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Aronsson, Amanda E., Emelie Thern, Nuria Matilla-Santander, Signild Kvart, Julio C. Hernando-Rodriguez, Kathryn Badarin, Mireia Julià, Samira Alfayumi-Zeadna, Virginia Gunn, Bertina Kreshpaj, Carles Muntaner, Theo Bodin & Lluís Mangot-Sala (2025): Parental precarious employment and the mental health of adolescents: a Swedish registry study. In: Scandinavian journal of work, environment & health, Jg. 51, H. 2, S. 59-67. DOI:10.5271/sjweh.4210

Abstract

"This study investigates the association between parental precarious employment (PE) and the mental health of their adolescent children, with a particular focus on how the association differs based on whether the mother or father is in PE. This register-based study used the Swedish Work, Illness, and Labor-market Participation (SWIP) cohort. A sample of 117 437 children aged 16 years at baseline (2005) were followed up until 2009 (the year they turned 20). A multidimensional construct of PE (SWE-ROPE 2.0) was used to classify parental employment as either precarious, substandard or standard. The outcome, adolescents’ mental disorders, wasmeasured as a diagnosis of a mental disorder using ICD-10 codes or by prescribed psychotropic drugs using ATC codes. Crude and adjusted Cox regression models produced hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) to estimate the association between parental PE and adolescents’mental health. Adolescents with parents in PE exhibited a higher risk of developing mental disorders. The association was more pronounced for paternal PE (HR 1.22, 95% CI 1.10–1.35) compared to maternal PE (HR 1.11, 95% CI 1.00–1.21). These associations largely persisted after adjusting for important confounders, including parental mental health. This study addresses a significant gap in the literature on parental PE and adolescents’ mental health. As PE is growing more common across countries, this study provides relevant insights into the intergenerational role that parental low-quality employment may have in terms of mental health within families." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Bermúdez-Barrezueta, Natalia, Sam Desiere & Giulia Tarullo (2025): Hiring Subsidies and Temporary Work Agencies. (IZA discussion paper / Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit 17616), Bonn, 40 S.

Abstract

"This paper evaluates a hiring subsidy for lower-educated youths in Flanders (Belgium) that reduced labor costs by approximately 13% for a period of two years, starting in 2016. Using a donut Regression Discontinuity Design, we find no evidence that the subsidy improved the job finding rate of eligible job seekers in 2016-19, a period marked by a tight labor market. We then investigate the role of temporary work agencies, which disproportionately employ the target group and obtain 25% to 34% of the subsidies. Using Difference-in-Differences regressions, we demonstrate that agencies did not raise wages of eligible agency workers in response to the policy. Remarkably, despite a 3.3% labor cost reduction, full-time equivalent employment of eligible workers in these agencies decreased by 9.2% over the three years following the reform. Our findings highlight how an active labor market policy affects agency employment." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Broschinski, Sven (2025): Labour market reforms, institutional complementarity and the insider–outsider wage gap. In: Socio-economic review, Jg. 23, H. 1, S. 229-255. DOI:10.1093/ser/mwae024

Abstract

"This article provides long-term evidence on how wage differentials between permanent and temporary workers are shaped by institutions that play a key role in labour market dualism, i.e. industrial relations, employment protection legislation and unemployment benefits. A two-step multilevel approach with fixed effects is employed using EU-SILC data for 25 European countries spanning up to 17 years (waves 2004–2020, N = 397) to estimate the moderating effects of several institutions and their interactions on the wage gap by contract type and across the whole wage distribution. The results show that more insider-oriented institutions tend to widen wage differentials and that the impact of institutional reforms on the wage gap varies greatly with the given institutional context. Overall, policy trends towards flexibilization risk widening insider–outsider divides due to accumulating labour market risks for temporary workers, thus increasing labour market segmentation by contract type." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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De Moortel, Deborah, Rebeka Balogh, Miriam Engels & Julie Vanderleyden (2025): Employment Quality and Mental Health in Germany: the Mismatch of Low Employment Quality with Work and Family Values by Gender. In: Social Science & Medicine. DOI:10.1016/j.socscimed.2025.117906

Abstract

"Empirical evidence on whether low-quality employment is detrimental to workers’ mental health is mostly cross-sectional and empirical evidence on pathways linking employment quality (EQ) to mental health remains scarce. Consequently, this study examines subsequent mental health associations of low-quality employment. Associations between EQ and mental health are investigated through a typology of employment arrangements. This study also investigates whether the relation between EQ types and subsequent mental health is different for workers with varying intensities of work and family values (i.e., importance of success at work and of having children, respectively) across genders. Using a large representative German panel dataset and Latent Class Cluster Analysis, EQ types are built and linked to mental health two years later. We assess two- and three-way interactions between EQ types and values, and between EQ types, gender and values, respectively. We found six EQ types: SER-like, precarious unsustainable, precarious full-time, SER-light, portfolio and protected part-time employment. Controlled for socio-demographic characteristics, precarious unsustainable employment for men and precarious full-time employment for women were associated to lower mental health after two years, compared to SER-like employment. Although protected part-time employment related to worse mental health for those with moderate to strong work and family values, compared to those with mild values, the interactions show an unclear pattern of the moderating role of values for the relation between EQ and subsequent mental health, for both men and women. This study should be replicated in other countries to confirm similar associations." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2025 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.) ((en))

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Ehab, Maye & Fatma Mossad (2025): Informal employment in the health sector: Examining gender disparities. In: International Journal of Social Welfare, Jg. 34, H. 2, 2024-09-20. DOI:10.1111/ijsw.12704

Abstract

"This paper investigates the association between informal employment as a form of non-standard employment and the prevalence of in-work poverty for women in the health sector. We measured in-work poverty using a binary indicator that provides information on whether an individual has earnings above or below the low earnings threshold. The indicator takes into account household size and whether other household members are also in paid work. Using data from the Egypt Labor Market Panel Survey for the years 2012 and 2018 and logit models, we found that being employed within the health sector increased the likelihood of in-work poverty among non-standard employees, both men and women. However, higher risks of in-work poverty were witnessed among women working informally in the health sector compared to other sectors. This increased risk was particularly observed when comparing non-standard employment in the health sector to non-standard employment in non-health sectors. Furthermore, marital status plays a critical role in economic wellbeing, with never-married women being more susceptible to in-work poverty compared to ever-married women." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Wiley) ((en))

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Friedrich, Martin & Nils Teichler (2025): Do temporary employees experience increased material deprivation? Evidence from German panel data. In: Journal of European Social Policy, Jg. 35, H. 2, S. 143-156., 2024-08-16. DOI:10.1177/09589287241300011

Abstract

"Economic insecurity has recently received increasing attention as a determinant of material deprivation. We contribute to this line of research by analysing the relationship between temporary employment and material deprivation. We argue that temporary workers face exacerbated deprivation because they may forego basic needs to provide for an uncertain future. Using German panel data for the years 2008–2020, we find that temporary employment increases material deprivation among workers, particularly in low-income households. This finding is robust to our controlling for important variables such as household income and needs, individual- and household fixed effects and when considering lagged independent variables. The association is not driven by young or highly educated workers who may be more likely to hold temporary jobs without experiencing sustained material deprivation. We also find that temporary agency work, perceived job insecurity and firm turnover rates aggravate material deprivation. This supports the theoretical assumption that the impact of temporary employment on material deprivation is driven by the economic insecurities faced by temporary workers." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © SAGE) ((en))

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Giordano, Chiara & Cinzia Meraviglia (2025): Hidden behind closed doors: Non-standard employment, migrant women and gender regimes in Europe. In: International Journal of Social Welfare, Jg. 34, H. 1, S. e12655. DOI:10.1111/ijsw.12655

Abstract

"Non-standard employment (NSE) is well-documented in the domestic sector in all European countries. The precariousness and poor working conditions of this sector reflect in a labor force composed by the most vulnerable layers of the labor market, namely, migrant women. This article analyses how and to what extent a macro-level factor, that is, the gender regime (resulting from the interplay of gender equality and gendered social norms) interacts with micro-level individual and occupational characteristics to shape the prevalence of NSE in the domestic sector in Europe. We use the 2019 EU-LFS data and run a set of logistic regression analyses. Our results show that NSE is a defining feature of domestic sector, and that migrant women are at a higher risk of being in this type of employment, especially in destination countries where gender equality is relatively lower and expectations concerning care and family responsibilities are more traditional." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons) ((en))

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Griesbach, Kathleen (2025): Space and Inequality in Precarious Work: Thinking With and Beyond Platforms. In: Sociology Compass, Jg. 19, H. 3. DOI:10.1111/soc4.70026

Abstract

"Platform-based gig work illustrates a broader erosion of the spatial boundaries of work. While geographers have long theorized space as an integral part of capitalist work processes and social life, sociological research has often treated space as a backdrop for work processes rather than an active process shaping the social world, contemporary work, inequality, and resistance. However, important work in urban and rural sociology emphasizes the central role place plays in social life and inequality. This review synthesizes insights on space, place, and inequality and identifies key spatial continuities between platform labor and other forms of precarious work. I find common throughlines across disciplines: the intertwining of space, place, and social relations and the relevance of space and place for understanding inequality. Next, I relate spatial theories of capitalist development to contemporary precarious work. Finally, I suggest 3 promising avenues for incorporating space into research on contemporary work and inequality today: analyzing how existing inequalities intersect with the spatial features of new and enduring work structures; examining how contemporary work processes are reshaping rural and urban geographies; and identifying the spatial practices of contemporary organizing and resistance." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons) ((en))

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Gürtzgen, Nicole, Alexander Kubis & Martin Popp (2025): Befristungen bei Neueinstellungen 2024. (Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung. Aktuelle Daten und Indikatoren), Nürnberg, 9 S.

Abstract

"Im Rahmen der IAB-Stellenerhebung gaben die Betriebe an, im Jahr 2024 in Deutschland rund 4,4 Mio. sozialversicherungspflichtige Neueinstellungen (ohne Auszubildende und ohne MiniJobs) vorgenommen zu haben. Hiervon waren 25 Prozent, also rund 1,1 Mio. Stellen (zunächst) befristet (Tabelle 1). Die Befristung von Neueinstellungen ermöglicht den Betrieben, die Fähigkeiten von Bewerberinnen und Bewerbern zu überprüfen, bevor ein unbefristetes Arbeitsverhältnis eingegangen wird. Durch den Abschluss von befristeten Arbeitsverträgen können Betriebe ohne langfristige Mittelbindung häufig auch Jobs anbieten, die sonst vielleicht nicht finanzierbar gewesen wären. Darüber hinaus haben Befristungen für Betriebe zudem den Vorteil, dass sie (Entlassungs-)Kosten vermeiden können, die gegebenenfalls im Rahmen des allgemeinen oder tarifvertraglich erweiterten Kündigungsschutzes entstehen können (Bossler et al. 2017). Als weiteres wichtiges betriebliches Motiv für befristete Neueinstellungen ist zudem ein vorübergehender Mehrbedarf an Arbeitskräften etwa infolge temporärer Auftragsspitzen zu nennen (siehe hierzu z.B. Gürtzgen und Küfner 2023). Die Tatsache, dass Betriebe befristete Neueinstellungen vornehmen können, kann u.a. darin begründet sein, dass Betriebe über Marktmacht verfügen, die den Abschluss von befristeten Verträgen erleichtert (Bassanini et al. 2024). Zu beachten ist, dass die Befristungsquoten bei Neueinstellungen deutlich oberhalb des Anteils befristeter Beschäftigung an der Gesamtbeschäftigung liegen. Rund 2,6 Millionen Beschäftigte in Deutschland hatten laut IAB-Betriebspanel im Jahr 2022 einen befristeten Arbeitsvertrag. Das entspricht einem Anteil an allen Beschäftigten (ohne Auszubildende) von 6,6 Prozent (Hohendanner / IAB 2023). Die Diskrepanz zwischen dem Anteil befristeter Neueinstellungen und dem Befristungsanteil aller Beschäftigter zeigt, dass befristete Beschäftigungsverhältnisse in nennenswertem Ausmaß in unbefristete Arbeitsverträge umgewandelt werden (Müller et al. 2017). Bedingt durch die COVID-19-Pandemie sank 2020 der Anteil an Umwandlungen in unbefristete Beschäftigungsverhältnisse (Hohendanner 2021). Auch der Anteil befristeter Neueinstellungen stieg im Jahr 2020 gegenüber dem Vorjahr kurzfristig auf 33 Prozent. Aktuell setzt sich der seit 2004 beobachtete rückläufige Trend auch im Jahr 2024 fort. Die Befristungsquote erreicht mit 25 Prozent einen neuen Tiefststand. Der im Rahmen der Erhebung 2004 gemessene Höchststand war mit 54 Prozent mehr als doppelt so hoch." (Textauszug, IAB-Doku)

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Hohmeyer, Katrin & Torsten Lietzmann (2025): Arbeitslos und dann? Die neuen Jobs sind meistens atypische Beschäftigungen (Serie "Bürgergeld"). In: IAB-Forum H. 07.05.2025, 2025-05-06. DOI:10.48720/IAB.FOO.20250507.01

Abstract

"Was passiert, nachdem Menschen arbeitslos geworden sind? Tatsächlich sind die weiteren Erwerbsverläufe höchst unterschiedlich. Der dauerhafte Sprung in eine unbefristete Vollzeitbeschäftigung gelingt den meisten Betroffenen zunächst nicht. Vielmehr findet sich die Mehrzahl in den ersten vier Jahren nach Eintritt der Arbeitslosigkeit in atypischen Beschäftigungsverhältnissen wie befristeter Beschäftigung, Teilzeit, Leiharbeit oder Minijobs wieder, nicht selten unterbrochen von Phasen erneuter Arbeitslosigkeit." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Jaenichen, Ursula (2025): Befristete Beschäftigung in der Stichprobe der Integrierten Arbeitsmarktbiografien (SIAB). (IAB-Forschungsbericht 11/2025), Nürnberg, 48 S. DOI:10.48720/IAB.FB.2511

Abstract

"Seit dem Jahr 2011 erfolgen Beschäftigungsmeldungen zur Sozialversicherung mit einem neuen Tätigkeitsschlüssel, der das binäre Merkmal „befristete Beschäftigung“ enthält. Damit können in den administrativen Daten des IAB befristete und unbefristete Beschäftigungsverhältnisse unterschieden werden. Im vorliegenden Bericht wird mit der Stichprobe der Integrierten Arbeitsmarktbiografien (SIAB) – ergänzt durch die Daten des Betriebshistorikpanels – für die Jahre 2012 bis 2021 eine überwiegend deskriptive Analyse befristeter Beschäftigung vorgenommen. In der Literatur zu befristeter Beschäftigung steht oft die Frage im Mittelpunkt, inwieweit befristeten Arbeitsverträgen eine Brückenfunktion zukommt, durch die befristet Beschäftigte nach einer gewissen Zeit eine unbefristete Beschäftigung finden. Dabei ist von Bedeutung, ob sich befristete und unbefristete Beschäftigte in ihren sozio-ökonomischen Merkmalen und ihrer bisherigen Erwerbsbiografie voneinander unterscheiden. Auch die Qualität der Beschäftigung, die sich an eine Befristung anschließt, wird untersucht. Auf betrieblicher Seite werden unterschiedliche Strategien des Einsatzes befristeter Beschäftigung identifiziert. Dies sind die Flexibilisierung des Arbeitskräfteeinsatzes, aber auch eine verbesserte Bewerber*innenauswahl (Screening) während der befristeten Beschäftigung. Ein erster empirischer Schwerpunkt des vorliegenden Berichts ist die Beschreibung der Erzeugung und die Untersuchung der Qualität der Datenbasis. Dabei werden die einzelnen Meldungen zunächst zu betrieblichen Beschäftigungsepisoden verarbeitet. Die anhand der so aufbereiteten Daten ablesbare Entwicklung der Zugänge in befristete Beschäftigung deckt sich im Großen und Ganzen mit den Angaben aus anderen Datenquellen. Für die Untersuchung von Übergängen und Beschäftigungsdauern werden dann noch Beschäftigungsepisoden zu Beschäftigungsketten zusammengefasst und die Zeiten dazwischen als Nichtbeschäftigungsepisoden definiert. Ein zweiter empirischer Schwerpunkt besteht in der Untersuchung des Verlaufs und der Bestimmungsfaktoren von Übergängen aus Nichtbeschäftigung in befristete und unbefristete Beschäftigung. Die graphische Analyse von Nichtbeschäftigungsdauern deutet auf einen gewissen Anpassungsprozess hin, bei dem Personen mit zunehmender Häufigkeit von Nichtbeschäftigungsepisoden in der Erwerbsbiografie eher bereit sind, eine befristete Beschäftigung aufzunehmen. Die Dynamik im Übergang in befristete und unbefristete Beschäftigung zeigt sich bei Schätzung von Verweildauermodellen darin, dass nach etwa drei Monaten Nichtbeschäftigung die Chancen für die Aufnahme einer Beschäftigung geringer werden. Vor allem für Frauen ist nach einem Jahr wieder eine Zunahme der Übergangsraten in Beschäftigung zu beobachten, eventuell machen sich hier die Effekte von Elternzeiten bemerkbar. Hinsichtlich des Zusammenhangs des Übergangs in befristete und unbefristete Beschäftigung mit der vorangehenden Erwerbsbiografie ergibt sich ein „sowohl als auch“: Deutliche Statusabhängigkeit zeigt sich darin, dass frühere befristete Beschäftigung mit einer erhöhten Abgangsrate in erneute befristete Beschäftigung und oft auch mit einer geringeren Übergangsrate in unbefristete Beschäftigung einhergeht. Dies birgt die Gefahr der Verfestigung der mit Befristungen verbundenen Nachteile. Die Brückenfunktion befristeter Beschäftigung äußert sich darin, dass befristete Berufserfahrung auch beim Übergang in unbefristete Beschäftigung positiv gewertet wird. Dafür, dass eine unstete Erwerbsbiografie sich nicht zwangsläufig verfestigt, spricht auch, dass mehrfache Betriebswechsel mit höheren Übergangsraten in befristete und unbefristete Beschäftigung einhergehen. Auf Seite der Betriebe ist es zunächst die Zugehörigkeit zu unterschiedlichen Wirtschaftsbereichen, die mit ungleichen Übergangsrisiken in befristete Beschäftigung einhergeht. Die Wirtschaftszweige dürften dabei unterschiedliche Personalbedarfe der Betriebe repräsentieren, etwa als Ergebnis einer schwankenden Produktnachfrage. Die Übergangsraten in befristete Beschäftigung sind für Betriebe mit unter 10 Beschäftigten deutlich niedriger. Dieser Befund wird hier dahingehend interpretiert, dass diese Betriebe vom Kündigungsschutz ausgenommen sind und befristete Beschäftigung daher wenig genutzt wird. Ein sehr deutlicher und positiver Zusammenhang ist zwischen der Übergangsrate in befristete Beschäftigung und dem Anteil befristet Beschäftigter im einstellenden Betrieb zu verzeichnen. Das zeigt, dass befristete Beschäftigung in einigen Betrieben routinemäßig genutzt wird. Für die Beschäftigten birgt dies das Risiko dauerhafter Instabilität. Ein dritter empirischer Schwerpunkt besteht in der Untersuchung der Dauer von befristet beginnender Beschäftigung. Zunächst wird für betriebliche Beschäftigungsepisoden gezeigt, dass befristet beginnende Episoden deutlich kürzer sind als unbefristete. Bei der Betrachtung von Beschäftigungsketten zeigt sich, dass nur aus befristeten Episoden bestehende Ketten weit kürzer sind als durchgängig unbefristete Beschäftigungsketten. Für befristet beginnende und in unbefristete Beschäftigung übergehende Beschäftigungsketten sind die Beschäftigungsdauern sogar länger als für durchgängig unbefristete Ketten. Werden befristet und unbefristet beginnende Beschäftigungsketten verglichen, zeigen sich für einige Merkmale deutliche Unterschiede. Auffällig ist hier erneut der bei befristeten Einstellungen hohe Anteil befristet Beschäftigter im einstellenden Betrieb. Im Ergebnis tragen unterschiedliche (beobachtete) Merkmale von befristet und unbefristet Beschäftigten und der sie einstellenden Betriebe zu den Unterschieden in den Beschäftigungsdauern bei." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

Zitatform

Kvart, Signild, Isabel Cuervo, Virginia Gunn, Wayne Lewchuk, Kim Bosmans, Letitia Davis, Astrid Escrig-Piñol, Per-Olof Östergren, Eva Padrosa, Alejandra Vives, Alessandro Zaupa, Emily Q. Ahonen, Valentina Álvarez-López, Mireia Bolíbar, Ignacio Diaz, Mariana Gutiérrez-Zamora, Lars Ivarsson, Mireia Julià, Carles Muntaner, Patricia O'Campo, Marisol E. Ruiz, Kristian Vänerhagen, Emilia F. Vignola, David Vílchez, Mattias Vos, Theo Bodin & Sherry L. Baron (2025): Labour and social protection gaps impacting the health and well-being of workers in non-standard employment: An international comparative study. In: PLoS ONE, Jg. 20. DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0320248

Abstract

"Background: World economies increasingly rely on non-standard employment arrangements, which has been linked to ill health. While work and employment conditions are recognized structural determinants of health and health equity, policies aiming to protect workers from negative implications predominantly focus on standard employment arrangements and the needs of workers in non-standard employment may be neglected. The aim of this study is to explore workers’ experiences of gaps in labour regulations and social protections and its influence on their health and well-being across 6 countries with differing policy approaches: Belgium, Canada, Chile, Spain, Sweden, and the United States. Methods: 250 semi-structured interviews with workers in non-standard employment were analyzed thematically using a multiple case-study approach. Results: There are notable differences in workers’ rights to protection across the countries. However, participants across all countries experienced similar challenges including employment instability, income inadequacy and limited rights and protection, due to policy-related gaps and access-barriers. In response, they resorted to individual resources and strategies, struggled to envision supportive policies, and expressed low expectations of changes by employers and policymakers. Conclusions: Policy gaps threaten workers’ health and well-being across all study countries, irrespective of the levels of labour market regulations and social protections. Workers in non-standard employment disproportionately endure economic risks, which may increase social and health inequality. The study highlights the need to improve social protection for this vulnerable population." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Lietzmann, Torsten & Katrin Hohmeyer (2025): Unemployed and then? The role of non-standard employment in labour market trajectories after unemployment. In: International Journal of Social Welfare, Jg. 34, H. 2, 2024-08-30. DOI:10.1111/ijsw.12698

Abstract

"Non-standard employment (NSE) might offer employment opportunities for unemployed workers, who would not find a job otherwise and can improve their human capital while working in NSE instead of being unemployed. NSE thus could serve as a bridge to regular, permanent employment. However, these stepping stone effects might not occur in a segmented labor market, when the accumulated human capital is not useful for regular jobs or NSE is not a positive signal to potential employers. Using German administrative data and sequence and cluster analysis, this article examined the labor market trajectories of initially unemployed individuals between 2012 and 2015 over a 4-year period with a focus on four common forms of NSE. The results indicate that NSE is not limited to marginal groups but 62% of the initially unemployed belong to a cluster with a substantial share of NSE. Furthermore, while most individuals stay in NSE, some regular full-time employment occurs after NSE." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Wiley) ((en))

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Llosa, José Antonio, Enrique Iglesias-Martínez, Esteban Agulló-Tomás, Sara Menéndez-Espina & Beatriz Oliveros (2025): The effect of precarious employment on suicidal ideation: A serial mediation model with contractual temporality and job insecurity. In: Economic and Industrial Democracy, Jg. 46, H. 1, S. 239-255. DOI:10.1177/0143831X241240616

Abstract

"Suicidal ideation is a variable prior to suicidal behavior and one of the main producers of risk of death by suicide. The sample consisted of a total of 1,288 people living in Spain who at the time of answering the questionnaire were in active employment. Contractual status is a significant variable for the prediction of suicidal ideation. Contractual temporality is a risk factor for suicidal ideation, whereas permanent employment is a protective factor. In suicidal ideation, job insecurity is a mediating risk factor and a key dimension of job precariousness because of the adverse effects on mental health it causes. Job insecurity interacts with objective causes of precariousness and is presented as a necessary variable for understanding the relationship between these material causes and suicidal thoughts." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Maestripieri, Lara, Alba Lanau, Roger Soler‐i‐Martí & Míriam Acebillo‐Baqué (2025): Intertwined precariousness and precarity: Disentangling a phenomenon that characterises Spanish youth. In: International Journal of Social Welfare, Jg. 34, H. 1, S. e12709. DOI:10.1111/ijsw.12709

Abstract

"The growth of non-standard employment has emerged as a crucial factor that contributes to delays and difficulties in young people's transitions to adulthood. Previous studies have demonstrated the importance of multidimensional measures of precariousness. This paper aims to investigate the phenomenon of precariousness holistically, using an original database of respondents in Spain from 20 to 34 years of age. Using a mixed-methods approach, we explore young people's understandings of precariousness and examine its key determinants and consequences. The findings illustrate the multidimensional nature of feelings of precariousness, with economic insecurity and work conditions being core elements. Our results point to precarity stemming from a combination of inextricably intertwined objective and subjective components, as well as work and economic dimensions." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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McEwen, Celina (2025): The Role of Care Paradoxes in Maintaining Precariousness: A Case Study of Australia's Aged Care Work. In: Gender, work & organization, S. 1-13. DOI:10.1111/gwao.13240

Abstract

"The paper examines why despite many inquiries and government reforms, the working conditions of aged care workers have remained precarious. The study draws on an analysis of Australian workforce survey data, government documents, and hearing transcripts from a recent Royal Commission into the sector's workforce and care practices. The results paint a complex and nuanced picture of how the government and providers rely on older or culturally and linguistically diverse women to carry out high standards of quality care with minimal worker benefits and protection while devaluing their work as unprofessional. The analysis also highlights the coexistence of four types of precariousness in aged care work: precariousness as a social category, a shared experience, a set of work practices, and management. Further, I find that a series of paradoxes rooted in cultural perceptions of care and older and/or diverse women maintain precariousness at work by constructing workers as the problem, entrenching disadvantage borne from intersectionality and shifting the burden of responsibility and part of the cost of caring for older people onto workers. I suggest that little improvement is possible until the systemic and sociocultural issues around care and the workers engaged in the transaction of care are tackled together as a whole." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Mussida, Chiara & Dario Sciulli (2025): Low-pay work and the risk of poverty: a dynamic analysis for European countries. In: Journal of Economic Inequality, S. 1-24. DOI:10.1007/s10888-025-09666-9

Abstract

"This paper explores how householders’ and partners' low-pay conditions affect the risk of poverty ofEuropean households. We use 2016–2019 longitudinal European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions data, model poverty and labour market outcomes, and account for possible endogeneity of low-pay work in the poverty equation. Low-pay work is defined on gross hourly wage basis. We find that low-pay work increases the risk of poverty compared to high-pay conditions. Notably, when compared to non-employment, the effect of low-pay work on poverty differs between householders and partners. The effect tends to be stronger for the former and smaller for the latter, which stresses the leading role of householders in income formation and the added-worker role of partners in households. The risk of poverty for low-pay workers is even reinforced by their higher probability of being employed in job positions with fewer annual working hours, such as part-time and temporary contracts. The magnitude of low-pay effects on poverty appears to be associated with institutions capable of sustaining the wage floor, earnings and income inequalities, and the generosity of social transfers. We find evidence of feedback effects from poverty on future labour market outcomes, suggesting a self-reinforcing mechanism between poverty and poor labour conditions, which along with limited upward mobility in the labour markets, may lead societies toward persistent income segmentation." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Pfahl, Svenja, Eugen Unrau & Yvonne Lott (2025): Stand der Gleichstellung von Frauen und Männern in Deutschland in ausgewählten Branchen. (WSI-Report 102), Düsseldorf, 74 S.

Abstract

"Wie einheitlich oder unterschiedlich vollzieht sich die Gleichstellung von Frauen und Männern in den verschiedenen Branchen auf dem deutschen Arbeitsmarkt in Hinblick auf Erwerbsarbeitszeit, Entgelt oder Erwerbsform? Anhand zentraler Indikatoren auf Basis des WSI GenderDatenPortals liefert der vorliegende Report eine zusammenfassende Übersicht über den aktuellen Stand der Geschlechtergleichstellung in Deutschland, differenziert nach Einzelbranchen aus dem Produktions- und Dienstleistungsbereich. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass Geschlechterungleichheit insbesondere in Hinblick auf die Erwerbsarbeitszeitdauer und das Entgelt über (fast) alle Branchen hinweg fortbesteht. Die detaillierte branchenbezogene Betrachtung zeigt zudem, dass bei einer Vielzahl von einzelnen Arbeitsmerkmalen Unterschiede zwischen Frauen und Männern bestehen (z. B. bei Befristung, Teilzeitarbeit, überlanger Vollzeit, Tätigkeit als Helfer*in, Entgelten im unteren Entgeltbereich, Existenzsicherung durch eigenes Erwerbseinkommen, ausschließlicher Tätigkeit im Minijob), die in einigen Branchen deutlich stärker ausgeprägt sind als in anderen. Hierbei fallen besonders sieben Produktionsbranchen und neun Dienstleistungsbranchen auf, die sich durch deutliche Geschlechterabstände (dem Abstand in Prozentpunkten zwischen Frauen und Männern in Hinblick auf ein einzelnes Arbeitsmerkmal) kennzeichnen und in einer Mehrheit von Arbeitsmerkmalen eine verstärkt ungünstige Situation für Frauen aufweisen. Gegenüber dem Vergleichsjahr 2021 weisen 2023 insgesamt mehr Branchen einen deutlichen, zweistelligen Geschlechterabstand für mindestens die Hälfte aller Arbeitsmerkmale auf. Gleichzeitig zeigen sich für eine Reihe von Branchen auch punktuelle Verringerungen des Geschlechterabstandes, gerade bei den Indikatoren zur Lage der Arbeitszeit sowie der Existenzsicherung durch eigene Erwerbsarbeit." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Wolf, Fridolin (2025): Non-standard employment, low standard of living? The role of labor market and social policy measures in preventing material deprivation in different employment trajectories in Europe. In: International Journal of Social Welfare, Jg. 34, H. 1, S. e12689. DOI:10.1111/ijsw.12689

Abstract

"While the poverty risks of non-standard employment have been explored extensively, this study focuses on the role of activation-oriented social policy in alleviating material deprivation for persons with non-standard employment histories. Using EU-SILC data, individuals over a four-year period were analyzed. I focused on substantial earners and distinguished between six non-standard employment histories expected to benefit from activation measures. Multi-level models revealed that compared to standard employment histories, all non-standard employment histories had higher material deprivation risks but to substantially different extents. At the macro level, participation in activation measures, expenditures in formal childcare and minimum income protection reduced material deprivation. Participation in training can be interpreted as an equaliser, as the deprivation gap between standard and most non-standard employment history types diminished. As expenditure- and participation-based measures differed significantly, evaluating the success of activation strategies in reducing inequalities and alleviating poverty highly depends on the measurement of activation." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons) ((en))

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Wolf, Fridolin (2025): What if it is not just an additional income? Poverty risks of non-standard employment histories in Germany. In: International Journal of Social Welfare, Jg. 34, H. 1, S. e12676. DOI:10.1111/ijsw.12676

Abstract

"While the poverty risks associated with transitions to and from different forms of non-standard employment (NSE) have been studied extensively, poverty research on NSE histories remains fuzzy. Therefore, this study focuses on persons with NSE histories whose earnings contribute significantly to the household income, asking to what extent they are exposed to income poverty risks during their main career phase and examining the role of employment, family and sociodemographic characteristics. Employment histories were observed over 10 years using German Socio-Economic Panel data from 2001 to 2020. A sequence cluster analysis identified four NSE clusters with increased poverty risks, namely, those with increasing and permanent low-part-time work, those who were mainly temporary agency-employed or had long episodes of fixed-term employment. Multivariate regressions considering employment-specific, care-related and sociodemographic characteristics revealed a network of cumulative disadvantages related to gender, occupational position, care obligations and structural disadvantages for those clusters." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons) ((en))

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Abraham, Katharine G., John C. Haltiwanger, Claire Y. Hou, Kristin Sandusky & James Spletzer (2024): Driving the Gig Economy. (NBER working paper / National Bureau of Economic Research 32766), Cambridge, Mass, 48 S.

Abstract

"Using rich administrative tax data, we explore the effects of the introduction of online ridesharing platforms on entry, employment and earnings in the Taxi and Limousine Services industry. Ridesharing dramatically increased the pace of entry of workers into the industry. New entrants were more likely to be young, female, White and U.S. born, and to combine earnings from ridesharing with wage and salary earnings. Displaced workers have found ridesharing to be a substantially more attractive fallback option than driving a taxi. Ridesharing also affected the incumbent taxi driver workforce. The exit rates of low-earning taxi drivers increased following the introduction of ridesharing in their city; exit rates of high-earning taxi drivers were little affected. In cities without regulations limiting the size of the taxi fleet, both groups of drivers experienced earnings losses following the introduction of ridesharing. These losses were ameliorated or absent in more heavily regulated markets." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Abraham, Katharine G., Brad Hershbein, Susan N. Houseman & Beth C. Truesdale (2024): The Independent Contractor Workforce: New Evidence on Its Size and Composition and Ways to Improve Its Measurement in Household Surveys. In: ILR review, Jg. 77, H. 3, S. 336-365. DOI:10.1177/00197939241226945

Abstract

"Good data on the size and composition of the independent contractor workforce are elusive. The authors carried out a series of focus groups to learn how independent contractors speak about their work. Based on those findings, they designed and fielded a telephone survey to elicit more accurate and complete information on independent contractors. Roughly 1 in 10 workers who initially reported working for an employer on one or more jobs (and thus were coded as employees) were independent contractors on at least one of those jobs. Incorporating these miscoded workers into estimates of main job work arrangements nearly doubles the share who are independent contractors to approximately 15% of all workers. Taking these workers into account substantively changes the demographic profile of the independent contractor workforce. Probing in household surveys to clarify a worker’s employment arrangement and identify all low-hours work is critical for accurately measuring independent contractor work." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Altenried, Moritz (2024): Mobile workers, contingent labour: Migration, the gig economy and the multiplication of labour. In: Environment and planning. A, Economy and space, Jg. 56, H. 4, S. 1113-1128. DOI:10.1177/0308518X211054846

Abstract

"The article takes the surprising exit of the food delivery platform Deliveroo from Berlin as a starting point to analyse the relationship between migration and the gig economy. In Berlin and many cities across the globe, migrant workers are indispensable to the operations of digital platforms such as Uber, Helpling, or Deliveroo. The article uses in-depth ethnographic and qualitative research to show how the latter's exit from Berlin provides an almost exemplary picture of why urban gig economy platforms are strongholds of migrant labour, while at the same time, demonstrating the very contingency of this form of work. The article analyses the specific reasons why digital platforms are particularly open to migrants and argues that the very combination of new forms of algorithmic management and hyper-flexible forms of employment that is characteristic of gig economy platforms is also the reason why these platforms are geared perfectly toward the exploitation of migrant labour. This allows the analysis of digital platforms in the context of stratified labour markets and situates them within a long history of contingent labour that is closely intertwined with the mobility of labour." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2021 a Pion publication) ((en))

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Bagnardi, Francesco, Devi Sacchetto & Francesca Alice Vianello (2024): Constructing Mobilities: The Reproduction of Posted Workers' Disposability in the Construction Sector. In: Work, Employment and Society, Jg. 38, H. 6, S. 1703-1724. DOI:10.1177/09500170231225622

Abstract

"Posted work is often framed as a business model based on social dumping. Widespread regulatory evasion is imputed to regulation’s opacity, firms’ predatory practices and trade unions’ inability to organise posted workers. Isolation and precariousness channel posted workers’ agency into individualized reworking or exit strategies. These perspectives, however insightful, focus either on formal regulations, enforcement actors or host countries ’ institutional settings. Drawing on biographical interviews with Italian construction workers posted abroad, and semi-structured interviews with non-posted workers and stakeholders of the sector in Italy, the article adopts an actor-centred perspective and mobilises the concept of labour regime to show how its disciplining elements operating in the construction sector in Italy stick with workers during their postings and enhance their disposability. Although this sticky labor regime constrains workers’ agency abroad, it remains continuously contested and offers ways for workers to subvert it and improve their employment conditions." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Balogh, Rebeka, Sylvie Gadeyne, Christophe Vanroelen & Chris Warhurst (2024): Multidimensional employment trajectories and dynamic links with mental health: Evidence from the UK Household Longitudinal Study. In: Scandinavian journal of work, environment & health, Jg. 51, H. 1, S. 26-37. DOI:10.5271/sjweh.4193

Abstract

"Objectives Low-quality and precarious employment have been associated with adverse mental health and wellbeing. More evidence is needed on how the quality of employment trajectories – including transitions in and out of unemployment, inactivity, and employment of varying quality – are associated with individuals’ mental health over time. This paper aimed to derive a typology of multidimensional employment trajectories and assess associations with mental health in the UK. Methods Data from waves 1–9 of the UK Household Longitudinal Study were used (2009–2019). Individuals aged 30–40 at baseline were included (N=1603). Using multichannel sequence and clustering analyses, we derived a typology of employment trajectories across employment statuses and four employment quality indicators. We assessed associations with subsequent psychological distress, accounting for baseline mental health. Changes in average General Health Questionnaire scores are described. Results A typology of five trajectory clusters highlighted stable and secure and precarious/low-quality trajectories for both men and women. Women who reported being economically inactive at most waves had higher odds of experiencing psychological distress than did women in ‘standard’ trajectories, regardless of baseline mental health. Women’s scores of psychological distress in the ‘precarious’ group on average increased along their trajectories characterized by instability and transitions in/out of unemployment, before a move into employment. Men who likely moved in and out of unemployment and economic inactivity, with low probability of paid employment, reported increased psychological distress at the end of follow-up. This may partly be due to pre-existing mental ill-health. Conclusion This paper shows the importance of high-quality employment for individuals’ mental health over time. Researchers need to consider dynamic associations between employment quality and mental health across the life-course." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Baron, Daniel (2024): Befristungsbezogene Anerkennungsdefizite junger, verpartnerter Männer und Frauen in Deutschland. In welchem Ausmaß treten sie auf und wie können sie ­verringert werden? In: Sozialer Fortschritt, Jg. 73, H. 2, S. 109-130. DOI:10.3790/sfo.73.2.109

Abstract

"Das Durchlaufen befristeter Beschäftigung zu Beginn der Erwerbslaufbahn geht zumeist sowohl mit vergleichsweise geringen Einkommen als auch hohen subjektiven Unsicherheiten einher. Für die Erklärung damit einhergehender subjektiver Anerkennungsdefizite spielen ungleiche Prekarisierungsrisiken für Frauen und Männer eine wichtige Rolle. Der Beitrag befasst sich mit der Frage, inwieweit Befristung bei jungen, verpartnerten Männern und Frauen zu erhöhten Anerkennungsdefiziten führt und ob eine als stabil empfundene (heterosexuelle) Paarbeziehung die empfundenen Anerkennungsdefizite verringert. Die Analysen werden auf Basis einer bundesweiten Stichprobe aus 179 Personen im Alter von 18 bis 35 Jahren durchgeführt, die 2012/13 erhoben wurde als die Entwicklung befristeter Beschäftigung in Deutschland einen Höchststand erreicht hatte Es zeigt sich ein signifikanter, U-förmiger Zusammenhang zwischen Befristungsanteilen an der Erwerbsbiographie und wahrgenommenen Anerkennungsdefiziten für junge, verpartnerte Männer. Bei Frauen ist dieser Zusammenhang statistisch nicht signifikant. Entgegen desintegrations- und anerkennungstheoretischer Annahmen übt eine als stabil wahrgenommene Partnerschaft im Befristungskontext keine hemmende Wirkung auf Anerkennungsdefizite aus. Vor diesem Hintergrund wird für öffentliche Diskursanstöße zu einer paarbezogenen Anerkennungsarbeit in Anbetracht einer sich flexibilisierenden Arbeitswelt plädiert." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Barrio, Alberto (2024): Unemployment insurance for platform workers: Challenges and approaches from a comparative perspective. In: European Journal of Social Security, Jg. 26, H. 2, S. 251-265. DOI:10.1177/13882627241267989

Abstract

"This contribution presents an overview of the challenges involved in ensuring that persons performing platform work (as either employees, self-employed, or in a third category) are able to effectively access unemployment insurance protection. It also addresses the specific approaches taken by European countries to tackle these challenges, relying especially on the contributions to this special issue on unemployment protection for the self-employed and platform workers. After presenting a brief definition of platform work, the contribution provides an overview of the main challenges linked to unemployment protection insurance posed by the features of platform work; we use primarily the Council Recommendation on access to social protection for workers and the self-employed as an evaluative framework. These challenges relate to both formal exclusion (due to classification as self-employed or marginal work) and effective exclusion (due to difficulties meeting minimum work requirements and lack of transparency on algorithmic management and platform work). The contribution then analyses some of the main approaches taken by European countries to address such challenges. Actions targeting platform work comprise (a) employment status reclassification; (b) establishment of a presumption of an employment relationship; (c) the setting of requirements to inform on the use of algorithmic management; (d) facilitation of transparency on platform work information; and (e) exemption from formal social security coverage of some forms of (marginal) platform work. General approaches with consequences for the unemployment insurance protection of platform workers include the application of the same criteria for access to unemployment benefits across employment statuses, as well as greater leniency on these criteria for certain forms of non-standard work. The contribution ends with a conclusion, which highlights the main gaps in unemployment insurance protection for platform work, and discusses avenues for action regarding platform work." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Barthel, Georg & Conrad Lluis (2024): Für eine gute Saison: Saisonarbeit in der deutschen Landwirtschaft zwischen Prekarisierung, Regulierung und Politisierung. (IAQ-Report 2024-09), Duisburg ; Essen, 20 S. DOI:10.17185/duepublico/82447

Abstract

"Die Saisonarbeit in der deutschen Landwirtschaft wird fast ausschließlich von osteuropäischen Wanderarbeiter*innen zu meist prekären Arbeitsbedingungen erbracht. Die Arbeitsverhältnisse in der Landwirtschaft wurden in den letzten Jahren verstärkt seitens des Gesetzgebers reguliert. Allerdings ist unklar, ob diese Regulierungen auch nachhaltige Verbesserungen bewirken. Gleichzeitig politisieren die Saisonarbeitskräfte selbst ihre Arbeitsbedingungen, was sich in vielfältigen Widerstandsformen ausdrückt. Aufgrund fehlender Machtressourcen sind sie jedoch nicht in der Lage, die Arbeitsbedingungen entscheidend zu verbessern. Für eine nachhaltige Verbesserung der Arbeitsbedingungen in der Landwirtschaft müssten Regulierungsansätze des Gesetzgebers, die Interessenvertretungen sowie die Handlungsansätze der Betroffenen selbst stärker ineinandergreifen." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Becker, Eleni De, Paul Schoukens & Enzo Weber (2024): Exploring unemployment insurance for the self-employed and platform workers: How to navigate difficult waters? A comparative, conceptual and European perspective. In: European Journal of Social Security, Jg. 26, H. 2, S. 97-108., 2024-08-01. DOI:10.1177/13882627241267993

Abstract

"This special issue of the European Journal of Social Security explores the complexities of extending unemployment insurance to the self-employed and platform workers in the EU Member States and the steps taken at EU level to enforce the protection offered at national level. Traditionally, social security systems have been designed for standard employment relationships, leaving a typical workers and the self-employed inadequately protected. The European Pillar of Social Rights (EPSR), adopted in 2017, and the subsequent 2019 Recommendation on access to social protection have marked a shift towards more inclusive social security frameworks. However, significant gaps in coverage remain, in particular with regard to unemployment protection for the self-employed and platform workers. The special issue is divided into three parts: national perspectives, comparative studies and EU-level discussions." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Becker, Eleni De (2024): The principle of adequate social protection in the European Pillar of Social Rights: Assessing the instruments used to realise its potential. In: European Journal of Social Security, Jg. 26, H. 2, S. 284-304. DOI:10.1177/13882627241254613

Abstract

"Improving the social security protection of atypical workers has been high on the EU agenda in recent years. With the adoption of the European Pillar of Social Rights in 2017, the EU wished to break away from a decade of austerity measures. The EU further developed the right to adequate social protection in the Pillar through the Recommendation on access to social protection for workers and the self-employed. This instrument urges EU Member States to ensure adequate access to social protection for workers, regardless of their employment relationship, and the self-employed. As part of the EU's recovery strategy during and after the Covid-19 crisis, several financial instruments were developed to support EU Member States. Through the Temporary Support to Mitigate Unemployment Risks in an Emergency, EU Member States received support for job retention schemes. The EU also adopted the Recovery Resilience Facility, which provided grants and loans. Another support instrument was the European Social Fund Plus. This article discusses those recent EU initiatives, focusing on unemployment and the protection of atypical workers and the self-employed. With the introduction of the European Employment Strategy (1997), a closer link was made at EU level between unemployment, increasing labour market participation and activation measures. Less attention was paid to ensuring adequate unemployment protection. In recent years, however, it appears that the EU has been playing an increasing role in providing funding for temporary support and in introducing changes to EU Member States' policies." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Beckmann, Fabian, Fabian Hoose, Lara Obereiner & Serkan Topal (2024): Casualization of work, free riding and institutional distrust: Explaining social protection preferences of platform workers in Germany. In: Zeitschrift für Sozialreform, Jg. 70, H. 3, S. 225-247. DOI:10.1515/zsr-2023-0024

Abstract

"The social protection of platform workers is widely recognized as a major political challenge but remains vastly understudied. The few existing investigations focus on social protection coverage and the employment status of platform workers, while their social protection preferences remain a black box to date. In this article, we investigate the social protection preferences of platform workers using a mixed methods design based on an online survey (n = 719) and qualitative in-depth interviews (n = 20) with self-employed platform workers in Germany. While the quantitative data indicate that the vast majority of respondents reject compulsory social insurance contributions for platform workers and favour self-employment over dependent employment, the qualitative interviews reveal three main types of explanations for this regulation aversion in different segments of platform work: The casualization of work in the platform economy, free riding on protection derived from ‘regular ’ employment and distrust in established welfare state institutions. Against this background, we discuss challenges for social policies aiming at improving social protection for platform workers." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © De Gruyter) ((en))

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Beneito, Pilar, Maria Garcia-Vega, Oscar Vicente-Chirivella & Guillaume Wilemme (2024): Robots and firms' labour search: The role of temporary work agencies. (Research paper / Nottingham Centre for Research on Globalisation and Economic Policy 2024,02), Nottingham, 55 S.

Abstract

"We study the impact of industrial robots on the use of labor intermediaries or temporary work agencies (TWAs) and firm productivity. We develop a theoretical framework where new technologies increase the need for quality match workers. TWAs help firms to search for workers who better match their technologies. The model predicts that using robots increases TWA use, which increases robots' productivity. We test the model implications with panel data of Spanish firms from 1997 to 2016 with information on robot adoption and TWA use. Using staggered difference-in-difference (DiD) estimations, we estimate the causal effects of robot adoption on TWAs. We find robot adopters increase the probability of TWA use compared to non-adopters. We also find that firms that combine robots with TWAs achieve higher productivity than those who adopt robots without TWAs." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Betthäuser, Bastian A., Nhat An Trinh & Anette Eva Fasang (2024): The temporal dimension of parental employment: Temporary contracts, non-standard work schedules, and children's education in Germany. In: European Sociological Review, Jg. 40, H. 6, S. 950-963. DOI:10.1093/esr/jcad073

Abstract

"The increasing prevalence of non-standard work and its adverse consequences are well documented. However, we still know little about how common non-standard work is amongst parents, and whether its negative consequences are further transmitted to their children. Using data from the German Microcensus, we document the prevalence and concentration of temporary employment and non-standard work schedules in households with children in Germany. Second, we examine the extent to which variation in this temporal dimension of parental employment is associated with children’s school track. Results show that in about half of all German households with children in lower-secondary school at least one parent has a temporary contract or regularly works evenings or Saturdays. We find that children whose mother always works evenings or Saturdays are substantially less likely to transition to the academic school track. By contrast, we find no significant association between fathers’ non-standard work schedules and children’s school track. We also find no evidence of an association between parents’ temporary employment and children’s school track placement. These divergent findings highlight the importance of disaggregating non-standard work into its specific components and differentiating between mothers' and fathers' non-standard work when investigating the consequences of parental non-standard work for children’s educational and life chances." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Boeri, Tito & Pietro Garibaldi (2024): Temporary Employment in Markets with Frictions. In: Journal of Economic Literature, Jg. 62, H. 3, S. 1143-1185. DOI:10.1257/jel.20231655

Abstract

"Temporary employment has spiked in OECD countries over the last 40 years and is now a common feature of their labor market landscape. A large body of empirical literature examines the spread of temporary employment, but no systematic review and interpretation of its findings in light of economic theory exists. This survey aims at filling this gap by interpreting the key empirical results based on the predictions of the macro models in markets with frictions developed to address specific features of temporary employment. Revisions of workhorse models used so far to analyze temporary employment are also suggested." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Bonet, Rocio, Marta Elvira & Stefano Visintin (2024): Hiring Temps but Losing Perms? Temporary Worker Inflows and Voluntary Turnover of Permanent Employees. In: Work, Employment and Society, Jg. 38, H. 1, S. 83-102. DOI:10.1177/09500170221103135

Abstract

"This article investigates the effect of hiring temporary workers on the voluntary turnover of permanent employees. It argues that inflows of temporary workers erode the working conditions of permanent employees, prompting their voluntary departure. Using a unique panel dataset of individual-level monthly payroll data over an eight-year period in a sample of Spanish companies, a positive association between temporary worker inflows and the voluntary turnover of permanent workers is found. The results are robust to diverse specifications and are strongest for firms in non-manufacturing sectors and for firms that hire proportionally more low-skilled workers, contexts where the hiring of temporary workers may be more disruptive for permanent employees. Since the hiring of temporary workers is unlikely to threaten the employment of permanent employees in the dual labour market of Spain, the results indicate serious disruption costs associated with temporary hiring in organisations." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Brehm, Uta & Nadja Milewski (2024): Is part-time employment a temporary 'stepping stone' or a lasting 'mommy track'? Legislation and mothers' transition to full-time employment in Germany. In: Journal of European Social Policy, Jg. 34, H. 3, S. 354-369. DOI:10.1177/09589287231224607

Abstract

"Research on reconciling family and employment debates if maternal part-time employment works as ‘stepping stone’ to full-time employment or as gateway to a long-term ‘mommy track’. We analyze how mothers’ transition from part-time to full-time employment is shaped by changing reconciliation legislations and how this is moderated by reconciliation-relevant factors like individual behaviors and macro conditions. We extend the literature on work–family reconciliation by investigating mothers’ employment behavior after the birth of their last child, i.e., after the family formative phase. We draw upon Germany with its considerable regional and historical heterogeneity. Using event history methods on SOEP-data, we observe mothers who (re)enter part-time employment (i.e., up to 30 weekly working hours) after their last childbirth. Results suggest that the impact of reconciliation legislations depends on the moderation by other factors. Recent reconciliation-friendly legislations may have contributed to the polarization of maternal employment patterns: more and less employment-oriented mothers diverge sooner after childbirth than before. Legislations co-occur with increases both in childcare institutions and part-time culture, but their moderation effects compete. Hence, boosting part-time work as either a ‘stepping stone’ or a ‘mommy track’ requires a deep understanding of the mechanisms behind legislations as well as more explicit policy incentives." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Brunsen, Hendrik, Agnes Fessler, Yannick Kalff & Hajo Holst (2024): Arbeiten in bioökonomischen Produktionsprozessen. Eine qualitative Analyse von Arbeit und Beschäftigung in Chemie, Landwirtschaft und Pharmazie. In: WSI-Mitteilungen, Jg. 77, H. 2, S. 89-97. DOI:10.5771/0342-300X-2024-2-89

Abstract

"Die Umstellung auf eine Bioökonomie soll dem menschengemachten Klimawandel entgegenwirken. Für die Betriebe bedeutet dies eine veränderte stoffliche Basis der Produktion. Der Beitrag untersucht qualitativ die bislang nur randständig beachteten Folgen bioökonomischer Produktionsprozesse für die Arbeitenden. Mittels Expert*inneninterviews und Betriebsfallstudien aus der Landwirtschaft, Chemie und Pharmazie werden drei zentrale Herausforderungen im biobasierten Produktionsprozess herausgearbeitet, die sich direkt auf die Arbeitsbedingungen auswirken: Standardisierungsgrenzen durch die ‚natürlich-lebendige‘ Produktionsbasis, eine vergleichsweise schwache Marktposition und ein hoher Arbeits- und Fachkräftemangel. Für die Arbeitenden werden diese Herausforderungen spürbar durch hohe Wissens- und Flexibilitätsanforderungen, eine hohe Arbeitsintensität sowie eine Verstetigung und sogar Ausweitung atypischer Beschäftigungsverhältnisse – und zwar nicht nur für Akademiker*innen. Die Befunde zeigen, dass Ausbildungsberufe, atypische und geringqualifizierte Arbeit ein – bislang unterschätzter – Bestandteil der Bioökonomie sind." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Busilacchi, Gianluca, Giovanni Gallo & Matteo Luppi (2024): I Would Like to but I Cannot: What Influences the Involuntariness of Part-Time Employment in Italy. In: Social indicators research, Jg. 173, H. 2, S. 439-473. DOI:10.1007/s11205-024-03339-2

Abstract

"Over the last two decades, involuntary part-time (IPT) employment has become a more and more pressing issue in Europe, especially in the southern countries, where IPT today constitutes most part-time employment. Using INAPP-PLUS data and different discrete choice model estimations, this paper aims to shed light on the factors that explain the IPT growth in Italy, focusing on what influences the IPT status at the individual, household and labour market levels. The main hypothesis is that what influences the IPT work derive from a combination of workers’ individual, household, and job characteristics which may engender limited power during the bargaining process. The empirical results, based on gender-specific models, highlight that characteristics associated with the IPT status significantly changed over time, reporting a convergent path between the gender profiles of IPT employment. However, IPT employment for women still appears to be mainly originated from the gendered division of domestic and care tasks, while this phenomenon seems to be mainly driven by the labour demand side for men." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Springer-Verlag) ((en))

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Böhme, René (2024): Arbeitsausbeutung im Reinigungsgewerbe. Problemlagen, Hilfestrukturen, Handlungsmöglichkeiten. (Working paper Forschungsförderung / Hans Böckler Stiftung 333), Düsseldorf, 89 S.

Abstract

"Arbeitsausbeutung ist in Deutschland alltägliche Praxis. Zahlreiche Hürden führen dazu, dass es in den seltensten Fällen zur Strafverfolgung der Täter:innen kommt - das macht Ausbeutung zu einem lukrativen Geschäftsmodell. Um dem entgegenzuwirken, sind Bund, Länder und Kommunen aufgefordert, eine Gesamtstrategie zur Bekämpfung von Arbeitsausbeutung zu entwickeln. Diese sollte Erleichterungen bei der Strafverfolgung, quantitative und qualitative Verbesserungen der Kontrollmechanismen sowie eine Stärkung des Hilfesystems umfassen." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Carrasco, Raquel, Ismael Gálvez-Iniesta & Belén Jerez (2024): Do temporary help agencies help? Employment transitions for low-skilled workers. In: Labour Economics, Jg. 90. DOI:10.1016/j.labeco.2024.102586

Abstract

"We investigate the impact of working for a temporary help agency (THA) compared to being directly hired on the employment transitions of low-skilled male temporary workers aged 20 to 45. Using data from Spanish administrative records, we employ competing risk discrete-time duration models to analyze multiple temporary employment spells. Our analysis reveals the importance of accounting for short-duration dependence and workers’ unobserved heterogeneity. We find that, across all durations, agency workers are more likely to transition either to unemployment or to a new THA contract than their direct-hire counterparts. Transitions to permanent positions, although infrequent in our sample, are also more likely for agency workers. Our qualitative findings hold when unobserved heterogeneity is not controlled for. However, this model underestimates the effect of agency contracts on the risk of entering unemployment and overestimates the impact on the probability of re-entering THA. This suggests that positive self-selection plays a relevant role in explaining the higher persistence of THA employment, but not the associated higher risk of unemployment." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2024 Elsevier) ((en))

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Charlot, Olivier, Idriss Fontaine & Thepthida Sopraseuth (2024): Job polarization and non-standard work: Evidence from France. In: Labour Economics, Jg. 88. DOI:10.1016/j.labeco.2024.102534

Abstract

"Using annual and quarterly data from the French LFS, we investigate the interplay between the extensive and intensive margins of labor adjustment, job polarization, and non-standard work (N S) along the business cycle. We find that the declines in aggregate work hours during economic downturns can primarily be attributed to the reduction in routine standard employment (R, S) during past recessions in France. We then study the dynamics of routine standard employment, highlighting several key findings: (i) The primary drivers of R,S employment are inflows from routine non-standard work (R, N S) and unemployment. (ii) Individuals who lose R, S jobs are more likely to transition to R, N S positions following a brief period of unemployment. (iii) A majority of transitions within this employment category occur within the same employer, resulting in asymmetric adjustments in individual working hours. This often involves a notable increase in hours following either a contractual upgrade or a change in employer. Finally, we draw a comparative analysis between these findings and the United States, where the dynamics of routine employment appear distinct, despite a similar trend in job polarization." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2024 Elsevier) ((en))

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Collischon, Matthias, Kamila Cygan-Rehm & Regina T. Riphahn (2024): Subsidized Small Jobs and Maternal Labor Market Outcomes in the Long Run. (IZA discussion paper / Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit 17473), Bonn, 60 S.

Abstract

"This paper investigates whether incentives generated by public policies contribute to motherhood penalties. Specifically, we study the consequences of subsidized small jobs, the German Minijobs, which are frequently taken up by first-time mothers upon labor market return. Using a combination of propensity score matching and an event study applied to administrative data, we compare the long-run child penalties of mothers who started out in a Minijob employment versus unsubsidized employment or non-employment after birth. We find persistent differences between the Minijobbers and otherwise employed mothers up to 10 years after the first birth, which suggests adverse unintended consequences of the small jobs subsidy program for maternal earnings and pensions." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Collischon, Matthias, Anna Herget & Regina T. Riphahn (2024): Minijobs as stepping stones to regular employment: overall trends and the role of Midijob reforms. In: Journal for labour market research, Jg. 58, 2024-07-02. DOI:10.1186/s12651-024-00377-8

Abstract

"Minijobs are subsidized small jobs below a fixed earnings threshold. Since a reform in 2003, they are viewed as stepping stones to the first labor market. However, the Minijob subsidy generates a ‘Minijob trap’ that causes vast bunching at the Minijob earnings threshold. Therefore, Midijobs were designed to reduce this bunching and to eliminate the ‘Minijob trap’. Midijobs are employments that earn between the Minijob earnings threshold and the Midijob earnings threshold. In this range, Midijobs subsidize social insurance contributions on a sliding scale. This paper describes time trends in the propensity to leave Minijobs for regular employment and studies the role of Midijobs for transitions out of Minijobs. We find a strong increase in transitions from Minijobs to regular employment over time. However, there is no convincing evidence that Midijobs are connected to this development. Instead, behavioral changes and aggregate developments such as the business cycle and a booming labor market may have contributed to this development." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Springer-Verlag) ((en))

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Créchet, Jonathan (2024): A model of risk sharing in a dual labor market. In: Journal of monetary economics, Jg. 147. DOI:10.1016/j.jmoneco.2024.103591

Abstract

"In OECD countries, the labor market features a coexistence of open-ended, permanent jobs subject to strict employment protection and fixed-term, temporary jobs. This paper studies a search-and-matching model with risk-averse workers and dynamic employment contracts subject to limited commitment. In equilibrium, permanent and temporary jobs coexist when the match quality is sufficiently dispersed: firing costs generate insurance gains implying that permanent contracts are optimal for high-quality matches. Consistent with recent empirical evidence, quantitative analysis of the model shows that temporary contracts crowd out permanent jobs and do not generate employment gains." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2024 Elsevier) ((en))

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Cuccu, Liliana, Vicente Royuela & Sergio Scicchitano (2024): Navigating the precarious path: Understanding the dualization of the Italian labor market through the lens of involuntary part-time employment. In: Papers in Regional Science, Jg. 103, H. 6. DOI:10.1016/j.pirs.2024.100061

Abstract

"This article investigates the surge in Involuntary Part-Time (IPT) employment in Italy from 2004 to 2019, exploring its impact on various socio-economic groups and adopting a spatial perspective. The study tests the hypothesis that technological shifts, specifically routine biased technological change (RBTC), and the expansion of household substitution services contribute to IPT growth. There is a widening negative gap in IPT prevalence among marginalized groups - women, young, and less skilled workers. After controlling for sector and occupation, the higher IPT propensity diminishes but remains significant, hinting at persistent discrimination. Additionally, segregation into more exposed occupations and sectors intensifies over time. Leveraging province-level indicators, and using a Partial Adjustment model, there is statistical support for RBTC’s correlation with IPT, especially among women. The impact of household substitution services is notably pronounced for women, highlighting sector segregation." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of The Regional Science Association International.) ((en))

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Depperschmidt, Rina, Heleen Matton, Hans Pongratz & Pia Probst (2024): Plattformnutzung durch Solo-Selbstständige. Explorative Befunde und forschungsstrategische Perspektiven. In: Arbeit. Zeitschrift für Arbeitsforschung, Arbeitsgestaltung und Arbeitspolitik, Jg. 33, H. 1-2, S. 3-27. DOI:10.1515/arbeit-2024-0002

Abstract

"Plattformarbeit ist für Solo-Selbstständige zu einem wichtigen Erwerbszugang geworden. Dieser Zusammenhang wurde noch wenig untersucht, obwohl der Forschungsstand für beide Erwerbsformen ähnliche Bedingungen ausweist. Mittels einer qualitativen Befragung haben wir die Plattformerfahrungen von 20 Solo-Selbstständigen aus drei Berufsfeldern in vergleichender Perspektive analysiert: Yoga-Lehrer*innen, Sprachlehrer*innen und Creator*innen von Inhalten für die sozialen Medien. Trotz verschiedener Formen der Nutzung von Plattformdiensten sind die Resultate ähnlich: Für kleinere Zusatzeinnahmen ist beträchtlicher Aufwand erforderlich, aber Tools und Informationsangebote der Plattformen machen Arbeitserleichterungen möglich. Die Solo-Selbstständigen erleben viele der aus der Plattformforschung bekannten Abhängigkeiten und verschärften Konkurrenzbedingungen auf Online-Märkten. Nur für wenige Creator*innen führt Plattformarbeit aus einer prekären Selbstständigkeit heraus. Der Beitrag plädiert dafür, die beiden Forschungsfelder stärker zu verbinden und mit institutionellen Absicherungen des solo-selbstständigen Erwerbs auch die Bedingungen von Plattformarbeit zu verbessern." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku, © De Gruyter)

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Dong, Xinwei, Dean Hyslop & Daiji Kawaguchi (2024): Skill, Productivity, and Wages: Direct Evidence from a Temporary Help Agency. In: Journal of labor economics, Jg. 42, H. S1, S. S133-S181. DOI:10.1086/728809

Abstract

"Firms frequently provide general skill training for workers. Theories propose that labor market frictions entail wage compression, generate larger productivity gains than wage growth to skill acquisition, and motivate a firm to offer general skill training, but few studies directly test them. We use unusually rich data from a temporary help service firm that records both workers' wages and their productivity as measured by the fees charged to client firms. We find that skill acquired through training and learning by doing increases productivity more than wages, with such wage compression accounting for half of the average 40% productivity growth over 5 years of tenure." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Eberlein, Laura, Dimitris Pavlopoulos & Mauricio Garnier-Villarreal (2024): Starting flexible, always flexible? The relation of early temporary employment and young workers employment trajectories in the Netherlands. In: Research in Social Stratification and Mobility, Jg. 89. DOI:10.1016/j.rssm.2023.100861

Abstract

"Using register data from Statistics Netherlands (2009–2019), this paper examines whether the first employment contract is related to early career outcomes for a cohort of young workers who entered the Dutch labor market in the period from late 2009–2013. Instead of looking at the timing of isolated transitions between employment states, 6-year-long trajectories are considered to identify differences in early career paths. Applying a Mixture Hidden Markov Model, eight distinct states of employment quality characterized by different contract types and incomes are identified. Transitions between these employment states reveal four early career patterns that differ according to their upward and downward mobility. Our results show that entering the labor market with a permanent contract does not necessarily lead to immediate wage growth, but provides a safeguard against volatile careers with frequent transitions in and out of employment. While entering the labor market with a fixed-term contract facilitates upward mobility, on-call and temporary agency work early in the career may negatively affect long-term labor market integration." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2024 Elsevier) ((en))

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Ervin, Jennifer, Yamna Taouk, Belinda Hewitt, Tania King & Tinh Doan (2024): A longitudinal analysis of the impact of multidimensional precarious employment on the mental health of men and women. In: Scientific Reports, Jg. 14, H. 1. DOI:10.1038/s41598-024-78843-z

Abstract

"This study aimed to investigate the effect of precarious employment (PE) on the mental health of Australians. Building on previous research, we conceptualised PE as a multidimensional construct, accounted for gender differences in the associations, and our modelling strategy addressed the possibility of reverse causality bias. Data was pooled panel data from 15 waves (2005–2019) of the HILDA survey (n = 14,237). Using PCA, we created two multidimensional measures of PE: objective and subjective. Fixed effects (FE) regression models (attending to unmeasured time-invariant confounders) estimated the change in mental health associated with a change in PE, and instrumental variable (IV) analyses (addressing endogeneity bias) obtained an unbiased estimate of effect of subjective PE on mental health (with ordinary least squares (OLS) models as baseline). For both genders, FE models showed that objective and subjective multidimensional PE both had a strong negative association with mental health (stronger for subjective PE). IV analysis indicated OLS models overestimate the relationship between subjective PE and mental health for men but underestimate it for women, providing causal evidence that subjective PE is important for women’s mental health. Overall, findings suggest that targeted PE policies have the potential to provide significant population mental health gains, particularly for working women." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Faraoun, Ahlem (2024): Theorizing Labor in the Platform Economy: Labor Restructuring in Historical Perspective. In: Sociology Compass, Jg. 18, H. 11. DOI:10.1111/soc4.70018

Abstract

"The rise of the platform economy is one of the most widely debated issues in contemporary studies of work and labor relations. Scholarly work on platform labor has been permeated by claims of radical restructuring, either caused or exacerbated by the disruptive properties of algorithms, networks and data-driven systems of control. However, a growing body of literature has drawn attention to the weaknesses of such claims, highlighting several continuities in the organization of work between the pre-platform and platform economy, including in labor processes and in the regulation of labor-capital relations. This article reviews key theoretical interventions within these areas of the literature, arguing that they eventually point toward the lack of historical distinctiveness of platform labor. It then suggests that a more nuanced and critical understanding of labor restructuring and platformization as part of a process of systemic social change would benefit from engagement with the theory of Uneven and Combined Development (U&CD). This engagement would build on two lines of inquiry: workforce diversity and spatial differentiation in the platform economy. The article concludes that U&CD is a useful meta-theoretical framework to understand change within continuity, accounting for the variegated experiences of platform workers in interconnected spaces of capitalist accumulation." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Fiaschi, Davide & Cristina Tealdi (2024): Let's Roll Back! The Challenging Task of Regulating Temporary Contracts. (IZA discussion paper / Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit 16777), Bonn, 32 S.

Abstract

"In this paper, we evaluate the impact of a reform introduced in Italy in 2018 (Decreto Dignità), which increased the rigidity of employment protection legislation (EPL) of temporary contracts, rolling back previous policies, to reduce job instability. We use longitudinal labor force data from 2016 to 2019 and adopt a time-series technique within a Rubin Casual Model (RCM) framework to estimate the causal effect of the reform. We find that the reform was successful in reducing persistence into temporary employment and increasing the flow from temporary to permanent employment, in particular among women and young workers in the North of Italy, with significant effects on the stocks of permanent employment (+), temporary employment (-) and unemployment (-). However, this positive outcome came at the cost of higher persistence into inactivity, lower outflows from unemployment to temporary employment and higher outflows from unemployment to inactivity among males and low-educated workers." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Fukai, Taiyo, Daiji Kawaguchi, Ayako Kondo & Izumi Yokoyama (2024): How do firms attain internal and external flexibility of employment? In: Labour Economics, Jg. 91. DOI:10.1016/j.labeco.2024.102628

Abstract

"While firms in many developed countries increasingly rely on workers with nonstandard contracts, the underlying economic factor distinguishing workers on standard contracts from those on nonstandard contracts is poorly understood. Thus, we explore the asymmetric employment and wage adjustments of these two groups to examine whether differences in the importance of firm–worker relation specificity between the two types of workers is a fundamental source of the heterogeneity. We use unique firm-level panel data that records the number of dispatched workers from temporary help agencies, matched with payroll records. Leveraging the exogenous shock that stems from exchange rate fluctuation and heterogeneous trade exposure among firms, we find that firms absorb temporary shocks by adjusting the number of dispatched workers while refraining from changing the employment of in-house workers. Instead, firms opt to change the wages of in-house workers by adjusting their yearly bonuses, rather than their monthly wages." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V.)((en))

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Gallas, Alexander (2024): Im Angesicht der Ungleichstellung: Leiharbeit als Herausforderung für gewerkschaftliche Strategiebildung. (Hans-Böckler-Stiftung. Study 490), Düsseldorf: Hans-Böckler-Stiftung, Düsseldorf, 79 S.

Abstract

"Leiharbeit in Deutschland verursacht oft geringere Lohnkosten als eine Festanstellung - und die Aufwendungen, um Arbeitskräfte auszuwählen und wieder loszuwerden, sind geringer. Leiharbeiter:innen verdienen also im Schnitt wesentlich weniger als andere Beschäftigte, und ihre Beschäftigungsdauer ist in vielen Fällen sehr kurz. Die vorliegende Studie zeigt, dass Leiharbeit sich normalisiert hat. Sie wird von den Arbeitsagenturen genutzt, um Menschen vorübergehend in Lohn und Brot zu bringen, ohne deren Position auf dem Arbeitsmarkt nachhaltig zu bessern." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Gatskova, Kseniia, Michal Pilc & Maciej Beresewicz (2024): Feeling disadvantaged? Type of employment contract and political attitudes. In: Socio-economic review. DOI:10.1093/ser/mwae011

Abstract

"We tested the theory of relative deprivation in the context of the Polish labour market during the post-crisis period from 2009 to 2015. This period witnessed the highest incidence of temporary contracts in the European Union, providing novel evidence on the causal relationship between the type of employment contract and political attitudes. Our findings suggest that temporary workers are more supportive of income redistribution but less supportive of democracy. Additionally, a shift from permanent to temporary contracts among prime-aged employees leads to a decrease in their support for democracy. Although this effect is modest in magnitude, the article points to an important mechanism influencing shifts in political attitudes. Our findings suggest that the effect of temporary employment on political attitudes is more pronounced among socio-demographic groups less accustomed to unstable employment." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Oxford Academic) ((en))

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Gonos, George (2024): The Expanding Domains of Degraded Work in the United States: Constructing a More Comprehensive Typology of Non-standard Employment Arrangements. In: Critical Sociology, S. 1-24. DOI:10.1177/08969205241283938

Abstract

"The spread of non-standard employment (NSE) is widely considered to have contributed to the deterioration of labor standards. Yet, in the United States, there is no definitive roster of non-standard work arrangements and no reliable estimate of the size of the non-standard workforce. For over 25 years, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has produced artificially low estimates of employers’ use of ‘alternative employment arrangements’. Its 2018 Contingent Work Supplement (CWS) reported that since 1995 the proportion of US workers in these arrangements had declined. This article proposes a more systematic framework for understanding NSE in the United States and fleshes out a more comprehensive typology better suited toward addressing the needs of policymakers and labor activists. It fundamentally reorients the study of NSE by recognizing that so-called ‘alternative’ arrangements are abusive and more aptly understood as degraded work arrangements (DWAs). The article then explores the key categories of DWAs and provides a deeper analysis of one group, dissociative arrangements, that enable the flourishing use of ‘non-employee’ workers. Concluding sections address the undertheorized state of this subject area and the challenge of union organizing in fractured labor markets." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Gürtzgen, Nicole (2024): Einführung der Brückenteilzeit: bislang keine spürbaren Folgen für Teilzeitjobs. (IAB-Forschungsbericht 02/2024), Nürnberg, 27 S. DOI:10.48720/IAB.FB.2402

Abstract

"Seit der Einführung der so genannten Brückenteilzeit zum 1. Januar 2019 können Beschäftigte ihre vertragliche Arbeitszeit für einen befristeten Zeitraum reduzieren und danach ihre ursprünglich vereinbarte Arbeitszeit wieder aufnehmen. Die Ergebnisse des vorliegenden Beitrages zeigen, dass die Reform bislang nur geringe Veränderungen der Teilzeitbeschäftigung in denjenigen Betrieben (bis 200 Beschäftigten) nach sich gezogen hat, in denen Beschäftigte vom Recht auf Brückenteilzeit Gebrauch machen können. Als von der Reform nicht betroffene Betriebe werden in der vorliegenden Analyse diejenigen Betriebe bezeichnet, die zu Unternehmen mit bis zu 45 Beschäftigten gehören. Als von der Reform betroffen werden in der Studie diejenigen Betriebe betrachtet, wenn sie zu einem Unternehmen gehören, dass mehr als 45 und bis zu 200 Beschäftigte hat. Betriebe, die zu Unternehmen mit mehr als 200 Beschäftigten gehören, waren auch von der Einführung der Brückenteilzeit betroffen, werden jedoch der schlechteren Vergleichbarkeit halber für die vorliegende Untersuchung nicht herangezogen. Der Vergleich der Teilzeitquoten in von der Reform betroffenen und nicht betroffenen Betrieben zeigt, dass die Teilzeitquoten über den gesamten Beobachtungszeitraum, also von 2014 bis 2021, in nicht betroffenen Betrieben höher ausfielen als die in betroffenen Betrieben. Dieser grundsätzliche Niveauunterschied blieb auch nach Inkrafttreten der Brückenteilzeit im Jahr 2019 bestehen. Insgesamt verzeichneten die Betriebe mit Beginn der Covid-19-Rezession einen etwas geringeren Zuwachs der sozialversicherungspflichtigen Teilzeitbeschäftigung. Der geringere Zuwachs ist sowohl bei betroffenen Betrieben zu beobachten (also bei Betrieben, die zu Unternehmen mit mehr als 45 und bis zu 200 Beschäftigten gehören) als auch bei kleineren Betrieben, die von den Regelungen ausgenommen sind. Nach der Reform hat sich jedoch der Zuwachs der Teilzeitbeschäftigung in den Betrieben, in denen Beschäftigte einen Anspruch auf Brückenteilzeit geltend machen können, etwas weniger stark abgeschwächt. Hier ist jedoch zu beachten, dass die Entwicklungen in den Jahren 2020 und 2021 nur schwer von Effekten der durch die Covid-19-Pandemie verursachten Rezession abzugrenzen sind. Insgesamt lässt sich die ermittelte Veränderung für einen Betrieb mit durchschnittlich 200 Beschäftigen dahingehend beziffern, dass über den Gesamtzeitraum nach der Reform die Zunahme an Teilzeitbeschäftigten im Mittel um 1 Person höher ausfällt als bei vergleichbaren nicht betroffenen Betrieben. Diese Zunahme ist jedoch zu gering, als dass die Teilzeitquoten in betroffenen Betrieben mit den höheren Quoten nicht betroffener Betriebe gleichziehen würden. Die sogenannte Zumutbarkeitsregel, welche eine Obergrenze von Umwandlungen in Unternehmen mit mehr als 45 und bis zu 200 Beschäftigten vorsieht, kann diese geringe Veränderung nicht plausibel erklären. Gemäß dieser Regel sind Arbeitgeber, die mehr als 45 und bis zu 200 Beschäftigte haben, verpflichtet, nur einer Person pro 15 angefangenen Beschäftigten einen Anspruch auf Brückenteilzeit zu gewähren. Eine weitere Erklärung könnte darin bestehen, dass die derzeit geltenden Regeln von vielen Beschäftigten als zu unflexibel wahrgenommen werden. So sieht die Regelung zur Brückenteilzeit vor, dass Beschäftigte einen Antrag auf befristete Teilzeit für mindestens ein Jahr und für maximal fünf Jahre stellen können. Während der beantragten Laufzeit ist es zudem nicht möglich, wieder zur ursprünglich vereinbarten Arbeitszeit zurückzukehren. Zudem können die bezifferten Veränderungen während der Covid-19-Rezession möglicherweise auch widerspiegeln, dass Beschäftigte in diesem Zeitraum eine größere Zurückhaltung bei der Reduzierung der Arbeitszeit an den Tag gelegt haben. Inwiefern die Reform im Zuge der wirtschaftlichen Erholung einen langfristigen Effekt auf die Inanspruchnahme befristeter Arbeitszeitreduzierungen hat, bleibt daher abzuwarten." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Gürtzgen, Nicole, Alexander Kubis & Martin Popp (2024): Befristungen bei Neueinstellungen 2023. Stand: 10. Mai 2024. (Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung. Aktuelle Daten und Indikatoren), Nürnberg, 8 S.

Abstract

"Im Rahmen der IAB-Stellenerhebung gaben die Betriebe an, im Jahr 2023 in Deutschland rund 4,7 Mio. sozialversicherungspflichtige Neueinstellungen (ohne Auszubildende und ohne MiniJobs) vorgenommen zu haben. Hiervon waren 26 Prozent, also rund 1,2 Mio. Stellen (zunächst) befristet (Tabelle 1). Die Befristung von Neueinstellungen ermöglicht den Betrieben, die Fähigkeiten von Bewerberinnen und Bewerbern zu überprüfen, bevor ein unbefristetes Arbeitsverhältnis eingegangen wird. Durch den Abschluss von befristeten Arbeitsverträgen können Betriebe ohne langfristige Mittelbindung häufig auch Jobs anbieten, die sonst vielleicht nicht finanzierbar gewesen wären. Darüber hinaus haben Befristungen für Betriebe zudem den Vorteil, dass sie (Entlassungs-)Kosten vermeiden können, die gegebenenfalls im Rahmen des allgemeinen oder tarifvertraglich erweiterten Kündigungsschutzes entstehen können (Bossler et al. 2017). Als weiteres wichtiges betriebliches Motiv für befristete Neueinstellungen ist zudem ein vorübergehender Mehrbedarf an Arbeitskräften etwa infolge temporärer Auftragsspitzen zu nennen (siehe hierzu z.B. Gürtzgen und Küfner 2023). Die Tatsache, dass Betriebe befristete Neueinstellungen vornehmen können, kann u.a. darin begründet sein, dass Betriebe über Marktmacht verfügen, die den Abschluss von befristeten Verträgen erleichtert (Bassanini et al. 2024). Zu beachten ist, dass die Befristungsquoten bei Neueinstellungen deutlich oberhalb des Anteils befristeter Beschäftigung an der Gesamtbeschäftigung liegen. Rund 2,6 Millionen Beschäftigte in Deutschland hatten laut IAB-Betriebspanel im Jahr 2022 einen befristeten Arbeitsvertrag. Das entspricht einem Anteil an allen Beschäftigten (ohne Auszubildende) von 6,6 Prozent (Hohendanner / IAB 2023). Die Diskrepanz zwischen dem Anteil befristeter Neueinstellungen und dem Befristungsanteil aller Beschäftigter zeigt, dass befristete Beschäftigungsverhältnisse in nennenswertem Ausmaß in unbefristete Arbeitsverträge umgewandelt werden (Müller et al. 2017)." (Textauszug, IAB-Doku)

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Helgøy, Anna (2024): What sustains feminized part-time work at the gender equality frontier? Evidence from a vignette experiment. In: Journal of European Social Policy, Jg. 34, H. 5, S. 542-555. DOI:10.1177/09589287241290751

Abstract

"Feminized part-time work has been deemed a family policy conundrum yet to be solved by any welfare regime. To identify ways forward, this article examines structural drivers of part-time work decisions through a vignette experiment fielded in the gender-egalitarian context of Norway (N = 3500). Six theory-grounded factors are tested in this multidimensional, causal framework: partner income level, physical and cognitive household labor burdens, the presence of a part-time culture at the workplace, and consequences of part-time work for career advancement and future pensions. Results show that overall, factors that regulate individuals’ material self-interest (partner income, career and pension consequences) have the largest impact on working-time decisions. Additionally, a priming treatment is given with a split sample concerning the factor of cognitive household labor – the organizational dimension of household work. Results from sub-group analyzes show that non-primed respondents prefer significantly higher working hours when their cognitive labor burden is lower. Respondents who received experimental priming, however, portray the opposite behavior (lower working-hour preference when cognitive labor burden is low). The pattern is driven by women, whereas men are left largely unaffected by both the priming and vignette treatment of cognitive labor. Thus, robust findings imply that gender inequality in material circumstances sustains feminized part-time work patterns. Suggestive evidence further indicates that gender inequality in cognitive labor loads may also contribute to sustaining feminized part-time work." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Hennrich, Jonas & Daria Schaller (2024): Teilzeitbeschäftigung aus Unternehmenssicht. In: Ifo-Schnelldienst, Jg. 77, H. 10, S. 44-48.

Abstract

"Das ifo Institut befragt im Auftrag von Randstad Deutschland quartalsweise deutsche HR-Abteilungen zu personalpolitisch relevanten Themen. In jedem Quartal werden in wechselnden Sonderfragen aktuelle arbeitsmarktrelevante Fragestellungen untersucht. Das aktuelle Thema befasst sich mit der Entwicklung der Teilzeitbeschäftigung. Aus verschiedenen Gründen entscheiden sich immer mehr Beschäftigte dazu, ihre Arbeitsstunden zu reduzieren. Neben den Arbeitnehmenden, die freiwillig weniger arbeiten möchten, gibt es auch diejenigen, die ihre Arbeitszeit aufgrund der Pflege eines Angehörigen oder der Kinderbetreuung verringern müssen. Oftmals wird diese auch mit dem Arbeits- und Fachkräftemangel in Verbindung gebracht und als eine der Problemursachen genannt. Damit einhergehend wird häufig die Frage gestellt, wie Mitarbeitende in die Vollzeit zurückgeholt werden können." (Textauszug, IAB-Doku)

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Ilsøe, Anna, Trine Pernille Larsen, Sissel Trygstad, Lorraine Ryan, Kristine Nergaard & Juliette McMahon (2024): Permanently marginalized? Securing living hours among part-time workers in hotels and restaurants in Northern Europe. In: European journal of industrial relations, Jg. 30, H. 4, S. 421-439. DOI:10.1177/09596801241264643

Abstract

"This paper offers a comparative perspective on the wage and working conditions of marginal part-time workers (less than 15 hours per week) in the Danish, Irish and Norwegian hotel and restaurant sector. Each of the three countries belongs to distinct industrial relations models with different sectoral traditions of multi-employer bargaining, political intervention and union strength. We focus on social partner initiatives, over time, covering trade unions, employers and national governments’ unilateral, bipartite or tripartite measures to secure ‘living hours’ for workers with contracts of few hours. Analytically, we seek inspiration from the work on industrial relations regimes by Visser (2009) and combine it with the concept of living hours. We find that social partners have introduced a series of initiatives to secure living hours, notably to protect and increase hourly wages and secure guaranteed weekly working hours. However, while securing minimum wages and income through either bipartite, tripartite or unilateral measures seem relatively successful in all three countries, the attempts to guarantee minimum weekly working hours and thus secure living hours prove more difficult and mainly has had an impact in Denmark." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Jacqueson, Catherine (2024): An Effective protection against unemployment for self-employed and platform workers? The intriguing case of Denmark. In: European Journal of Social Security, Jg. 26, H. 2, S. 140-154. DOI:10.1177/13882627241270473

Abstract

"This article discusses whether self-employed and platform workers in Denmark have effective access to the unemployment insurance scheme. The Danish case is intriguing in a comparative context. Unlike other European States, it has been possible in Denmark for the self-employed to formally access the unemployment scheme since 1976. The system is also interesting as it is rather flexible, and was recently adapted to meet the challenges of changing work patterns and an increase in atypical forms of work, such as platform work. Yet, it is argued that important barriers to effective coverage remain. Some barriers, such as the voluntary character of the insurance and its eligibility criteria, are common to all persons with low and irregular work. Other barriers are specific to the self-employed and relate to the conditions for proving the closing down of business, and to waiting periods." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Jankowski, Krzysztof Z. (2024): Positioning precarity: The contingent nature of precarious work in structure and practice. In: The British journal of sociology, Jg. 75, H. 5, S. 715-730. DOI:10.1111/1468-4446.13125

Abstract

"Conceptualizing precarity has come to rest on the multi-dimensional and differentiated insecurities of job and worker, this however belies the relationship between structure and experience where precarity originates. To bridge that relationship, I employ the landscape concept to position workers relative to the structural contingency of precarious work. To study this landscape, I conducted an ethnography involving job searching, working, and interviewing workers. While certainly insecure, these jobs displayed parallel characteristics of streamlined hiring and short-notice starts which workers took advantage of. I explore three ideal-typical ‘jobs’—the first, only, and best job—to examine how vulnerability is balanced with contingency to produce precarity. This analysis and the landscape approach locate the political-economic transformation of work in the context of workers' lives and their labor market position. Taking precarious work is an act of balancing one's vulnerabilities in a way that constructs and thus naturalizes precarity. Overall, the article contributes an image of an economy where workers have to be opportunistic in a continual struggle for work while stratified by their personal circumstances and position in this labor market." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons) ((en))

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Larsen, Trine Pernille & Anna Ilsøe (2024): Workers with few hours – who secures their social rights? – The role of social dialogue and collective bargaining. In: European journal of industrial relations, Jg. 30, H. 4, S. 349-361. DOI:10.1177/09596801241293249

Abstract

"This special issue looks at the contributions of social dialogue and collective bargaining to creating, maintaining or reducing the risks associated with employment contracts of few hours, such as marginal part-time work, temporary agency work and zero-hour contracts. It additionally considers changes in welfare institutions with regard to the protection of these groups of workers. In this paper, we introduce the arguments on why and how working in marginal part-time jobs involves vulnerability, and on the differential roles collective bargaining and social protection may have on these jobs, depending in particular on which status (employees, workers or self-employed) they are associated to." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Latner, Jonathan P. (2024): The effect of transitioning into temporary employment on wages is not negative: A comparative study in eight countries. In: Research in Social Stratification and Mobility, Jg. 92, 2024-07-22. DOI:10.1016/j.rssm.2024.100957

Abstract

"There remains a lack of clarity about the effect of temporary employment on wages. Using asymmetric fixed effects models with a dummy impact function, we study the wage effects of four distinct transitions: (1) from unemployment into a temporary relative to (2) a permanent contracts; and (3) from temporary into permanent contracts relative to (4) from permanent into temporary contracts. We use panel data from eight countries to examine the effect of these distinct transitions, over time after the transition occurs, and in a cross-national, comparative context. The main finding explains the wage penalty of temporary employment identified by previous research. The negative effect is more accurately understood as the difference between two types of transitions, neither of which are negative, even if transitions from temporary into permanent contracts more positive than transitions from permanent into temporary contracts. There is little difference in the wage effect of transitions from unemployment into temporary relative to permanent contracts. The findings may be counter intuitive, but they are consistent with the theory of equalizing differences." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2024 Elsevier) ((en))

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Lehner, Lukas, Paul Ramskogler & Aleksandra Riedl (2024): Beggaring Thy Co-Worker: Labor Market Dualization and the Wage Growth Slowdown in Europe. In: ILR review, Jg. 77, H. 5, S. 659-684. DOI:10.1177/00197939241248162

Abstract

"As temporary employment has become a pervasive feature of modern labor markets, reasons for wage growth have become less well understood. To determine whether these two phenomena are related, the authors investigate whether the dualized structure of labor markets affects macroeconomic developments. Specifically, they incorporate involuntary temporary workers into the standard wage Phillips curve to examine wage growth in 30 European countries for the period 2004–2017. Relying on individual-level data to adjust for a changing employment composition, their findings show, for the first time, that the incidence of involuntary temporary workers has strong negative effects on permanent workers’ wage growth, thereby dampening aggregate wage growth. This effect, which the authors name the competition effect, is particularly pronounced in countries where wage bargaining institutions are weak. The findings shed further light on the reasons for the secular slowdown of wage growth after the global financial crisis." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Lewandowski, Piotr & Wojciech Szymczak (2024): Automation, Trade Unions and Involuntary Atypical Employment. (IBS working paper / Instytut Badań Strukturalnych 2024,02), Warszawa, 32 S.

Abstract

"We study the effect of the adoption of automation technologies - industrial robots, and software and databases - on the incidence of atypical employment in 13 E.U. countries between 2006 and 2018. We combine survey microdata with sectoral information on technology use and exploit the variation at the demographic group level. Using instrumental variables estimation, we find that industrial robots significantly increase atypical employment share, mostly through involuntary part-time and involuntary fixed-term work. We find no robust effect of software and databases. We also show that the higher trade union coverage mitigates the robots ’ impact on atypical employment, while employment protection legislation appears to play no role. Using historical decompositions, we attribute about 1-2 percentage points of atypical employment shares to rising robot exposure, especially in Central and Eastern European countries with low unionisation." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Magoga-Sabatier, Sabrine (2024): Coverage for platform workers and the self-employed in case of unemployment in Switzerland: Access to protection and ways of improvement. In: European Journal of Social Security, Jg. 26, H. 2, S. 198-213. DOI:10.1177/13882627241256003

Abstract

"Whether they are self-employed, atypical employees, or self-employed using an umbrella company, there is still almost no social protection against unemployment or partial loss of activity in Switzerland for platform workers. The same can be said for the self-employed in general. This contribution shows that platform workers, irrespective of their exact legal status, and the self-employed in general, risk sanctions for taking on unsuitable work, for being insufficiently available for decent work or unable to prove a loss of income. However hard they try, they cannot even contribute to a voluntary unemployment insurance scheme. We show that the Swiss social protection scheme, a product of years of federal direct democracy, is hardly able to adapt to the fast-moving platform work environment, thus increasing the risks of precariousness and the burden on the cantons' social assistance for the next generation." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Manning, Alan & Graham Mazeine (2024): Subjective Job Insecurity and the Rise of the Precariat: Evidence from the United Kingdom, Germany, and the United States. In: The Review of Economics and Statistics, Jg. 106, H. 3, S. 748-761. DOI:10.1162/rest_a_01196

Abstract

"There is a widespread belief that work is less secure than in the past, that an increasing share of workers are part of the “precariat.” It is hard to find much evidence for this in objective measures of job security, but perhaps subjective measures show different trends. This paper shows that in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany, workers feel as secure as they ever have in the past 30 years. This is partly because job insecurity is very cyclical and (pre-COVID) unemployment rates very low, but there is also no clear underlying trend towards increased subjective measures of job insecurity. This conclusion seems robust to controlling for the changing mix of the labor force, and it is true for specific subsets of workers." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © MIT Press Journals) ((en))

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Martinez Dy, Angela, Dilani Jayawarna & Susan Marlow (2024): Racial Capitalism and Entrepreneurship: An Intersectional Feminist Labour Market Perspective on UK Self-Employment. In: Sociology, Jg. 58, H. 5, S. 1038-1060. DOI:10.1177/00380385241228444

Abstract

"This article explains entrepreneurial activity patterns in the United Kingdom labour market using theories of racial capitalism and intersectional feminism. Using UK Office for National Statistics Labour Force Survey data 2018–2019 and employing probit modelling techniques on employment modes, self-employment types and work arrangements among differing groups, we investigate inequality in self-employment within and between socio-structural groupings of race, class and gender. We find that those belonging to non-dominant gender, race and socio-economic class groupings experience an intersecting set of entrepreneurial penalties, enhancing understanding of the ways multiple social hierarchies interact in self-employment patterns. This robust quantitative evidence challenges contemporary debates, policy and practice regarding the potential for entrepreneurship to offer viable income generation opportunities by those on the socio-economic margins." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Mizobata, Hirokazu (2024): Japan's dual labor market and its macroeconomic characteristics. In: Empirical economics, Jg. 67, H. 1, S. 165-196. DOI:10.1007/s00181-024-02555-6

Abstract

"This study examines the characteristics of Japan's dual labor market, which consists of standard and non-standard employment. I conduct labor stock and flow analyses using Japanese Labour Force Survey data from 2002 to 2022. The stock analysis suggests that, in the long run, non-standard employment improves labor market conditions, such as employment and unemployment rates. Changes in the composition of standard and non-standard employment reduce the average hours per worker in the long run but play a limited role over the business cycles. The flow analysis reveals that inflows and outflows involving non-standard employment have relatively significant effects on changes in employment and unemployment rates. This feature of non-standard employment is more pronounced for females and young individuals. The flow analysis also shows that within-employment reallocation, that is, transitions between standard and non-standard employment, primarily determines the changes in the share of non-standard employment. The sluggish movement between these two types of contracts leads to a persistently high level of non-standard employment in Japan." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Springer-Verlag) ((en))

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Mišič, Luka & Grega Strban (2024): Atypical work and residence in cross-border situations: The coordination of unemployment benefits. In: European Journal of Social Security, Jg. 26, H. 2, S. 266-283. DOI:10.1177/13882627241255023

Abstract

"This article analyses the potential challenges related to the coordination of unemployment benefits under European Union law for persons whose employment or other economic activities and living arrangements are, in one way or another, dispersed across the territories of several EU Member States. Starting from the traditional cases of frontier workers and other cross-border (or mobile) workers, on the one hand, and remote work or telework, on the other, the article looks at the potential future of free movement in the EU under Regulation (EC) No. 883/2004 and its implementing regulation, Regulation (EC) No. 987/2009. New forms of work and work organisation, alongside new mobility and residency patterns, challenge the basic rules of lex loci laboris (the country of employment is competent) and lex loci domicilii (the country of residence is competent), especially when they collide in a single case. At the same time, unemployment benefits, which are at the heart of this debate, still remain subject to specific coordination (e.g. competence) rules that depart from the general legislation, possibly making effective provision in such cases even more difficult. The article gives a diverse collection of theoretical examples in which cross-border situations are either in themselves atypical and complex, or accompanied and made possible by new forms of work or work organisation, causing specific problems for the adequate and appropriate provision of unemployment benefits." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Mussida, Chiara & Dario Sciulli (2024): Poverty and Temporary Employment in Italy. In: Italian economic journal. DOI:10.1007/s40797-024-00297-z

Abstract

"This paper explores the relationship between temporary employment and poverty in Italy by using 2016–2019 longitudinal EU-SILC data. We model both poverty and labor market outcomes and account for possible endogeneity of temporary employment in the poverty equation. We find that temporary employment reduces the risk of poverty whether compared with inactivity and unemployment. Temporary workers are more likely to stay in poverty with respect to their permanent counterpart. The different effect of permanent/temporary employment on the risk of poverty is more pronounced for householders than for partners, thereby stressing the leading role of the former in income formation. There is evidence of feedback effects from past poverty to current temporary employment. We also find significant genuine state dependence in both the processes of poverty and temporary employment. For the latter, we note the prevalence of a trapping effect into unstable jobs relationships, especially for householders. Finally, we stress the relatively weak role of social transfers in integrating labor income from temporary employment and therefore in breaking the detrimental effect of temporary work on poverty." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Müller-Rehm, Rebekka (2024): Essays on institutions in health care and labor markets. (Untersuchungen zur Wirtschaftspolitik 145), Köln, 145 S.

Abstract

"Dieser Band der Untersuchungen zur Wirtschaftspolitik ist institutionellen Besonderheiten des Gesundheitswesens und von Arbeitsmärkten gewidmet. Gesundheits- und Arbeitsmärkte unterliegen aus guten Gründen einer stärkeren Regulierung als andere Märkte: Der Schutz von Patient*innen und Arbeitnehmer*innen genießt in unserer Gesellschaft hohe Priorität. Die Wirkung der Regulierung auf diesen Märkten zu verstehen, ist nicht zuletzt deshalb wichtig, weil sie in besonderem Maße von Entwicklungen betroffen sind, die sich der Kontrolle der politischen Entscheidungsträger*innen weitegehend entziehen, z.B. dem demografischen Wandel, dem technologischen Fortschritt und dem damit verbundenen Wandel hin zu einer Dienstleistungsökonomie. Im ersten Teil geht es um Plattformarbeit, das heißt um Arbeitsaufträge, die ortsunabhängig über digitale Plattformen abgewickelt werden. Da häufig die Befürchtung geäußert wird, dass Arbeitgeber Plattformarbeit nutzen, um Arbeitsmarktregulierung zu umgehen, liegt der Fokus auf dem Zusammenhang zwischen der Nachfrage nach Plattformarbeit und der Stärke des Kündigungsschutzes in OECD-Staaten. Im zweiten Teil werden die Niederlassungsentscheidungen von Hausärzt*innen in unterversorgten Gebieten in Deutschland untersucht, wobei nach Geschlecht und zwischen Einzel- und Gemeinschaftspraxen differenziert wird. Auf dieser Grundlage werden zwei Regulierungsszenarien simuliert: eine Angleichung der Vergütung von für die Behandlung von gesetzlich- und privatversicherten Patient*innen und eine striktere Begrenzung der Zulassung in überversorgten Gebieten. Der dritte Teil ist unfreiwilliger Teilzeitarbeit gewidmet. In Zeiten konjunkturellen Abschwungs reduzieren viele Arbeitgeber in eher liberalen Arbeitsmärkten, wie in den USA und in Großbritannien, die Arbeitszeit ihrer Beschäftigten, was zu einem Anstieg unfreiwilliger Teilzeitarbeit führt. Das wirft die Fragen auf, ob die striktere Regulierung in Deutschland, die eine einseitige Reduzierung der Arbeitszeit durch den Arbeitgeber untersagt, einen solchen Anstieg unfreiwilliger Teilzeitbeschäftigung in konjunkturellen Abschwungphasen verhindert und wie die Regulierung die Marktanpassungsmechanismen verändert." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Neumann, Uwe (2024): Temporary agency employment: A supplement to regular jobs – under certain circumstances. In: Competition and Change, Jg. 28, H. 2, S. 359-378. DOI:10.1177/10245294231221884

Abstract

"In countries with strict employment protection legislation, firms may seek to replace regular by atypical jobs in order to cut wages or to become more flexible. In Germany, the number of unprotected temporary jobs is comparatively low. During the past decades, temporary agency employment, however, has increased considerably and the share of agency workers is now above the EU average. Using German establishment data, the analysis draws on longitudinal (generalized method of moments) and cross-sectional (matching and difference in differences) methods to evaluate whether agency workers replaced or supplemented regular workers during and after the Great Recession of 2008/2009. The study finds that hiring (more) agency workers made it possible for user firms among Germany’s core manufacturing industries to employ a larger number of regular workers at the same time. In specific sectors and regions, temp agencies therefore provided an alternative to government-sponsored instruments such as short-time work schemes. Obviously, from the view of workers, many disadvantages remain, even more so as it is rare for temp spells to offer a stepping stone into regular employment." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Nguyen, Ngoc Hân, Wendy Smits & Mark Vancauteren (2024): Fixed-term contracts and firm productivity: Do workers’ skills and firm conversion rates from fixed-term to permanent contracts matter? In: International Journal of Manpower, Jg. 45, H. 10, S. 144-161. DOI:10.1108/ijm-03-2024-0194

Abstract

"Purpose: We aim to elucidate the relationship between fixed-term employment and firm productivity by examining workers’ skills and considering how firm-level conversion rates influence this relationship. Design/methodology/Approach: We use longitudinal employer-employee data between 2011 and 2017 in the Netherlands to estimate a nonlinear regression derived from a production function proposed by Addessi (2014) and Castellani et al . (2020). Findings: The contribution of fixed-term contracts to firm-level productivity is less than that of permanent contracts. However, this contribution is greater when firms exhibit a high conversion rate from fixed-term to permanent positions. The effect of the conversion rate is more substantial for high-skilled fixed-term workers than for low-skilled ones. Originality/value: Our results suggest the extent to which firms benefit from fixed-term contracts when these are used for screening high-skilled workers for permanent employment." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Emerald Group) ((en))

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Nijhuis, Dennie Oude & Maximilian Kiecker (2024): Shared Jobs, Shared Trajectories? Employer Groups and the Regulation of Part-time Work in Germany and the Netherlands. In: German politics, S. 1-23. DOI:10.1080/09644008.2024.2413487

Abstract

"To explain cross-national variation in the regulation of atypical forms of employment, including measures aimed at protecting the employment conditions of nonstandard workers, existing studies have typically emphasised the importance of labour's relative power resources and insider-outsider dynamics. This article shows that differences in employer stances can also be of key importance in explaining this type of variation. Moreover, it shows that employer support for regulatory efforts to improve quality of atypical employment neither have to result from a perceived need to seek strategic accommodation nor from a positive assessment of the costs and benefits of regulation. It does so by comparing the very different responses of Dutch and German employer groups to regulatory attempts to improve the quality of part-time employment. It illustrates their importance and attributes them to strategic choices that were a logical outcome of the different institutional environments in which Dutch and German employer groups operated." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Noffz, Annette (2024): Verbot der Leiharbeit in der Pflege. In: Nachrichtendienst des Deutschen Vereins für öffentliche und private Fürsorge, Jg. 103, H. 8, S. 342-346.

Abstract

"Zwar sagt man der Pflegebranche Zukunftssicherheit nach, denn solange es Menschen gibt, wird es auch kranke und pflegebedürftige Menschen geben. Um diese Menschen aber entsprechend pflegen zu können, braucht es geeignetes Personal. Dieses fehlt aus vielen Gründen in zunehmendem Maße." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Oteng, Samuel Ampadu, Padmore Adusei Amoah & Genghua Huang (2024): Deconstructing ageism among older informal workers: a systematic review. In: The international journal of sociology and social policy, Jg. 44, H. 9/10, S. 918-939. DOI:10.1108/IJSSP-03-2024-0117

Abstract

"Purpose: This study aims to conduct a systematic review of existing literature on ageism among older informal workers, as most studies have focused on formal work settings. Specifically, it seeks to identify the scope and characteristics of ageism that older informal workers encounter and its influence on their work and well-being. Design/methodology/approach This paper follows the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) framework to conduct a systematic review. Eleven studies from six databases were included and thematically analysed. Findings The findings revealed four main themes: the contextual nature of ageism, dimensions of work-related ageism, navigating work-related challenges, and effects on well-being. These themes highlight that, despite being perceived as experienced and reliable, older informal workers face exclusion from work opportunities as they are perceived as unproductive and less capable of acquiring new skills. These negative perceptions significantly impacted their willingness to continue working and overall well-being. Practical implications The findings offer an overview of extant research and the direction for future research and policy interventions to address ageism among older informal workers. The findings are crucial for enhancing older workers' quality of life, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, where population ageing is the fastest. Originality/value This study is one of the few to systematically explore and evaluate empirical evidence on ageism in the informal work sector. It thus expands existing knowledge and understanding of the phenomenon of ageism in a least explored context." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Emerald Group) ((en))

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Però, Davide & John Downey (2024): Advancing Workers' Rights in the Gig Economy through Discursive Power: The Communicative Strategies of Indie Unions. In: Work, Employment and Society, Jg. 38, H. 1, S. 140-160. DOI:10.1177/09500170221103160

Abstract

"Finding limited representation in established unions, a growing number of precarious and migrant workers of the gig economy have been turning to self-organization. Yet little is known about how these workers can compensate for their lack of material resources and institutional support and negotiate effectively with employers. Drawing on interviews, frame, and content analysis grounded in ethnographic research with the precarious and migrant workers of British ‘indie’ unions, we examine the significance of self-mediation practices in facilitating effective negotiations. We find that the effectiveness of campaigns can be enhanced by strategically integrating vibrant direct action of workers and allies with self-mediated messages, which are framed to resonate with the general public and mainstream media – a practice that we call communicative unionism. These findings extend labour movement scholarship by showing the analytical importance of considering workers’ discursive power-building practices. They also contribute to addressing social movement studies’ historical neglect of workers’ collective engagements with employers." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Plenter, Johanna (2024): Ein Teil der Arbeiter:innenklasse? Analyse des Klassenbewusstseins prekär und atypisch Beschäftigter in Deutschland. (FES diskurs), Bonn, 14 S.

Abstract

"„Klasse“ ist nicht nur in sozialwissenschaftlichen Theorien, sondern auch in Medien und Politik eines der beliebtesten Konstrukte, um Gesellschaften zu beschreiben und Gruppen von Menschen einzuteilen und zu unterscheiden. Gerade in Anbetracht immer komplexer, ausdifferenzierter und diverser werdender Gesellschaften erlebt der Klassenbegriff seit einigen Jahren eine Renaissance. Der Arbeiter:innenklasse kommt dabei auch politisch ein besonderer Stellenwert zu, denn keine andere Klasse war lange Zeit so direkt mit einem (partei-)politischen Lager verbunden wie sie. Möglicherweise erklärt der elektorale Bedeutungsverlust der politischen Linken in nahezu allen westlichen Ländern diesen Rekurs des Klassenbegriffs und die Nostalgie um die Arbeiter:innenklasse" (Textauszug, IAB-Doku)

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Reynolds, Jeremy, Julieta Aguilar & Reilly Kincaid (2024): More than a side-hustle: Satisfaction with conventional and microtask work and the association with life satisfaction. In: Social science research, Jg. 122. DOI:10.1016/j.ssresearch.2024.103055

Abstract

"Gig platforms promise attractive, flexible ways to earn supplemental income. Academics, however, often describe gig work as low-quality work, suggesting that it is less satisfying than conventional work. In this paper, we present a novel comparison of satisfaction with gig microtask work and conventional work among MTurk workers doing both. We also examine how satisfaction with gig and conventional work relate to life satisfaction. On average, respondents report less satisfaction with microtasks than with conventional work. Nevertheless, roughly one-third of respondents are more satisfied with microtask work. Furthermore, microtask work lowers overall life satisfaction, but only among “platformdependent” respondents (those who rely on platform income). Specifically, structural equation modeling reveals a case of moderated mediation: “platform dependence” reduces life satisfaction by lowering satisfaction with microtask work while also strengthening the latter's connection to life satisfaction. Taken together, our findings support and extend the theory of platform dependence." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2024 Elsevier) ((en))

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Riphahn, Regina T. (2024): Subventionen für „kleine Jobs“. Die Auswirkungen von Mini- und Midijobs in Deutschland. In: Wirtschafts- und Sozialstatistisches Archiv, Jg. 18, H. 1, S. 5-14. DOI:10.1007/s11943-024-00335-3

Abstract

"Die Grohmann-Vorlesung des Jahres 2023 beschäftigt sich mit dem Phänomen der „kleinen Jobs“ in Deutschland. Zunächst wird der institutionelle und historische Hintergrund von Minijobs erläutert und die Intensität ihrer Nutzung beschrieben. Anschließend fasst der Text die Inhalte von drei empirischen Studien zusammen. Diese setzen sich mit der Frage auseinander ob (i) Arbeitgeber reguläre Beschäftigung durch Minijobs ersetzen, (ii) Minijobs zur „motherhood penalty“ in Deutschland beitragen und (iii) ob Midijobs Übergänge aus Minijobs in reguläre sozialversicherungspflichtige Beschäftigung erleichtert haben. Die Vorlesung schließt mit einer Betrachtung möglicher Regelungsalternativen für „kleine Jobs“ in Deutschland." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku, © Springer-Verlag)

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Risius, Paula, Franziska Arndt & Philip Herzer (2024): Anreize setzen: Wie Unternehmen Teilzeitkräfte für mehr Stunden gewinnen. (KOFA kompakt / Kompetenzzentrum Fachkräftesicherung 2024,11), Köln, 5 S.

Abstract

"Fast jede:r dritte sozialversicherungspflichtig Beschäftigte in Deutschland arbeitet in Teilzeit – mit steigender Tendenz. Teilzeit bietet vielen Beschäftigten erst die Möglichkeit, trotz weiterer Verpflichtungen oder Einschränkungen, erwerbstätig zu sein. Gerade unter Frauen ist der Teilzeitanteil sehr hoch, da sie häufig mehr Sorgearbeit leisten. Gleichzeitig ist die Wirtschaft angesichts der angespannten Fachkräftesituation darauf angewiesen, das Arbeitsvolumen zu erhöhen. Die Ausweitung der Arbeitszeit der erwerbstätigen Teilzeitkräfte bietet Unternehmen große Potenziale für die Fachkräftesicherung. Viele Teilzeitbeschäftigte sind grundsätzlich bereit, ihre Arbeitsstunden auszuweiten. Entscheidend sind die Umstände und Rahmenbedingungen, die auch Unternehmen für eine Stundenausweitung bieten." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Rubery, Jill, Damian Grimshaw, Philippe Mehaut & Claudia Weinkopf (2024): Dualisation and part-time work in France, Germany and the UK: Accounting for within and between country differences in precarious work. In: European journal of industrial relations, Jg. 30, H. 4, S. 363-381. DOI:10.1177/09596801221120468

Abstract

"By comparing protections for part-time work in France, Germany and the UK, this article contributes to the comparative debate over whether industrial relations actors are mitigating or creating labour market dualisation. Significant variations in incidence and form of part-time work (a ‘spectrum of precariousness’), between and within the three countries, are explained through a theoretical frame that layers the actions of industrial relations actors against a backdrop of welfare and labour market rules and gender relations. This reveals important path dependent differences in part-time work patterns, including in the lines by which part-time work is segmented. The findings call for a more nuanced approach to dualisation that recognises that trade union responses to precarious work, albeit conditioned by their own path dependencies, have involved active efforts to extend protections to part-timers through twin strategies of support for legislative instruments and new forms of organising, albeit with only partial success." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Seils, Eric & Helge Baumann (2024): Befristete Einstellungen: In der Stagnation. (WSI Policy Brief / Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaftliches Institut 85), Düsseldorf, 13 S., Appendix.

Abstract

"Seit der wirtschaftlichen Boomphase in der zweiten Hälfte des letzten Jahrzehnts geht der Anteil befristet begonnener Beschäftigungsverhältnisse zurück. Nach den Turbulenzen der Corona-Krise hat sich dieser Sinkflug zwar fortgesetzt, dennoch blieben die Befristungsquoten bei den sozialversicherungspflichtigen Einstellungen in vielen Bereichen unerfreulich hoch. Zudem stagniert die deutsche Volkswirtschaft seit geraumer Zeit. Vor diesem Hintergrund werden im vorliegenden Policy Brief die folgenden Fragen behandelt: - Wie entwickeln sich die befristeten Einstellungen unter diesen Bedingungen? - Wer wird weiterhin befristet eingestellt? - Wo wird befristet eingestellt?" (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Singer, Kirsten & Nicole Fleischer (2024): Entwicklungen in der Zeitarbeit. (Berichte: Blickpunkt Arbeitsmarkt / Bundesagentur für Arbeit), Nürnberg, 27 S.

Abstract

"Die Arbeitnehmerüberlassung reagiert frühzeitig auf Änderungen der konjunkturellen Rahmenbedingungen und kann daher ein Frühindikator für die Entwicklung am Arbeitsmarkt sein. Nach einer langen Wachstumsphase setzte im Jahr 2018 durch die einsetzende Abschwächung der konjunkturellen Dynamik ein Beschäftigungsrückgang in der Zeitarbeit ein, der sich mit Ausbruch der CoronaPandemie verstärkte. Ab Herbst 2021 – nach einer kurzen Zeit des Beschäftigungsaufbaus schmolzen die Vorjahresabstände Monat für Monat. Seit Ende 2022 unterschreiten die Werte kontinuierlich das Vorjahresniveau und lagen damit zuletzt auf dem Niveau des 1. Corona-Jahres. Im Jahresdurchschnitt 2023 waren 796.000 Leiharbeitnehmerinnen und Leiharbeitnehmer in Deutschland sozialversicherungspflichtig oder ausschließlich geringfügig beschäftigt. Ihr Anteil an der Gesamtbeschäftigung lag bei 2,0 Prozent. Leiharbeitnehmerinnen und Leiharbeitnehmer arbeiten häufiger in Tätigkeiten, die mit einem niedrigen Anforderungsniveau verbunden sind: Deutlich mehr als jeder Zweite übt eine Helfertätigkeit aus." (Textauszug, IAB-Doku)

Zitatform

Singer, Kirsten & Nicole Fleischer (2024): Die Arbeitsmarktsituation von Frauen und Männern 2023. (Berichte: Blickpunkt Arbeitsmarkt / Bundesagentur für Arbeit), Nürnberg, 29 S.

Abstract

"Die Erwerbsneigung und Erwerbsbeteiligung von Frauen und Männern sind in Deutschland in den letzten 10 Jahren deutlich gestiegen. Nur in wenigen Ländern Europas ist die Erwerbsbeteiligung insgesamt und insbesondere von Frauen so hoch wie in Deutschland. Frauen und Männer sind unterschiedlich in den verschiedenen Formen der Erwerbstätigkeit vertreten: Rund zwei Drittel der Selbständigen sind Männer. Die sozialversicherungspflichtig Beschäftigten sind zu über der Hälfte männlich. Bei den Beamten sind Frauen und Männer je zur Hälfte vertreten und Minijobs sind nach wie vor eine Frauendomäne." (Textauszug, IAB-Doku)

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Stamm, Isabell Kathrin, Lena Schürmann & Katharina Scheidgen (2024): Market Dependence as a Boundary Construction for Work Solidarity with the Solo Self-employed. In: Work, Employment and Society, Jg. 38, H. 6, S. 1528-1548. DOI:10.1177/09500170231206083

Abstract

"As more people work outside standard employment, the foundations of work solidarity are contested. How does work solidarity arise in atypical forms of work that are characterised by flexible, autonomous and self-dependent organisation, such as in solo self-employment? Drawing on a discursive approach to work solidarity, this article emphasises how market dependence can serve as a boundary construction to create work solidarity. Empirically, this study engages in a discourse analysis on Soforthilfe, a policy measure introduced by the German government to financially assist solo self-employed people during the Covid-19 lockdown. In this discourse, market dependence serves to identify this social group’s need (social boundary) and to set out the corresponding policies for financial assistance (substantive boundary). Four solidarity norms – relief, equality, preservation and quasi-equivalence – support this boundary construction. The article contributes to the current discourse on work solidarity by identifying an additional boundary construction." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Trappmann, Vera, Charles Umney, Christopher J. McLachlan, Alexandra Seehaus & Laura Cartwright (2024): How Do Young Workers Perceive Job Insecurity? Legitimising Frames for Precarious Work in England and Germany. In: Work, Employment and Society, Jg. 38, H. 4, S. 998-1020. DOI:10.1177/09500170231187821

Abstract

"This article examines the legitimising frames young workers in England and Germany apply to precarious work. Through 63 qualitative biographical interviews, the article shows that most young precarious workers saw work insecurity as an unavoidable fact of life whose legitimacy could not realistically be challenged. Four frames are identified that led to precarious work being seen as legitimate: precarious work as a driver of entrepreneurialism; as inevitable due to repeated exposure; as a stage within the life course; and as the price paid for the pursuit of autonomy and meaningful work. The article advances the literature on precarious workers’ subjectivity by identifying the frames through which it is legitimised, and by underlining the importance of frames that are currently underexamined. The prevalence of the pursuit of meaningful, non-alienating work as a frame is a particularly striking finding." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Traverso, Silvio, Massimiliano Vatiero & Enrico Zaninotto (2024): Automation and flexible labor contracts: Firm-level evidence from Italy. (GLO discussion paper / Global Labor Organization 1425), Essen, 33 S.

Abstract

"This study examines the association between investments in automation technologies and employment outcomes at the firm level, utilizing a panel dataset of about 10,450 Italian firms. Focusing on the proliferation of non-standard, flexible labor contracts introduced by labor market reforms in the 2000s, we identify a positive relationship between automation investments and the adoption of flexible labor arrangements. With the aid of a conceptual framework, we interpret these findings as evidence of complementarity between flexible capital, represented by automation technologies, and flexible labor, manifested through non-standard contractual arrangements. This complementarity is crucial for enhancing operational flexibility, a critical determinant of firm performance in the modern market environment. However, while this adaptability is beneficial for firms, it raises concerns about job security, the potential for lower wages among workers, and the reduction of workers' incentives to invest in human capital. In terms of policy implications, our analysis underscores the need for measures that safeguard workers' interests without compromising the efficiency gains from automation." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Veen, Alex, Tom Barratt, Caleb Goods & Marian Baird (2024): Accidental flexicurity or workfare? Navigating ride-share work and Australia's welfare system. In: Economic and Industrial Democracy, Jg. 45, H. 3, S. 766-793. DOI:10.1177/0143831X231197057

Abstract

"This mixed-methods study explores the intersection of the ‘gig’ economy and welfare state in Australia, exploring how ride-share work has provided a pathway into paid work for three traditionally disadvantaged groups: individuals with disability, with caring responsibilities, or aged 45 and over. It examines these workers’ motivations for the work and explores how the welfare system shapes their experiences. The study finds push factors, such as past labour market discrimination and limited alternatives, and pull factors, like the relative flexibility of the work, which allows for the accommodation of planned and unplanned absences, are driving individuals into the ‘gig’ economy. The authors identify a duality about these experiences. On the one hand, the work represents a de facto form of ‘workfare’. On the other, the welfare system is cushioning the work’s job and income insecurity, providing individuals with flexibility and security unavailable elsewhere, an unintended policy outcome the authors label ‘accidental flexicurity’." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Vogel, Berthold & Harald Wolf (Hrsg.) (2024): Arbeit und gesellschaftlicher Zusammenhalt. Konzepte, Themen, Analysen. (Gesellschaftlicher Zusammenhalt 8), Frankfurt: Campus Verlag, 354 S. DOI:10.12907/978-3-593-45776-5

Abstract

"Driftet die Arbeitsgesellschaft immer mehr auseinander, ist ihr Zusammenhalt zunehmend gefährdet? Zentrale Befunde der soziologischen Arbeitsforschung wie »Entgrenzung«, »Prekarisierung« oder »Fragmentierung« legen dies nahe und weisen auf gesellschaftliche Fliehkräfte und Desintegration hin. Aktuelle Umbrüche durch Digitalisierung, sozial-ökologische Transformation und Corona-Krise scheinen soziale Spaltungen ebenfalls zu vertiefen, Polarisierungen zuzuspitzen und Zusammenhalt zu gefährden. Die Frage nach Arbeit und gesellschaftlichem Zusammenhalt ist vor diesem Hintergrund naheliegend, aber bislang innerhalb der soziologischen Zeitdiagnostik vernachlässigt. Sie wird in diesem Band erstmals von national wie international prominenten Forscherinnen und Forschern aus verschiedenen Perspektiven aufgegriffen und analysiert." (Verlagsangaben, IAB-Doku)

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Westhoff, Leonie (2024): Does Atypical Employment Come in Couples? Evidence from European Countries. In: Social indicators research, Jg. 172, H. 2, S. 569-594. DOI:10.1007/s11205-023-03296-2

Abstract

"The literature on atypical employment has largely focused on the individual level. This paper provides a novel account of the dynamics of atypical employment, specifically part-time and temporary employment, within couples. Analyzing a sample of 29 European countries using 2016 EU-SILC data, it investigates the association between partner and own atypical employment. The results show that temporary employment does come in couples, in that partner temporary employment is associated with a higher likelihood of own temporary employment. A significant portion of this result is driven by individuals with partners in temporary employment themselves exhibiting characteristics predisposing them to temporary employment. These results are largely consistent across Europe. Accumulation of part-time employment is also observed, albeit at a smaller scale. However, it occurs at the two extremes of the income distribution only, among very low-earning and very high-earning couples. In contrast, in the middle of the income distribution, there is no association between partner and own part-time employment, which is more consistent with classic household specialization patterns. An association between partner and own part-time employment is only found in a minority of European countries, most systematically in Northern and Western Europe, but also in some Southern and Eastern European countries." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Springer-Verlag) ((en))

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(2024): Entgelte in der Leiharbeit - Arbeitnehmerüberlassung. Antwort der Bundesregierung auf die Kleine Anfrage der Abgeordneten ... und der Fraktion der AfD (Drucksache 20/10028). (Verhandlungen des Deutschen Bundestages. Drucksachen 20/10311 (13.02.2024)), Berlin, 37 S.

Abstract

Die Bundesregierung antwortet auf die Anfrage der AfD-Fraktion zu Beschäftigung und Entgelten in der Zeitarbeit unter Heranziehung der Beschäftigungsstatistik der Bundesagentur für Arbeit. (IAB-Doku)

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(2024): Saisonale Beschäftigung in der Landwirtschaft. (Kurzinfo / Bundesagentur für Arbeit), Nürnberg, 5 S.

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(2024): Vorschlag für eine Richtlinie des Europäischen Parlaments und des Rates zur Verbesserung und Durchsetzung der Arbeitsbedingungen von Praktikanten und zur Bekämpfung von Scheinpraktika ("Praktikumsrichtlinie"). (Verhandlungen des Bundesrates. Drucksachen 201/24 (24.04.2024)), Berlin, 33 S.

Abstract

Der Vorschlag des Europäischen Parlaments und des Rates befasst sich mit zwei problematischen und rechtswidrigen Situationen, die bei allen Arten von Praktika in der EU festgestellt wurden: (a) nicht regelkonforme Praktika, bei denen die Praktikanten nicht alle Rechte, auf die sie Anspruch haben, genießen und (b) Scheinpraktika, wobei angebliche Praktika reguläre Arbeitsplätze ersetzen, es sich also um als Praktika verschleierte reguläre Arbeitsverhältnisse handelt. Mit der Richtlinie wird ein gemeinsamer Rahmen mit Grundsätzen und Maßnahmen zur Verbesserung und Durchsetzung der Arbeitsbedingungen von Praktikanten und zur Bekämpfung von Scheinpraktika festgelegt. Die Mitgliedstaaten sind verpflichtet, wirksame Kontrollen und Inspektionen durch die zuständigen Behörden vorzusehen, um Scheinpraktika aufzudecken und Durchsetzungsmaßnahmen zu ergreifen. Der Vorschlag bemüht sich um Kohärenz mit bestehenden Vorschriften in diesem Politikbereich und mit der Politik der EU in anderen Bereichen, auch unter den Aspekten der Rechtsgrundlage, Subsidiarität und Verhältnismäßigkeit. Die vorgeschlagene Richtlinie stützt sich auf mehrere Studien, die zur Untermauerung der Analyse durchgeführt wurden und auf die der Vorschlag Bezug nimmt. Die Veröffentlichung enthält die erläuternden Ausführungen des Vorschlags und die verabschiedete Textfassung dieser 'Praktikumsrichtlinie'. (IAB)

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Alyanak, Oğuz, Callum Cant, Tatiana López Ayala, Adam Badger & Mark Graham (2023): Platform work, exploitation, and migrant worker resistance: Evidence from Berlin and London. In: The Economic and Labour Relations Review, Jg. 34, S. 667-688. DOI:10.1017/elr.2023.34

Abstract

"For migrant workers who do not have access to other means of income, the platform economy offers a viable yet exploitative alternative to the conventional labor market. Migrant workers are used as a source of cheap labor by platforms – and yet, they are not disempowered. They are at the heart of a growing platform worker movement. Across different international contexts, migrants have played a key role in leading strikes and other forms of collective action. This article traces the struggles of migrant platform workers in Berlin and London to explore how working conditions, work experiences, and strategies for collective action are shaped at the intersection of multiple precarities along lines of employment and migration status. Combining data collected through research by the Fairwork project with participant observation and ethnography, the article argues that migrant workers are more than an exploitable resource: they are harbingers of change." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Arita, Shin, Kikuko Nagayoshi, Hirofumi Taki, Hiroshi Kanbayashi, Hirohisa Takenoshita & Takashi Yoshida (2023): Legitimation of earnings inequality between regular and non-regular workers: A comparison of Japan, South Korea, and the United States. In: International Journal of Comparative Sociology, Jg. 64, H. 6, S. 658-680. DOI:10.1177/00207152231176422

Abstract

"This study explores functions of labor market institutions in perpetuating earnings gap between different categories of workers with focusing on people’s views of earnings gap between regular and non-regular workers in Japan, South Korea, and the United States. An original cross-national factorial survey was conducted to measure the extent to which respondents admit earnings gap among workers with different characteristics. We found that Japanese and South Korean respondents tended to justify the earnings gap between regular and non-regular workers. In Japan, non-regular-worker respondents accepted the wide earnings gap against their economic interests, which was explained by assumed difference in responsibilities and on-the-job training opportunities. Specific institutional arrangements contribute to legitimating earnings gap between different categories of workers by attaching status value to the categories." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Arnholtz, Jens & Nathan Lillie (2023): Posted work as an extreme case of hierarchised mobility. In: Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, Jg. 49, H. 16, S. 4206-4223. DOI:10.1080/1369183X.2023.2207341

Abstract

"This article draws on a range of case studies to explain how worker posting can cause hierarchised labour mobility, involving nationality-based hierarchies in pay and conditions between workers in the same labour markets or work sites. This hierarchisation is most apparent on large construction sites, where companies systematically use posting for labour cost advantage, but it is also found on smaller sites and in other sectors besides construction. The article outlines three features of this low-wage posting system – worker hypermobility and dependency, transnational enforcement challenges, and multifaceted employer arbitrage strategies – that conspire to maintain posting as a form of hierarchised mobility. We argue that posting undermines many countervailing forces that typically mediate hierarchisation." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Backhaus, Teresa, Clara Schäper & Annekatrin Schrenker (2023): Causal misperceptions of the part-time pay gap. In: Labour Economics, Jg. 83. DOI:10.1016/j.labeco.2023.102396

Abstract

"This paper studies if workers infer from correlation about causal effects in the context of the part-time wage penalty. Differences in hourly pay between full-time and part-time workers are strongly driven by worker selection and systematic sorting. Ignoring these selection effects can lead to biased expectations about the consequences of working part-time on wages (‘selection neglect bias’). Based on representative survey data from Germany, we document substantial misperceptions of the part-time wage gap. Workers strongly overestimate how much part-time workers in their occupation earn per hour, whereas they are approximately informed of mean full-time wage rates. Consistent with selection neglect, those who perceive large hourly pay differences between full-time and part-time workers also predict large changes in hourly wages when a given worker switches between full-time and part-time employment. Causal analyses using a survey experiment reveal that providing information about the raw part-time pay gap increases expectations about the full-time wage premium by factor 1.7, suggesting that individuals draw causal conclusions from observed correlations. De-biasing respondents by informing them about the influence of worker characteristics on observed pay gaps mitigates selection neglect. Subjective beliefs about the part-time/full-time wage gap are predictive of planned and actual transitions between full-time and part-time employment, necessitating the prevention of causal misperceptions." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2023 Elsevier) ((en))