Nadia Steiber

Household employment patterns in an enlarged European Union

Our aim is to contribute to better understanding of why different practices relating to the division of paid labour by sex in couple households are still to be found in different parts of Europe. We analyse data on the distribution of dominant household employment patterns in eight countries: Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, the Netherlands, Romania, Slovenia, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. Using comparative survey evidence for a large total sample (N = 10,123), we examine how national differences in terms of the gender division of paid work correspond with predictions drawn from well-established structuralist and culturalist theories of the determinants of cross-country variations.The findings call for a further elaboration of conventional approaches to explaining gendered employment patterns in an enlarged Europe.

A Re‐Assessment of Common Theoretical Approaches to Explain Gender Differences in Continuing Training Participation

It is often argued that gender differences in access to continuing training are a central cause of persisting gender inequalities in occupational attainment. Yet existing empirical work has presented rather mixed evidence regarding a potential sex gap in training participation. In this article, we carry out an empirical test of the central theoretical models commonly used to explain gender differences in continuing training participation. Using the European Social Survey, we find that male employees are more likely to train than their female colleagues, controlling for worker, firm and job characteristics, with some tentative evidence for differences across countries. Common theoretical approaches to understanding gender differences in continuing skill investment to some degree explain mens training incidence, while they largely fail to predict that of women.

How to combine the entry of young people in the labour market with the retention of older workers

This paper provides an overview of the employment situation of young and old workers in the EU Member States, setting out the most recent development during the crisis and dealing with policies implemented to promote the employment of both groups. The evidence collected shows that there is no competition between young and older workers on the labour market. Structural or general policies to enhance the functioning of EU labour markets are crucial to improving the situation of both groups. However, the responsibility for employment policies still predominantly lies within Member States of the European Union, although initiatives taken at the EU level can provide added value, particularly through stimulating the exchange of experiences and facilitating regional and cross-border mobility throughout the EU.

Strong or Weak Handgrip? Normative Reference Values for the German Population across the Life Course Stratified by Sex, Age, and Body Height

Handgrip strength is an important biomarker of healthy ageing and a powerful predictor of future morbidity and mortality both in younger and older populations. Therefore, the measurement of handgrip strength is increasingly used as a simple but efficient screening tool for health vulnerability. This study presents normative reference values for handgrip strength in Germany for use in research and clinical practice. It is the first study to provide normative data across the life course that is stratified by sex, age, and body height. The study used a nationally representative sample of test participants ages 17–90. It was based on pooled data from five waves of the German Socio-Economic Panel (2006–2014) and involved a total of 11,790 persons living in Germany (providing 25,285 observations). Handgrip strength was measured with a Smedley dynamometer. Results showed that peak mean values of handgrip strength are reached in men’s and women’s 30s and 40s after which handgrip strength declines in linear fashion with age. Following published recommendations, the study used a cut-off at 2 SD below the sex-specific peak mean value across the life course to define a ‘weak grip’. Less than 10% of women and men aged 65–69 were classified as weak according to this definition, shares increasing to about half of the population aged 80–90. Based on survival analysis that linked handgrip strength to a relevant outcome, however, a ‘critically weak grip’ that warrants further examination was estimated to commence already at 1 SD below the group-specific mean value.

Population aging at cross-roads: diverging secular trends in average cognitive functioning and physical health in the older population of Germany

This paper uses individual-level data from the German Socio-Economic Panel to model trends in population health in terms of cognition, physical fitness, and mental health between 2006 and 2012. The focus is on the population aged 50–90. We use a repeated population-based cross-sectional design. As outcome measures, we use SF-12 measures of physical and mental health and the Symbol-Digit Test (SDT) that captures cognitive processing speed. In line with previous research we find a highly significant Flynn effect on cognition; i.e., SDT scores are higher among those who were tested more recently (at the same age). This result holds for men and women, all age groups, and across all levels of education. While we observe a secular improvement in terms of cognitive functioning, at the same time, average physical and mental health has declined. The decline in average physical health is shown to be stronger for men than for women and found to be strongest for low-educated, young-old men aged 50–64: the decline over the 6-year interval in average physical health is estimated to amount to about 0.37 SD, whereas average fluid cognition improved by about 0.29 SD. This pattern of results at the population-level (trends in average population health) stands in interesting contrast to the positive association of physical health and cognitive functioning at the individual-level. The findings underscore the multi-dimensionality of health and the aging process.

Institutional reforms and age-graded labour market inequalities in Europe

This article examines how institutional change affects age-based labour market inequalities in Europe. We focus on the impact of labour regulation and of wage-setting institutions on the male population aged 25–54. Age-graded labour market inequalities within this group of prime-age individuals are hitherto under-researched. We estimate country panel regressions using data from the European Union Labour Force Survey and time-series data on institutional change for the years 1992–2007. The results present evidence that employment protection and the regulation of temporary work affect age-based inequality dynamics, while union strength has positive employment effects on all age-groups.

Smoking ban in Austria: a long overdue step but still a lot to be done

Tobacco control in Austria has long fallen behind other high-income countries. A tradition of dominant influence of the tobacco industry, coupled with a strong resistance from tobacconists, the hospitality sector, and parts of the population, impeded for a long time, any effective, comprehensive tobacco control legislation. Five years ago, a partial smoking ban in public places that controversially granted a wide range of exceptions to the hospitality sector was introduced. Finally, on Jan 13, 2015, the coalition parties agreed to adopt a new comprehensive legislation, prohibiting smoking in all restaurants and bars by summer 2015 - with more than ten years of delay compared to Ireland, Scotland, and Italy.

Less Supervision, More Satisficing? Comparing Completely Self-Administered Web-Surveys and Interviews Under Controlled Conditions

Abstract Although online surveys are becoming more and more prominent, the quality of the resulting data is still contested. One potential caveat of web surveys is the absence of an interviewer who controls the interview situation, can motivate respondents and prevent them from satisficing, i.e. answering questions with minimal cognitive effort. While there is evidence for differences between data gathered in interviewer-administered surveys and data from self-administered questionnaires, it has not yet been studied whether the sheer presence of an interviewer affects data quality. The present article addresses this research gap. Based on a recent panel study of young unemployed adults, we compare the results from a completely self-administered web survey with those from interviews which were self-administered but conducted in the presence of an interviewer. In particular, we look for differences concerning drop-out, speed, item-non-response, and item-non-differentiation. While we do find significant differences in drop-out rates, we do not find any evidence for interviewer-absence leading to less diligence in filling in the questionnaire. We thus conclude that the presence of an interviewer does not enhance data quality for self-administered questionnaires, but positively affects completion rates.