Perceived Job Quality in German Minijobs. A Multidimensional Analysis of Work in Marginal Part-time Employment RelationshipsDate submitted: August 23, 2018Revised version accepted after double-blind review: February 11, 2019.

Abstract

Minijobs, a special form of part-time employment, have developed into an established form of employment on the German labour market since the 1990s. They are heavily criticised for their potential labour market effects, their impact on employees’ social security and their bad working conditions. Due to the multiple risks, minijobs are often considered as prime examples of low-quality jobs. However, to date there has been hardly any research dealing with the subjective perception of the work situation of minijobbers, resulting in a minijob debate without minijobbers’ views. This article examines the perceived job quality in minijobs. Based on a quantitative survey, different dimensions of work in minijobs are being analysed, concentrating on the relationship between desired and experienced work situations. Moreover, the global job satisfaction of minijobbers and its predictors are investigated. The analysis shows that minijobs are evaluated positively regarding many intrinsic, social and health-related aspects of work and that the overall job evaluation is significantly correlated to the perceived job quality. The study underlines the need for multidimensional and subjective approaches to job quality as well as a nuanced critique of minijobs which has to differentiate between the institutional regulation, the working conditions and employees’ subjective perception.