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Sala, Hector, José I. Silva & Manuel Toledo (2012): Flexibility at the margin and labor market volatility in OECD countries. In: The Scandinavian journal of economics, Jg. 114, H. 3, S. 991-1017. DOI:10.1111/j.1467-9442.2012.01715.x

Abstract

"We study the business-cycle behavior of segmented labor markets with flexibility at the margin (e.g., just affecting fixed-term contracts). We present a matching model with temporary and permanent jobs (i) where there is a gap in the firing costs associated with these types of jobs and (ii) where there are restrictions in the creation and duration of fixed-term contracts. We show that a labor market with 'flexibility at the margin' increases the unemployment volatility with respect to one that is fully regulated. This analysis yields new insights into the interpretation of the recent volatility changes witnessed in the OECD area." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Briscoe, Forrest, Mark Wardell & Steve Sawyer (2011): Membership has its privileges? Contracting and access to jobs that accommodate work-life needs. In: Industrial and Labor Relations Review, Jg. 64, H. 2, S. 258-282.

Abstract

"Using job-spell data based on an original survey of Information Technology (IT) degree graduates from five U.S. universities, the authors investigate the link between contracting and a set of job characteristics (accommodating flexible work hours, total work hours, and working from home) associated with work-life needs. Compared with regular employees in similar jobs, workers in both independent- and agency-contracting jobs report more often working at home and working fewer hours per week. Further, agency contracting (but not independent contracting) is associated with lower odds of being able to set one's own work hours. Important differences also emerge in workplaces of varying sizes. For each job characteristic, as workplace size increases, independent contracting jobs deteriorate relative to regular employment jobs. As a consequence, in large workplaces, independent contracting jobs appear to be less accommodating of work-life needs than regular employment jobs." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Coleman-Jensen, Alisha J. (2011): Working for peanuts: Nonstandard work and food insecurity across household structure. In: Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Jg. 32, H. 1, S. 84-97. DOI:10.1007/s10834-010-9190-7

Abstract

"This study investigates the relationship between household head's work form (by considering number of hours worked and multiple job holding) and household food insecurity utilizing the Food Security Supplement to the Current Population Survey. Households where the head is employed in multiple jobs, in work with varied hours, or part-time work are more likely to be food insecure than households with a head in a regular full-time job, even when controlling for income and other social demographic characteristics. Models are estimated separately for married couple, cohabiting, male-headed, female-headed and single-person households to show the interaction between work form and household structure. The relationship between food insecurity and nonstandard work arrangements may be due to unstable incomes and complex schedules." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Kalleberg, Arne L. (2011): Good jobs, bad jobs. The rise of polarized and precarious employment systems in the United States, 1970s to 2000s. (American Sociological Association's Rose Series in Sociology), New York: Russell Sage Foundation, 292 S.

Abstract

"The economic boom of the 1990s veiled a grim reality: in addition to the growing gap between rich and poor, the gap between good and bad quality jobs was also expanding. The postwar prosperity of the mid-twentieth century had enabled millions of American workers to join the middle class, but as the author shows, by the 1970s this upward movement had slowed, in part due to the steady disappearance of secure, well-paying industrial jobs. Ever since, precarious employment has been on the rise - paying low wages, offering few benefits, and with virtually no long-term security. Today, the polarization between workers with higher skill levels and those with low skills and low wages is more entrenched than ever. The book traces this trend to large-scale transformations in the American labor market and the changing demographics of low-wage workers. The author draws on nearly four decades of survey data, as well as his own research, to evaluate trends in U.S. job quality and suggest ways to improve American labor market practices and social policies. The book provides an insightful analysis of how and why precarious employment is gaining ground in the labor market and the role these developments have played in the decline of the middle class. The author shows that by the 1970s, government deregulation, global competition, and the rise of the service sector gained traction, while institutional protections for workers - such as unions and minimum-wage legislation - weakened. Together, these forces marked the end of postwar security for American workers. The composition of the labor force also changed significantly; the number of dual-earner families increased, as did the share of the workforce comprised of women, non-white, and immigrant workers. Of these groups, blacks, Latinos, and immigrants remain concentrated in the most precarious and low-quality jobs, with educational attainment being the leading indicator of who will earn the highest wages and experience the most job security and highest levels of autonomy and control over their jobs and schedules." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Lewchuk, Wayne, Marlea Clarke & Alice de Wolff (2011): Working without commitments. The health effects of precarious employment. Montreal: McGill-Queen's University Press, 335 S.

Abstract

"From the end of the Second World War to the early 1980s, the North American norm was that men had full-time jobs, earned a 'family wage,' and expected to stay with the same employer for life. In households with children, most women were unpaid caregivers. This situation began to change in the mid-1970s as two-earner households became commonplace, with women entering employment through temporary and part-time jobs. Since the 1980s, less permanent precarious employment has increasingly become the norm for all workers. The book offers a new understanding of the social and health impacts of this change in the modern workplace, where outsourcing, limited term contracts, and the elimination of pensions and health benefits have become the new standard. Using information from interviews and surveys with workers in less permanent employment, the authors show how precarious employment affects the health of workers, labour productivity, and the sustainability of the traditional family model. A timely and relevant work for uncertain economic times, Working Without Commitments provides helpful information for understanding the present workplace and securing better futures for today's workforce." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Scott-Marshall, Heather & Emile Tompa (2011): The health consequences of precarious employment experiences. In: Work. A Journal of Prevention, Assessment and Rehabilitation, Jg. 38, H. 4, S. 369-382. DOI:10.3233/WOR-2011-1140

Abstract

"Objective: This study provides a test of a conceptual framework of the stress-related health consequences of 'precarious' employment experiences defined as those associated with instability, lack of protection, insecurity across various dimensions of work, and social and economic vulnerability...
Results: Certain work characteristics (low earnings, the lack of an annual wage increase, substantial unpaid overtime hours, the absence of pension benefits, manual work) predict an increased risk of adverse general and/or functional health outcomes.
Conclusions: Proactive regulatory initiatives and all-encompassing benefits programs are urgently required to address emerging work forms and arrangements that present risks to health." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Wittmer, Jenell L. S. & James E. Martin (2011): Effects of scheduling perceptions on attitudes and mobility in different part-time employee types. In: Journal of vocational behavior, Jg. 78, H. 1, S. 149-158. DOI:10.1016/j.jvb.2010.07.004

Abstract

"Recent research supports the existence of a typology of part-time employees with demographic and behavioral differences. This research suggests that part-timers should not be viewed as one homogenous group and that certain part-time employee groups have fixed external role attachments, while others have more flexible attachments. Applying the part-time typology and the classification of fixed versus flexible attachments from previous research, the current study examines differences in the relationships among scheduling perceptions, job attitudes, and employment mobility for part-timers. Consistent with Partial Inclusion Theory, we found that part-time workers classified as having more fixed outside role attachments have lower organizational commitment, job satisfaction, employment mobility, work status congruence, scheduling control, and scheduling satisfaction than those classified as having more flexible outside role attachments. Additionally, the flexibility of external role attachments moderates the relationship between scheduling variables and job attitudes and employment mobility. Implications for management and research are discussed." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Zhou, Yanfei (2011): Working as an independent contractor in Japan and the U.S.: Is it a good option for married women with young children? In: Japan labor review, Jg. 8, H. 1, S. 103-124.

Abstract

"This research focuses an married women with children, and asks whether independent contract work, which is known as offering freedom and flexibility, is really an attractive option for such women, through a comparison of data from Japan and the U.S. The analysis results Show that in both Japan and the U.S., women are more likely to be employed in independent contract work if they have children under the age of six, and that the greater the number of children they have the more likely they are to be employed as independent contractors. This indicates that it is an employment format that offers future opportunities when considered from the perspective of work-life Balance. On the other hand, regular employees earn 1.5 times (in the U.S.) to 2.3 times (in Japan) the income of independent contractors, and the benefits and working conditions for independent contractors are poor. Furthermore, the probability of independent contractors falling into a situation where they are working for low pay or long hours is higher than regular employees by 17.1% points and 16.2% points, respectively, in the U.S., and by 47.1% points and 30.0% points, respectively, in Japan. This research established that independent contractors in Japan are particularly at risk of falling into 'bad jobs' when compared to those in regular employment. This difference in benefits, etc., when compared with regular employees, can be partially accounted for by individual differences in educational attainment, social experience, residential area, etc., as well as individual preferences, but there is a significant proportion that remains unexplained by these factors." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Autor, David & Susan N. Houseman (2010): Do temporary-help jobs improve labor market outcomes for low-skilled workers? Evidence from 'work first'. In: American Economic Journal. Applied Economics, Jg. 2, H. 3, S. 96-128. DOI:10.1257/app.2.3.96

Abstract

"Temporary-help jobs offer rapid entry into paid employment, but they are typically brief and it is unknown whether they foster longer term employment. We utilize the unique structure of Detroit's welfare-to-work program to identify the effect of temporary-help jobs on labor market advancement. Exploiting the rotational assignment of welfare clients to numerous nonprofit contractors with differing job placement rates, we find that temporary-help job placements do not improve and may diminish subsequent earnings and employment outcomes among participants. In contrast, job placements with direct-hire employers substantially raise earnings and employment over a seven quarter follow-up period." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Cao, Shutao, Enchuan Shao & Pedro Silos (2010): Fixed-term and permanent employment contracts. Theory and evidence. (CESifo working paper 3150), München, 49 S.

Abstract

"This paper constructs a theory of the coexistence of fixed-term and permanent employment contracts in an environment with ex-ante identical workers and employers. Workers under fixed-term contracts can be dismissed at no cost while permanent employees enjoy labor protection. In a labor market characterized by search and matching frictions, firms find optimal to discriminate by offering some workers a fixed-term contract while offering other workers a permanent contract. Match-specific quality between a worker and a firm determines the type of contract offered. We analytically characterize the firm's hiring and firing rules. Using matched employer-employee data from Canada, we estimate the wage equations from the model. The effects of firing costs on wage inequality vary dramatically depending on whether search externalities are taken or not into account." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Chen, Juan & Mary E. Corcoran (2010): Temporary employment and the transition from welfare to work. In: Social Service Review, Jg. 84, H. 2, S. 175-200. DOI:10.1086/653457

Abstract

"This study analyzes the employment patterns of current and former welfare recipients over a 6-year period to examine who works in temporary jobs, the dynamics of temping, and the training and links to regular jobs that temping provides. It also compares the long-term employment outcomes of temps with those of direct-hire employees. Results suggest recipients who temp and recipients who work only in direct-hire jobs are more alike than different in skill deficits, work barriers, and family constraints. The major difference is recipients who temp are more likely to be African American. Most recipients who temp do so for short periods of time; many report temporary employment provides training and links to regular jobs. At the end of 6 years, the employment rates and employment durations for recipients who temp are similar to those for recipients who work only in direct-hire jobs, but temps have statistically significantly lower hourly wages." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Eichhorst, Werner, Paul Marx & Eric Thode (2010): Atypische Beschäftigung und Niedriglohnarbeit. Benchmarking Deutschland: Befristete und geringfügige Tätigkeiten, Zeitarbeit und Niedriglohnbeschäftigung. Gütersloh, 53 S.

Abstract

"Die Diskussion über die Schaffung neuer, zusätzlicher Arbeitsplätze durch institutionelle Reformen auf dem Arbeitsmarkt dreht sich im Kern in zahlreichen europäischen Staaten um die Rolle 'atypischer' Beschäftigungsverhältnisse. Diese orientieren sich nicht an unbefristeter Vollzeitarbeit (dem sogenannten Normalarbeitsverhältnis), die in der Regel tarifvertraglich geregelt ist und den vollen Schutz der sozialen Sicherungssysteme in Deutschland gewährt. Auf der einen Seite bieten atypische Arbeitsverhältnisse tatsächlich zusätzliche Erwerbschancen insbesondere im Dienstleistungssektor, auf der anderen Seite zeichnen sie sich oft durch Abweichungen vom jeweiligen tarif-, unternehmens- oder betriebsüblichen Standard hinsichtlich Arbeitszeiten, Entlohnung oder Bestandssicherheit aus. Die Notwendigkeit der Re-Regulierung atypischer Beschäftigungsformen steht deshalb auf dem Prüfstand und wird je nach Perspektive - beschäftigungspolitische vs. sozialpolitische Orientierung - unterschiedlich bewertet. Auf der Grundlage der empirischen Beobachtungen ist ein differenziertes Urteil über die Bedeutung atypischer Beschäftigung und von deren Chancen und Risiken möglich." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Elcioglu, Emine Fidan (2010): Producing precarity: The temporary staffing agency in the labor market. In: Qualitative Sociology, Jg. 33, H. 2, S. 117-136. DOI:10.1007/s11133-010-9149-x

Abstract

"On the basis of fieldwork in a temporary staffing agency (TSA), I argue that while temp agencies may provide transitional mobility for jobseekers, in the long run the TSA systematically exploits and reproduces structural vulnerability in the labor market. The agency creates a core of permanent temporary workers separate from the periphery of surplus workers, such that the former is given priority in job allocation. The staffing agency can use alliances with institutions such as private correctional facilities to control its peripheral workers. At the same time, highly valued core workers also face precarious conditions when they are barred from job mobility and their wages are capped. The agency further reinforces precariousness during the moment of work by extending the agency's surveillance to client sites." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Galarneau, Diane (2010): Temporary employment in the downturn. In: Perspectives on Labour and Income, Jg. 11, H. 11, S. 5-15.

Abstract

"This article tracks trends in temporary employment since the Labour Force Survey (LFS) began measuring it from 1997 to 2009 with particular attention to the recent economic downturn. It also examines the earnings gap between temporary and permanent positions and looks at whether that gap changed during the recent employment slowdown." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Luo, Tian, Amar Mann & Richard Holden (2010): The expanding role of temporary help services from 1990 to 2008. In: Monthly Labor Review, Jg. 133, H. 8, S. 3-16.

Abstract

"During the 1990 - 2008 period, employment in the temporary help services industry grew from 1.1 million to 2.3 million and came to include a larger share of workers than before in higher skill occupations; employment in this industry has been very volatile because temporary workers are easily hired when demand increases and laid off when it decreases." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Quesnel-Vallee, Amelie, Suzanne DeHaney & Antonio Ciampi (2010): Temporary work and depressive symptoms. A propensity score analysis. In: Social science & medicine, Jg. 70, H. 12, S. 1982-1987. DOI:10.1016/j.socscimed.2010.02.008

Abstract

"Recent decades have seen a tremendous increase in the complexity of work arrangements, through job sharing, flexible hours, career breaks, compressed work weeks, shift work, reduced job security, and part-time, contract and temporary work. In this study, we focus on one specific group of workers that arguably most embodies non-standard employment, namely temporary workers, and estimate the effect of this type of employment on depressive symptom severity. Accounting for the possibility of mental health selection into temporary work through propensity score analysis, we isolate the direct effects of temporary work on depressive symptoms with varying lags of time since exposure. We use prospective data from the U.S. National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 (NLSY79), which has followed, longitudinally, from 1979 to the present, a nationally representative cohort of American men and women between 14 and 22 years of age in 1979. Three propensity score models were estimated, to capture the effect of different time lags (immediately following exposure, and 2 and 4 years post exposure) between the period of exposure to the outcome. The only significant effects were found among those who had been exposed to temporary work in the two years preceding the outcome measurement. These workers report 1.803 additional depressive symptoms from having experienced this work status (than if they had not been exposed). Moreover, this difference is both statistically and substantively significant, as it represents a 50% increase from the average level of depressive symptoms in this population." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Wilson, Amanda (2010): Co-opting precariousness: can worker cooperatives be alternatives to precarious employment for marginalized populations? A case study of immigrant and refugee worker cooperatives in Canada. In: Just Labour: A Canadian Journal of Work and Society, Jg. 16, S. 59-75.

Abstract

"This article seeks to analyze whether, or to what degree, worker cooperatives are providing immigrant and refugee populations in Canada with a viable alternative to precarious employment, and if so, in what ways. Much of the existing research on precarious employment is limited in that it fails to address the root causes of precarious employments and fails to offer solutions or alternatives that can be organized by workers themselves, today. While several challenges remain to organizing and sustaining worker cooperatives, the cooperatives studied were successful in creating an alternative space of employment that provided control and flexibility over their work and lives and a sense of community and empowerment. More research is needed to better support and facilitate the development of cooperatives to truly harness the potential for the model." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Abstract

Der Bericht gibt einen Überblick über die wirtschaftliche Situation der Leiharbeitsbranche weltweit. Auf der Grundlage von Daten aus dem Jahr 2009 wird die Verbreitung und der Umsatz von Leiharbeitsunternehmen sowie die Anzahl und Struktur der Leiharbeitnehmer dargestellt. Dabei wird auf die Alterstruktur, die Bildungsstruktur und die sektorale Verteilung von Leiharbeitnehmern eingegangen sowie auf ihre Motive und ihre Zufriedenheit mit der Arbeit. Außerdem wird thematisiert, warum Unternehmen Leiharbeit einsetzen und welche wirtschaftliche Bedeutung von Leiharbeit zukommt. Weitweit gibt es 72.000 Leiharbeitsunternehmen mit 741.000 Beschäftigten, die insgesamt im Jahr 2009 einen Umsatz von rund 203 Milliarden Euro erwirtschafteten. Japan und die USA liegen dabei mit jeweils über 20 Prozent des Gesamtumsatzes an der Spitze; auf Europa entfallen rund 40 Prozent des Umsatzes. Infolge der weltweiten Wirtschaftskrise hat auch die Leiharbeitsbranche einen Einbruch erlitten, sie hat sich jedoch mit dem Aufschwung wieder deutlich erholt. Die Bedeutung von Leiharbeit wird darin gesehen, dass sie die Flexibilität und Durchlässigkeit von Arbeitsmärkten erhöht: Es werden neue Arbeitsplätze geschaffen, und Leiharbeit kann für Arbeitslose ein Sprungbrett in den Arbeitsmarkt darstellen. Somit wird Leiharbeit als ein Mittel zur Bekämpfung von Arbeitslosigkeit und Schwarzarbeit betrachtet. (IAB)

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Addison, John T. & Christopher J. Surfield (2009): Atypical work and employment continuity. In: Industrial relations, Jg. 48, H. 4, S. 655-683. DOI:10.1111/j.1468-232X.2009.00580.x

Abstract

"Atypical employment arrangements have long been criticized as offering more precarious and unstable work than regular employment. Using data from the Contingent and Alternative Employment Arrangement Supplement and the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, 1979 Cohort, we determine whether workers who take such jobs rather than regular employment, or the alternative of continued job search, experience greater or lesser employment continuity. Controlling for unobserved individual heterogeneity, the advantage of regular work over atypical work and atypical work over continued joblessness dissipates." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Addison, John T., Chad Cotti & Christopher J. Surfield (2009): Atypical work: who gets it, and where does it lead? Some U.S. evidence using the NLSY79. (IZA discussion paper 4444), Bonn, 26 S.

Abstract

"Atypical work arrangements have long been criticized as offering more precarious and lower paid work than regular open-ended employment. In an important paper, Booth et al. (2002) were among the first to recognize that notwithstanding their potential deficiencies, such jobs also functioned as a stepping stone to permanent work. This conclusion proved prescient and has received increasing support in Europe. In the present note, we provide a parallel analysis to Booth et al. for the United States - somewhat of a missing link in the evolving empirical literature - and obtain not dissimilar similar findings for the category of temporary workers as do they for fixed-term contract workers." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))