Flexible Labour Utilisation in the Private Service Sector

Abstract

Services have witnessed a continuous expansion in employment during the 150 years for which data are available, rising from 27% of all employment in 1841 to over 70% by 1990. Yet the rise of jobs in services, particularly in private sector service employment has generally not been accompanied by empirical research into the rationales underlying labour demand in its industries. Drawing on payroll and other data from detailed company case-studies, this paper seeks to delineate pay and employment policies prevalent in the retail and hotel industries with particular emphasis on part-time, temporary and casual working; and to consider the implications for labour market segmentation and labour `flexibility' literature.