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Outline on the
Worker & Labor Force as Units of Analysis
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See Also: Research Design |
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See Also: Conceptualization |
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See Also: Units of Analysis |
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Researchers often study work via ethnographies, case studies, &
sample surveys |
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The unit of analysis may be individual workers, groups of workers,
or the formal organizations, i.e. the businesses they work in |
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Social scientists may study unions, businesses, factories, corporate
networks, etc. which are at the organizational, not individual level |
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The Labor Force itself is an important unit of analysis in the study
of work |
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The Labor Force is a collective term for all the workers w/in a country |
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Workers can be described in terms of their background, or demographics |
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Ascribed demographic characteristics of workers include gender, race,
age, occupation of parents, stage of industrial development in the locale,
etc. |
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Achieved demographic characteristics of workers include education,
work experience, skills, etc. |
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If the researcher is looking at social injustices, ascribed demographic
characteristics of the workforce are often more important; however, if
the researcher is looking at a change or consulting study, achieved demographic
characteristics of the workforce are often more important |
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The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the size & composition
of the labor force every month by using info from the Current Population
Survey (CPS) |
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The Labor Force is defined as anyone who is 16 or older who is not
institutionalized |
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In the definition of the Labor Force, institutionalized individuals
include those in prison, a residential hospital, a mental hospital, school,
retirees, disabled people, home makers & more |
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Employed people are those in the labor force who in the previous week: |
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a. worked at least one hour for pay or profit |
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b. worked at least 15 hrs. w/o pay in a family business |
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c. were temporarily not working because os illness, vacation
or similar reason |
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Unemployed people are those in the labor force who |
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a. are not employed |
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b. who actively sought work during the four weeks preceding the
survey |
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c. who were currently available to take work |
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d. have not been out of work longer than 6 mos. |
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See Also: Unemployment |
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Eligible people who do not fall into either of these categories are
termed Not In the Labor Force (NILF) |
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The Labor Force Participation Rate (LFPR) is defined as the number
of people in the labor force divided by the number of people eligible in
it, multiplied by 100 to convert to a percentage |
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LFPR = (LF/All noninstitutionalized persons who are 16 or older) X
100 |
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The LFPR represents the proportion of the eligible population that
is economically actively |
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In January of 1994, the LFPR was 58.2% for women, 20 yrs. old &
older, & 76.5% for men 20 yrs. old & older |
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In September of 2000, the LFPR was 60.6% for women, 20 yrs. old &
older, & 76.5% for men 20 yrs. old & older |
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