The diverse regional patterns of atypical employment in Greece: Production restructuring, re/deregulation and flexicurity under crisis

Abstract

Because the 2008/2009 crisis brought changes to global accumulation patterns and prompted further work flexibilization, European labor markets are accordingly being re/deregulated as a result of ‘flexicurity’ and are thus moving toward greater employment liberalization. Historically, atypical employment has been extensive in the Greek labor market, which has been characterized by fragmented labor security provisions and weak social welfare. However, since the country’s crisis-ensuing economic downfall, IMF/EU-induced measures have intensified reforms for ‘less rigidity and more employability’. This paper addresses the diverse pre- and post-crisis regional patterns of atypical employment in Greece, with a focus on temporary waged employment. Diversity is traced in regional industrial specialization and restructuring under recession. The industry- and region-specific impact on labor flexibilization trajectories is estimated by a new shift-share analysis method applied to permanent and temporary regional employment data between 2005 and 2011. The identified ongoing devaluation of employment is also addressed from an institutional aspect, centered on flexicurity-responding labor relations reforms. The geography of employment in Greece is becoming more uneven at the regional level as a result of ‘low-road’ flexibilization, considerable labor-market insecurity and different patterns of atypical labor use among different groups of regions. The emerging situation puts in question the validity of labor market liberalization and flexicurity policy.