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Labour Economics

Code: 100504
Credits: 6
2026/2027
Degree programme Type Course
Labour Relations OB 2

Contact lecturer

Name :
Manuel Flores Mallo
Email :
manuel.flores@uab.cat

Teaching staff

Carme Diaz Corral
Olga Lucia Manrique Chaparro
Lidia Andrés Delgado

Group languages

You can consult this information at the end of the document.

Prerequisites

It has no mandatory prerequisits. It is recommended to have successfully completed the Introduction to Economics course.

The subject will be taught considering the perspective of the Sustainable Development Goals.

 

Objectives

Labour Economics is a second-year course, taken after students have completed an introductory course in Economics, which provides them with a basic understanding of the fundamental characteristics of how economic systems operate.

This course focuses on the study and analysis of the functioning of the labour market and its relationship with institutions and social activities that influence working life.

The main objective of the course is to provide students with the analytical tools needed to understand the complexity and social nature of labour relations. To this end, the theoretical content is oriented towards understanding the dynamic forces operating in the labour market, their relationship with models of business organisation, and their interaction with the social institutions that shape economic life.

A second objective is to develop the cognitive and analytical skills required to examine specific labour market realities and understand their underlying dynamics. This involves both training in the use of databases containing information on labour and employment issues and the ability to interpret concrete situations, whether at the level of particular economic sectors or specific labour markets.

Accordingly, the objectives of the course are:

1. To understand the basic analytical foundations for the economic study of the labour market and its interaction with other social institutions.

2. To learn through the use of statistical sources and empirical studies on labour market issues.

3. To apply acquired knowledge to the debates and analyses surrounding labour market challenges and employment-related issues.

4. To demonstrate the knowledge gained through the completion of assignments and projects on specific aspects of the labour market.

Learning outcomes

  1. Economically analysing the policies of the current working conditions.
  2. Explaining the structure of the labour market
  3. Distinguishing the migratory policies.
  4. Identifying and distinguishing the policies affecting employment.
  5. Assessing and contrasting the segmentation and discrimination in the labour market.
  6. Classifying the working time regulations.
  7. Defining the equality policies.
  8. Classifying the general and specific policies of occupation. Assessing the equality between men and women in the labour market.
  9. Describing the Social Security policies.
  10. Identifying the institutional aspects of the labour market in order to relate the needs, demands and fluctuations of the labour market and their dynamics.
  11. Identifying the position of the Spanish labour market within the context of globalisation.
  12. Producing and verbally defending written texts of topics related with the previous competences.
  13. Solving and debating the policies affecting employment as trade unions and employer's organizations.
  14. Knowing the structure of the labour market.
  15. Understanding the employment supply and demand.
  16. Recognising the economic policies of the current working conditions.
  17. Understanding the general and specific policies of occupation.
  18. Recognising the institutional aspects of the labour market.
  19. Understanding the data concerning employment supply and demand.
  20. Analysing the economic globalisation in the national and international fields.
  21. Working autonomously.
  22. Organising and managing the available time.
  23. Clearly expressing ideas or facts in a compelling way.
  24. Students must be capable of persuading others to agree with their point of view.
  25. Verbally communicating and defending a project.
  26. Drawing up and formalising reports and documents.
  27. Applying the information and communication technologies to the different areas of action.
  28. Working effectively in teams.
  29. Retain the ethical values and moral standards in decision-making.
  30. Students must be aware of the impact and implications of decisions and activities in other company areas.

Contents

The aim of this course is to examine the various aspects of labor relations from an economic perspective. The course is designed to highlight the main theoretical debates in the analysis of labor activity and their influence on the design and implementation of economic policies:


1. ECONOMICS, LABOR, AND THE LABOR FORCE

Production, reproduction, and labor. Needs and technology. Surplus and subsistence. Cooperation, division of labor, and control. Social forms of labor. The wage-labor society. The creation of the labor market. The employment contract. Conflicts and institutions.


2. LABOR MARKET DATA

Statistics and field studies. Economic activity, inactivity, employment, and unemployment. Absolute figures and rates. Employment and underemployment. Registered unemployment and statistical unemployment. The structure of employment. Employment and unemployment data in Spain.


3. THE LABOR MARKET

The market economy and neoclassical analysis. The labor market: labor supply and labor demand. Labor and labor power. Beyond the market: non-market spheres, conflict, and political processes.


4. THE CONVENTIONAL THEORY OF LABOR SUPPLY

The conventional theory of labor supply. Some criticisms of the conventional theory. Labor force participation rates.


5. THE FORMATION AND REPRODUCTION OF THE LABOR FORCE

The importance of demographic factors. The family and reproductive labor. Reproductive labor and gender. Female labor in the labor market. Education and workforce training. Theories on the role of education. The role of migration and international migration.


6. THE DEMAND FOR LABOR

The demand for labor as a derived demand. Wages and labor costs. Unit labor costs. Problems in measuring productivity. The neoclassical demand for labor in the short run and the long run. The relationship between wages and productivity: some alternative theories. Wages and product demand.


7. THE PROBLEM OF UNEMPLOYMENT

Disequilibria in the labor market. Unemployment and vacancies. Frictional and structural unemployment. Demand-deficient unemployment: the neoclassical and Keynesian perspectives. The reserve army of labor. Unemployment and technological change. Employment policies.


8. TRADE UNIONS

The economic role of trade unions. Forms of pressure and limits to union action. Types of trade unions. Trade unions and collective bargaining. The crisis of trade unions.


Learning activities and methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
REVISION FOR EXAMS 10 0.4 21, 22, 23, 26
PERSONAL WORK 70 2.8 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 10, 11, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21, 22, 23, 26, 27
WORKING WITH REFERENCES 20 0.8 10, 12, 14, 16, 17, 19, 20, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30
SEMINAL LECTURES AND SEMINARS 27.5 1.1 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22, 27
ASSIGNMENT WORK 17.5 0.7 1, 2, 5, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 19, 20, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29

Statement

Teaching and assessment methods may be submitted to change in case health authorities impose restrictions to access to campus

 

TEACHING METHODOLOGY

The course comprises both seminal lectures and seminars where assignments are done and corrected.

Annotation: within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.

Assessment

Continuous assessment activities

Title Weight Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
TWO EXAMS 70% (each 35%) 3.5 0.14 2, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 29, 30
ASSIGNMENTS 30% 1.5 0.06 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 23, 25, 26, 28, 29

The individual assessment score is the weighted average of:

  • Two exams (35% each)
  • Different activities to be carried out throughout the course (30%)

as long as a grade equal to or greater than 4.0 is achieved in each exam.

An average grade equal to or greater than 5.0 is required to pass.

Students will be evaluable as long as they have carried out a set of activities whose weight is equivalent to a minimum of 2/3 of the total grade for the subject. If the value of the activities carried out does not reach this threshold, the student can be considered as non-evaluable.

 

Fraudulent behaviour

“A student who cheats or tries to cheat in an exam will have a grade of 0 and will lose the right to reassessment.

A student who presents an assignment in which there is evidence of plagiarism or cannot justify the arguments of the assignment will get a 0 and a warning.

In case of reiteration, the student will fail the course”.

Restricted Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Technologies: For this course, the use of AI technologies is permitted exclusively for support tasks, such as bibliographic or information searches, proofreading, or translations. Students must clearly identify which parts have been generated using such technology, specify the tools used, and include a critical reflection on how these influenced both the process and the final outcome of the activity. Lack of transparency regarding the use of AI in this assessed activity will be considered academic dishonesty and may result in a partial or total penalty on the grade for the activity, or more severe sanctions in serious cases.

 

Bibliography

Carrasco Bengoa, Cristina i Díaz Corral, Carme (eds.) Economía feminista: desafíos, propuestas, alianzas. Entrepobles: Barcelona, 2017 (ISBN: 9788416828173).

McConnell, C. R., Brue, S.L y Macpherson (2008) Economía Laboral. McGraw-Hill, Madrid.

Recio, A. (1997) Trabajos, personas, mercados. FUHEM, Icaria. Barcelona

Software

The subject does not require any specific software.

Course groups and languages

The information provided is provisional until November 30. After this date, you will be able to consult the language of each group through this link. To access the information, you will need to enter the course CODE

Type of teaching Group Language Semester Shift
(TE) Theory 1 Catalan first semester morning-mixed
(PAUL) Classroom practices 11 Catalan first semester morning-mixed
(PAUL) Classroom practices 12 Catalan first semester morning-mixed
(TE) Theory 51 Catalan first semester afternoon
(PAUL) Classroom practices 51 Catalan first semester afternoon