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Study: Domestic control of COVID-19 takes priority over international travel bans
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Since COVID-19 reached global pandemic status, many countries have faced containment pressures from both domestic and international transmission after experiencing multiple epidemic waves. But according to a new paper co-written by a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign urban and environmental economics expert, taming domestic transmission of the novel coronavirus ought to be prioritized […]
Study: Idea sharing increases online learner engagement
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Sharing ideas in an online learning environment has a distinct advantage over sharing personal details in driving learner engagement in massive open online courses, more commonly known as MOOCs, says new research co-written by a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign expert who studies the intersection of marketing and digital environments. Online learning engagement […]
Are generous unemployment benefits to blame for worker shortages?
With the COVID-19 pandemic waning, worker shortages at restaurants, retail stores and hotels have slowed the recovery of some sectors of the U.S. economy. Will workers eventually come back to those industries in higher numbers when extended unemployment benefits expire? Robert Bruno, a professor of labor and employment relations at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, […]
Nudges for default decisions influenced by time constraints, study says
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Providing a choice that will be selected if a consumer does not override it – known as the default option – is an easy way to “nudge” people toward a decision and influences behavior in powerful ways to increase support for organ donation, retirement plan choices, car insurance and service-sector gratuity. But […]
Paper: Sharp decline in women’s labor force participation in Illinois due to COVID-19
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — A new paper co-written by a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign researcher who studies labor issues affecting low-wage workers finds that almost 40% of working mothers in the state of Illinois lost jobs or were working fewer hours due to the ripple effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The economic downturn and shuttering of […]
Paper: Work-refusal safety laws serve employees poorly during pandemic
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — A new paper from a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign expert in labor law shows that current work-refusal laws are out-of-step with modern workplaces and provided meager benefits to employees who have refused to work when risks involved chemicals, radiation and other microscopic or invisible hazards such as COVID-19. An analysis comparing work-refusal […]
Study: Rapid bulk-testing for COVID-19 key to reopening universities
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — A new paper co-written by a team of University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign business professors shows that rapid bulk-testing for COVID-19 along with other standard mitigation measures such as mask-wearing and social distancing were the keys to successfully reopening colleges and universities during the novel coronavirus pandemic. For institutions of higher education that […]
Women, minority representation on Illinois corporate boards lags, study says
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — A new report from a team of University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign labor experts shows women and nonwhite minorities remain largely underrepresented as corporate board members in the state of Illinois relative to the state’s demographics and their respective industries. The report also highlights several promising policies and practices that firms can adopt […]
Paper: Personal charitable donation budgets flexible in aftermath of deadly storms
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Charitable donations account for about 2% of gross domestic product in the U.S., but it’s not well-understood whether an event such as a deadly storm inspires increases in charitable giving or simply reallocates a fixed supply of donation dollars that would have otherwise gone to another cause. A new paper from a […]
Paper: STEM skills gap modest among IT help desk workers
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Workers with science, technology, engineering and math backgrounds are typically in high demand – but the demand isn’t so overwhelming that a “skills gap” exists in the labor market for information technology help desk workers, one of the largest computer occupations in the U.S., says new research from a University of Illinois […]
Paper: Underemployment pervasive for part-time workers in Illinois
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — A new study co-written by a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign researcher who studies labor issues affecting low-wage workers finds pervasive underemployment among low-paid part-time workers in the state of Illinois that’s attributable to problematic work-scheduling practices. As many as 61% of hourly workers in Illinois are underemployed, with up to 65% and […]
Paper: Emotionally appealing ads may not always help consumer memory
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — In almost all successful advertising campaigns, an appeal to emotion sparks a call-to-action that motivates viewers to become consumers. But according to research from a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign expert who studies consumer information-processing and memory, emotionally arousing advertisements may not always help improve consumers’ immediate memory. A new paper co-written by […]