Quality of Work Life in Colombia: A Multidimensional Fuzzy Indicator

Abstract

Quality of work (QoW) encompasses multiple objective and subjective dimensions, which may include labor income, job stability, job satisfaction, and social security. This paper follows the method proposed by Gomez-Salcedo et al. (2013) that introduces a new way of measuring QoW, which consists of (1) the use of Sen’s functioning and capabilities approach and (2) a fuzzy sets method to define membership to the sets of good job quality. Using the Gran Encuesta Integrada de Hogares, we obtain results at the national level about age, gender, educational level, firm size, and industry sector. The results are consistent with previous literature. One topic that is highlighted from our results is the existence of a “Quality of Work Life Cycle”, with higher levels of the index up to age 30, that may have critical implications for the social security system; people with lower quality jobs may not be contributing to health and pension funds, leaving many people without access to a retirement fund and implying more demands on the subsidized system to cover health expenses.