Piotr Wilk Psychiatry and Bechavioural Sciences McMaster University Hamilton, Ontario pwilk@uwo

1. Childhood and adolescent precursors of adult labour force attachment: Influences of neighbourhood characteristics Piotr Wilk Psychiatry and Bechavioural Sciences McMaster University Hamilton, Ontario pwilk@uwo.ca

2. Objectives • Examine childhood and adolescent predictors of adult labour force attachment • Focus on effects attributable to early exposure to neighbourhood influences

3. Past Research • The collective socialization and social isolation theories posit that neighbourhood influences operate through • role modeling and enforcement of social norms • economic conditions of neighbourhoods

4. Past Research • Timing of neighbourhood effects • focus on adolescents • growing interest in neighbourhood influences at earlier stages of child development

5. Research Questions • Is adult labour force attachment shaped by childhood neighbourhood conditions? • Is the nature of this relationship dependent on child’s developmental stage? • Is the nature of this relationship dependent on gender?

6. Data • Child and family level data • OCHS 2000 (dependent variables) • OCHS 1983 (independent variables) • Neighbourhood level data • 1981 Census of Canada

7. Measurements:Labour Force Attachment • Work Attitudes • latent variable based on 7 items • scale from 1 (weak) to 5 (strong attachment) • Work Stability • single indicator latent variable • based on work history calendar • number of months employed (last 3 years)

8. Measurements:Neighbourhoods • Neighbourhoods are defined as Census enumeration areas • Neighbourhood Socio-Economic Status • latent variable based on three items: educational attainment, occupational status, and income • Employment Rate • single indicator measure of neighbourhood employment rate

9. Measurements:Families • Family Socio-Economic Status (latent variable) • based on three items: parental educational attainment, parental occupational status,and family income • Employment Stability (continuous variable) • number of months employed (last year) • Immigration Status (dummy variable) • both parents born abroad • Residential Stability (dummy variable) • family experienced residential mobility (last year)

10. Measurements:Children • Age (Group variable) • ‘Children’ (4-11 years old in 1983) • ‘Adolescents’ (12-16 year old in 1983) • Sex(Group variable)

11. Analytical Approach • Longitudinal design • Structural equation modeling • Multi-group analysis

12. Estimation Procedure • Base model • gross effect of neighbourhood variables • Full model • neighbourhood effects controlling for family background variables • Multi-group analysis • by age • by gender

13. EMPLOYMENT RATE EDUCATION NEIGHBOURHOOD EMPLOYMENT OCCUPATION* EMP. HISTORY SES STABILITY INCOME Q 1 Q 2 EDUCATION* FAMILY WORK OCCUPATION Q 3 SES ATTITUDE INCOME Q 4* Q 5 EMPLOYED IMMIGRANT MOVED Empirical Model

14. Base Model Full Model Est. S.D. P Est. S.D. P Neighbourhood Predictors 0.037 0.029 0.205 0.044 0.035 0.207 Socio-Economic Status 0.165 0.069 0.016 0.075 Employment Rate 0.122 0.068 Family Predictors ----- ----- ----- 0.846 Socio-Economic Status -0.027 0.141 ----- ----- ----- -0.320 0.188 0.089 Employment Status ----- ----- ----- 0.408 0.613 0.506 Birth Place ----- ----- ----- 0.511 Family Mobility -0.322 0.490 Results:Employment Stability

15. Age 4-11 Age 12-16 Est. S.E. P Est. S.E. P Neighbourhood Predictors 0.030 0.044 0.499 0.074 0.057 0.191 SES 0.192 0.088 0.028 0.040 0.110 0.712 Employment Rate Family Predictors 0.951 0.617 SES -0.012 0.188 -0.109 0.218 -0.134 0.264 0.612 0.055 Employment Status -0.521 0.271 0.969 0.980 0.937 0.296 Birth Place 0.031 0.811 0.305 0.695 Family Mobility -0.635 0.619 -0.310 0.788 Results:Employment Stability by Age

16. Males Females Est. S.E. P Est. S.E. P Neighbourhood Predictors -0.008 0.042 0.857 0.098 0.056 0.078 SES 0.202 0.082 0.014 0.056 0.107 0.598 Employment Rate Family Predictors -0.208 0.177 0.240 0.093 0.214 0.666 SES 0.527 0.056 Employment Status -0.138 0.218 -0.582 0.305 0.665 0.283 Birth Place -0.323 0.744 1.042 0.954 -0.324 0.584 0.579 -0.320 0.775 0.680 Family Mobility Results:Employment Stability by Sex

17. Base Model Full Model Est. S.D. P Est. S.D. P Neighbourhood Predictors 0.004 0.002 0.051 0.004 0.003 0.173 Socio-Economic Status -0.010 0.005 0.049 0.037 Employment Rate -0.010 0.005 Family Predictors ----- ----- ----- 0.455 Socio-Economic Status 0.008 0.010 ----- ----- ----- -0.011 0.014 0.435 Employment Status ----- ----- ----- -0.072 0.045 0.108 Birth Place ----- ----- ----- 0.158 Family Mobility 0.050 0.036 Results:Work Attitudes

18. Age 4-11 Age 12-16 Est. S.E. P Est. S.E. P Neighbourhood Predictors 0.004 0.003 0.177 0.002 0.004 0.628 SES -0.013 0.007 0.038 -0.006 0.008 0.441 Employment Rate Family Predictors 0.803 0.434 SES 0.004 0.014 0.012 0.016 -0.015 0.019 0.451 0.683 Employment Status -0.008 0.019 0.040 -0.018 0.067 0.789 Birth Place -0.123 0.060 0.326 0.206 Family Mobility 0.045 0.046 0.071 0.056 Results:Work Attitudes by Age

19. Males Females Est. S.E. P Est. S.E. P Neighbourhood Predictors 0.005 0.003 0.168 0.003 0.004 0.406 SESus -0.005 0.007 0.496 -0.016 0.007 0.028 Employment Rate Family Predictors -0.014 0.015 0.330 0.022 0.015 0.125 SES 0.514 0.070 Employment Status 0.012 0.018 -0.038 0.021 0.102 0.431 Birth Place -0.100 0.061 -0.050 0.065 0.548 0.122 0.053 0.021 Family Mobility -0.029 0.048 Results:Work Attitudes by Sex

20. Conclusions • As expected, neighbourhood employment rate has positive effect on employment stability but only among males and children age 4 to 11 • Neighbourhood employment rate has negative effect on work attitudes but only among females and children age 4 to 11 • No significant effect for neighbourhood socio-economic status • Limited support for collective socialization and social isolation theories

21. Thank You!