Terms Of Job Quality Research Articles

Migrant penalty in the European labor markets: the interplay between individual characteristics and the regional context.

This study aims to verify if and how migrant penalty in the labor market is associated with sub-national characteristics, exploring the relevance of the regional occupational structure. We expect that a greater relevance of the share of low-status jobs at the regional level reduces the migrant penalty in terms of the probability of being employed, but increases the gap with natives in terms of job quality. We investigate this trade-off by estimating a set of hierarchical models on the EU-LFS data (2009-2015) for 19 countries and 189 regions. Results suggest a pattern consistent with the trade-off hypothesis, nuanced by heterogeneity at the individual level: in regions where the share of low-status jobs is higher, mid-high educated immigrants from less developed countries are less (or not) penalized compared to natives in terms of employment, while they face a stronger penalty in terms of job quality. What is more, the trade-off is not observed when considering low-educated migrants or those from high-income countries.

Working from home vs working from office in terms of job performance during the COVID‐19 pandemic crisis: evidence from China

Despite being a worldwide disaster, the COVID‐19 pandemic has also provided an opportunity for renewed discussion about the way we work. By contextualizing in the early periods of China's ending of lockdown policy on COVID‐19, this paper offers evidence to respond to an essential discussion in the field of working from home (WFH): In terms of job performance, can WFH replace working from the office (WFO)? The present study compares job performance in terms of quality and productivity between WFH and WFO from 861 Chinese respondents using entropy balance matching, a quasi‐experimental methodology. Results reveal that WFH enhances job performance in terms of job quality but lowers it in terms of job productivity. In addition, the present study aims to capture and empirically measure the variations in fundamental job characteristics in terms of job control and job demand between WFH and WFO by applying the job demand control support model. More specifically, we find that job control items, such as ‘talking right’ and ‘work rate’, and job demand items, such as ‘a long time of intense concentration’ and ‘hecticness of the job’, are vital factors that contribute to how these differences exert influence on employees' performance in the context of the pandemic.

Effects of government subsidy programs on job creation for sustainable supply chain management

Concerns regarding the environment and society have inspired several studies on sustainable supply chain management. These studies typically consider that enterprises are motivated by incentives such as subsidies. Consequently, these studies have developed various optimization models based on the positive aspects of such incentives. However, many social science studies argue that subsidies are not always effective. Here, to clarify the relationships between sustainable supply chains and subsidies, we developed mixed-integer linear programming models, considering various subsidy programs, for sustainable supply chain design. The solutions of our numerical experiments on these models provided important managerial insights. We found each subsidy program has significantly different outcomes in terms of job quality and quantity. Further, a fixed subsidy program for supply chains is more effective than other programs.

Predicting the effect of work values on workplace communication environment and job quality of tertiary students

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between work values (WV) and expectations in terms of job quality (JQ) and workplace communication environment (WCE) of undergraduate students. Whether there are significant differences in terms of WV, JQ and WCE among cultural and demographic variables was also assessed. Design/methodology/approach A survey of 795 undergraduate students in China, Thailand and United Arab Emirates was conducted. Structural equation modeling and a series of one-way analysis of variance tests was carried out. Findings WV have significant effects on JQ expectations and WCE. This study identifies extrinsic values as the most important WV of the future job market entrants. There are differences in culture, gender and work experience between the three samples in the variables under investigation. Research limitations/implications The study relied on the self-reported responses in one university in each site. Data on the undergraduate students’ major and academic performance was not collected. Practical implications Job seekers are more likely to choose jobs and WCE that are similar to their personal work value orientation. The study underscores the importance of WV as important motivators in the workplace. Originality/value This study is the first to compare the WV, JQ and WCE across multiple nations. The study underscores the importance of JQ and WCE as important motivators in the workplace.

Health or harm? A cohort study of the importance of job quality in extended workforce participation by older adults.

BackgroundAs people are living longer, they are being encouraged to work longer. While it is assumed that extended employment will be good for health, the evidence has been mixed. This study considers whether employment and job quality exert an influence on four indicators of health status in older workers.MethodsData for this study came from 836 older workers (440 men and 396 women) aged 50–59 years at baseline who participated in the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey. Using linear regression, we examine within-person change in self-rated, physical and mental health and one health behaviour (physical activity) at two time points over a nine year follow-up period.ResultsThere were minimal differences in the way health changed for older adults who continued working compared to those who retired voluntarily. However, when we decomposed employment in terms of job quality, health outcomes diverged. Compared to voluntary retirees, older workers who had worked in good quality jobs reported marginally better self-rated health (0.14,−0.02–0.29); but did not differ in their physical (2.31,−1.09–5.72) or mental health (0.51,−1.84–2.87). In contrast, older workers who held poor quality jobs for most of the follow-up period declined in their self-rated (−1.13,−0.28 − –0.02), physical (−4.90, 8.52– − 1.29) and mental health (−4.67, 7.69– − 1.66) relative to voluntary retirees. Older workers who held poor quality jobs for just some of the follow-up period did not differ from voluntary retirees in terms of their health. However there was evidence of a linear relationship between length of exposure to poor quality jobs and decline in health outcomes.ConclusionExtended working lives mean that people will be ‘exposed’ to work for longer, and this exposure will occur at a life stage characterised by declining health for many. Our findings show that ensuring older workers have access to secure jobs which allow for control over work time, skill use and fair rewards will be essential if policy goals to boost participation and productivity, as well as reduce the health and care costs of the elderly, are to be met.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12889-016-3478-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Trade-off between Employment and Job Quality: Ethnic Penalty in Italian Regional Labour Markets

In just a few decades, South Europe has become one of the most important destination areas for migratory flows coming from high emigration countries. The immigrant labour market integration in this area, however, differs significantly compared to the experience of older Centre-North European receiving countries. Although many cross-national studies have examined the role of some macroinstitutional variables that may affect the process of immigrant integration, the main reason for these differences seems to be due to the characteristics of the labour market. Italy may prove an important case study to explore this issue in greater depth, given that within the same institutional context, the labour market performances, structure and informal regulation differ significantly at a territorial level, with many Northern regions more comparable to Centre-North European countries, while those of South highlighting Mediterranean characteristics. Indeed, the aim of this study is to verify if, and to what extent, the differentiation of the labour market characteristics influence the modalities of immigrant socio-economic insertion also at a regional level within the same country. In particular, it focuses on the relationship with native labour forces and the so-called ethnic penalty, namely the differences between immigrants and natives emerging in the labour market performances when as many individual characteristics as possible are taken into account. The results of the multivariate analysis carried out confirm the existence of a trade-off among the Italian regions similarly to what is found in the comparison between South and Centre-North Europe: immigrants have better employment entry chance where the size of the secondary labour market is bigger, but at their expense in terms of job quality. However, gender specificities emerge too, making some clarifications necessary.

Challenges in Constructing a Multi-dimensional European Job Quality Index

There are few attempts to benchmark job quality in a multi-dimensional perspective across Europe. Against this background, we have created a synthetic job quality index (JQI) for the EU27 countries in an attempt to shed light on the question of how European countries compare with each other and how they are developing over time in terms of job quality. Taking account of the multi-faceted nature of job quality, the JQI is compiled on the basis of six sub-indices which cover the most important dimensions of job quality as identified in the literature. The paper addresses the methods used to construct the JQI and make it comparable over time. It presents the results for 2010 and briefly addresses changes over time to illustrate the potential and limits of a multidimensional European JQI. It also considers alternative specifications for various sub-indices and tests for the impact of changes in the indicators used on the outcomes. Overall, the findings appear to confirm the feasibility and desirability of attempting to assess job quality by means of a composite index that can be periodically updated. The key strength of this approach is the possibility to monitor and benchmark EU countries’ overall job quality performances and the outcomes in six sub-dimensions of job quality and compare them with each other, across gender and over time. At the same time, the limitations of such a composite index need to be borne in mind. The most important challenges are the availability (over time), timeliness and periodicity, comparability and disaggregation of data.

Job Quality in the Crisis – An Update of the Job Quality Index (JQI)

This paper is an update of the synthetic job quality index (JQI) for the EU27 countries which has been created in 2008 (see ETUI Working paper 2008.03 and 2008.07) in an attempt to shed light on the question of how European countries compare with each other and how they are developing over time in terms of job quality. The results point out that the crisis seems to have affected different dimensions of job quality in different ways. Overall, there is a decline in measured job quality and job quality levels in Europe remain highly diverse. There is a clear increase in the use of part-time and fixed-term contracts and/or in the extent to which workers reported that they were working in such jobs involuntarily. Moreover, the numbers of workers who are afraid to lose their job have increased markedly which are clear signs of the declining bargaining power of labour brought on by the crisis.

The Consequences of Flexible Job Search Behavior: From Unemployment to Underemployment?

Though unemployment frequently ends up in underemployment, few studies have combined insights from both job search and underemployment research. Drawing on both research fields, this study explores the relationship between job search behavior and reemployment quality. So far, most studies found little explanatory power for models that examine this link (Koen et al., 2010). By using underemployment as a mediator, we did find support for this relationship and gained more information on how search behavior influences reemployment quality. Next, our results also give more insight in how people end up in underemployed jobs, which so far has rarely been investigated (Feldman, 1996; Maynard, 2011). To this end, we focused on flexibility as a job search behavior. Flexibility is considered to be one of the key behaviors in the job search process by both policymakers and scholars (see e.g. Van den Broeck, 2010; Venn, 2012). Our results demonstrate however, that there are downsides of searching flexibly during the job search process in terms of job quality. To perform our analyses, we draw on longitudinal data of 304 Flemish unemployed individuals, collected in 2011-2012.

The Nordic difference: Job quality in Europe 1995–2010

Previous empirical research has pointed out that Nordic countries are distinguished from the rest of Europe in terms of job quality. On the other hand, it has been debated whether, in the longer run, the Nordic welfare state is able to insulate workers from globalization effects. This article investigates whether Nordic countries have retained their advantageous position concerning job quality compared with other EU countries. Empirical analyses are based on the European Working Conditions Survey collected in 1995, 2000, 2005, and 2010. We use data on employees in the 15 member states of the EU prior to enlargement in 2004 (n = 61,457). The results partly confirm previous findings of high job quality in the Nordic countries. However, there are clear differences between Nordic countries. To be precise, Denmark stands out from the rest of Europe and other Nordic countries with its higher level of job quality.

Graduates’ Job Quality after a Higher Education Reform: Evidence Regarding Second Level Graduates from a University in Southern Italy

Generally graduates have more opportunity of finding a job than undergraduates. However a degree does not always lead to the expected labour market outcomes in terms of job quality. Italian graduates are not an exception in this regard. A University Reform (DM 509/99), implemented in the academic year 2001/2002, introduced a switch from a one-level university education system with just one type of degree to a two-level structure: the first lasting three years and the second another two additional years. 2010 is the first year for which data on labour market outcomes are available for second level graduates at three years after graduation. The aim of this paper is to contribute to the empirical literature by providing evidence of the job quality of graduates from a university located in Southern Italy, an area with structural problems in the labour market. The sample includes all summer session 2007 graduates from the University of Calabria. The quality of jobs at three years after graduation is studied in terms of type of contract, educational match and wage. More specifically, the paper aims to identify determinants of the contract type, educational match and wage. Our findings suggest that field of study is the main determinant of job quality. In particular, graduates in Engineering and in Pharmacy, are more likely to find a stable, well matched, and better paid job, with respect to graduates in other fields.

Is Finland Different? Quality of Work Among Finnish and European Employees

The issue of the quality of work-life has risen in popularity due to concerns about the economic and social sustainability of European societies. Throughout the continent, global competition, technological change and the intensification of work are common developments which are seen to affect the well-being of the workforce. Nevertheless, European countries differ substantially in terms of job quality. According to earlier research, employees in Sweden and Denmark (and to lesser extent in Finland) report a higher quality of work tasks than elsewhere in Europe. The aim of this paper was to investigate, in a cross-national context using multivariate techniques, whether job quality in Finland really is divergent from that of other Nordic countries and rest of the Europe. Empirical analyses were based on the fourth wave of the European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS) collected in 2005. In this study we used data from the 25 Member States of the European Union and Norway (n=21,196 interviews). Our results support earlier findings that Finland lags behind other Nordic countries in terms of work discretion and the perceptions of being well paid. Instead, Finnish employees were less worried about health issues. When comparing Finland to Scandinavia, we did not find major differences in the amount of highly skilled jobs, insecurity nor the quantity of jobs requiring great effort. We also examined the associations of the dimensions of job quality to job satisfaction. The results indicated that the subjective aspects of job quality were more important determinants of job satisfaction, and that there were only modest differences in the determinants of job satisfaction between country clusters.

Job quality, job satisfaction and services in Spain

Usually, labour market has been evaluated from a quantitative point of view. But nowadays, a new interest stress on quality of job and job satisfaction. Related with this last perspective, a frequent hypothesis that is used to explain the aggregate evolution of job quality establish that the growth of service employment is connected with the increase in the number of low skilled or badly paid jobs. Nevertheless, defining and understanding service jobs are tasks that are not free of difficulties. Recent developments in the economic analysis of service activities overcome these shortcomings, and the nature of these activities has been re-invented. In this context, the paper aims a double objective. First, to check if job quality levels on services are lower than the ones observed in the rest of the economy. Second, to know if relevant differences among services activities exist in term of job quality. Our analysis uses a double perspective to measure the job quality: one based on the characteristics of job and the other on workers perception of job. Results point out that services have not the lower quality job levels. On the contrary, workers in services activities report higher job satisfaction levels. We conclude that into services there is an important heterogeneity by branches in terms of job quality. Services and no services share job satisfaction components. So, the observed differences in job satisfaction are sustained rather on differences into the characteristics and conditions of jobs more than into worker perceptions.JEL codes: J28, J24, J81

Too Much, Too Soon? Polytechnic Graduate Placement in Finnish Manufacturing

This paper investigates polytechnic graduate placement in Finnish manufacturing. The paper uses a register-based data source covering white-collar manufacturing workers over the period 1995-2004. The results reveal that graduates from polytechnics have placed quite well in terms of salaries and job quality in comparision with workers with corresponding vocational degrees after the relevant covariates have been taken into account. Despite this, almost 20% of graduates from polytechnics have been forced to take a position in manufacturing in which they can be considered to be 'overeducated'. Interestingly, not all degrees from polytechnics are equal. Bachelors of Business Administration are not as well placed as Bachelors of Engineering in terms of job quality in manufacturing.

A Absorção de Mão-de-Obra no Setor de Serviços

The article investigates the role the service sector played in job creation in Brazil during the 1977-90. Special attention is focused on what are known as personal services (community services, repairs, food and lodging, cleaning, and household services), which are considered the least attractive in terms of job quality. Firstly, results show that the proportion of the work force employed within the service sector was similar to that employed by the manufacturing and civil construction sectors together. Secondly, the number of jobs in personal services grew in both absolute and relative terms, surpassing rates for the other two sectors, while in relation to other service sectors, personal services displayed lower rates in both absolute and relative terms. Lastly, the personal services sector enjoyed systematic expansion within the urban labor market, while its participation within the service sector overall declined slightly