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Economic Inequality and the Violation Economy

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  • Biko Koenig

Abstract

The rise of the service economy, low‐wage jobs, and precarious employment practices are often noted as the core drivers of contemporary inequality. This article argues that the new economy should be understood alongside a policy regime that provides tremendous leeway for employers to routinely flout labor regulations, and some of the fissuring of the labor market is due to the ability of employers to engage in illegal activity. This article describes four policy areas to explore how employer violations impact the economics of employment: (1) union violations and the National Labor Relations Act; (2) wage theft and the Fair Labor Standards Act; (3) the categorization of temporary workers and independent contractors; (4) and workplace safety violations under the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. 经济不平等与违法经济 崛起的服务经济、低酬劳工作和不稳定就业往往被认为是当代不平等的核心驱动因素。本文笔者认为,要理解新经济,需要理解一种政策机制,它为雇主例行公事地藐视劳动法规提供了巨大的空间。由于雇主能够从事非法活动,劳动市场出现了一些裂痕。本文描述了以下四个政策领域,以探讨雇主违规行为如何影响就业经济学:(1)违反工会和“国家劳动关系法”;(2)工资盗窃和“公平劳动标准法”;(3)临时工人和独立承包商的分类;(4)职业安全和健康管理局规定的工作场所安全违规行为。 Desigualdad económica y la economía de la violación El auge de la economía de servicios, los empleos de bajos salarios y las prácticas de empleo precario a menudo se consideran como los motores centrales de la desigualdad contemporánea. Este documento sostiene que la nueva economía debe entenderse junto con un régimen de política que ofrece un tremendo margen de maniobra para que los empleadores burlen rutinariamente las regulaciones laborales, y algunas de las fisuras del mercado laboral se deben a la capacidad de los empleadores para participar en actividades ilegales. Este documento describe cuatro áreas de políticas para explorar cómo las violaciones de los empleadores afectan la economía del empleo: (1) las violaciones sindicales y la Ley Nacional de Relaciones Laborales; (2) el robo de salarios y la Ley de normas laborales justas; (3) la categorización de trabajadores temporales y contratistas independientes; (4) y violaciones de seguridad en el lugar de trabajo bajo la Administración de Seguridad y Salud Ocupacional.

Suggested Citation

  • Biko Koenig, 2018. "Economic Inequality and the Violation Economy," Poverty & Public Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 10(4), pages 505-523, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:wly:povpop:v:10:y:2018:i:4:p:505-523
    DOI: 10.1002/pop4.235
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