployment Duration in Australia," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 82(258), pages 298-314, September.
    10. Jeff Borland & David Johnston, 2010. "How Does a Worker's Labour Market History Affect Job Duration?," Melbourne Institute Working Paper Series wp2010n06, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, The University of Melbourne.
    11. Mavromaras, Kostas & Polidano, Cain, 2011. "NILS Working paper no 165. Improving the employment rates of people with disabilities through vocational education," NILS Working Papers 26068, National Institute of Labour Studies.
    12. Sciulli, Dario, 2016. "Adult employment probabilities of socially maladjusted children," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 9-22.
    13. Mavromaras, Kostas & Polidano, Cain, 2011. "Improving the Employment Rates of People with Disabilities through Vocational Education," IZA Discussion Papers 5548, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    14. Scott Baum & William Mitchell, 2008. "Adequate Employment, Underutilisation and Unemployment: an Analysis of Labour Force Outcomes for Australian Youth," Australian Journal of Labour Economics (AJLE), Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre (BCEC), Curtin Business School, vol. 11(3), pages 187-201.
    15. Bryn Lampe & Catherine de Fontenay & Jessica Nugent & Patrick Jomini, 2022. "Climbing the Jobs Ladder Slower: Young People in a Weak Labour Market," Australian Economic Review, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, vol. 55(1), pages 40-70, March.
    16. Harris, M.N. & Zhao, X. & Zucchelli, E., 2016. "The dynamics of health and labour market transitions at older ages: evidence from a multi-state model," Health, Econometrics and Data Group (HEDG) Working Papers 16/30, HEDG, c/o Department of Economics, University of York.
    17. Jeff Borland & Yi-Ping Tseng, 2004. "Does 'Work for the Dole' Work?," Melbourne Institute Working Paper Series wp2004n14, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, The University of Melbourne.
    18. Matthew Gray, 2000. "The Effects of Unemployment on the Earnings of Young Australians," CEPR Discussion Papers 419, Centre for Economic Policy Research, Research School of Economics, Australian National University.
    19. Nordström Skans, Oskar, 2004. "Scarring effects of the first labour market experience: A sibling based analysis," Working Paper Series 2004:14, IFAU - Institute for Evaluation of Labour Market and Education Policy.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • J01 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - General - - - Labor Economics: General
    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials
    • J60 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - General

    Lists

    This item is featured on the following reading lists, Wikipedia, or ReplicationWiki pages:
    1. The Low‐Pay No‐Pay Cycle: Are There Systematic Differences across Demographic Groups? (Oxford Bulletin of Economics & Statistics 2015) in ReplicationWiki

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:obuest:v:77:y:2015:i:6:p:872-896. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/sfeixuk.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.