This paper focuses on labour force segments defined on the basis of migrant status and gender, in terms of the impact of economic devolution related to structural adjustment policies (SAPs). In this context, gender has received attention primarily since 1990, while the migrant/non-migrant section of the labour force remains to be tackled. Impact is calibrated for labour force segments based on gender, migration status, and both combined. Data representing all of Ecuador, and broken down by conceptually meaningful occupational and economic-sector-of-employment categories, are used to observe changes over the decade of the 1980s when the impacts of SAPs were most felt. Statistics measure change between 1982 and 1990 for the population as a whole, and change in the proportion of each workforce category broken down by gender, migrant status, and both combined. The results show that females were more adversely affected than males and migrants more than non-migrants. Concerning the combination of migration status and gender, male non-migrants fared distinctly better than the other categories. Male migrants and female non-migrants occupied a similar middle position. Female migrants came out as the most disadvantaged group, experiencing declines in high-skill employment opportunities and a shift toward low-skill and family-based employment.This study examined the impact of economic deficits due to structural adjustment processes on shifts in the organization of work by gender and migration status in Ecuador. Work is organized according to Lawson's social hierarchy scheme: ownership; authority and control over employees; autonomy in one's own work; and the nature and range of skills used in production. After a brief review of the related empirical literature, the author describes the concepts, categories of, and study area of work and then begins the empirical analysis. Data were obtained from 1,884,816 individual records of economically active persons in 1982 and 2,946,547 persons in 1990, from the censuses of 1982 and 1990 for the entire nation, and from fieldwork observations by Lawson. Structural adjustment policies (SAPs) associated with devolution tend to further aggravate inequities, especially among the disadvantaged. Findings are presented for male and female nonmigrants, migrants, and female migrants. During the 1980s, female migrants experienced primary economic activity, especially as self-employed, family, or low skilled employees; and declines in high skilled public sector employment and service activity, especially in wage labor. The economic impact was greater by gender than by migration status. The shifts only improved the relative position of women in self-employed and ownership jobs. Females lost public-sector employment to males; overall wage declines were more severe in the informal sector. Down-sizing in the public sector and shifts toward capital-intensive production marginalized female migrants. Fieldwork operationalizes losses among females/female migrants.

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Research Methodology South and Central America Ecuador Americas Interpersonal Relations Latin America economics population Migrants demography social change methodology developing country Population Dynamics Research Report Developing Countries Women's Rights gender issues Economic Conditions--changes human relation health care manpower Health Manpower structural adjustment work organisation South America Socioeconomic Factors socioeconomics Western Hemisphere theoretical model Models, Theoretical Article migration Demographic Factors research Women's Status Emigration and Immigration Economic Factors Transients and Migrants Human Resources Macroeconomic Factors employment Labor Force Occupational Status