Labor Market Precarity Shapes Perception of the Public Sector in the Eurozone

This study analyses the impact of working in the public sector on job satisfaction in Europe (19) through the European Working Condition Survey (EWCS). A grouping of countries is proposed based on the perception of workers regarding the functioning of the labor market. Econometric estimates show that public sector workers, at an aggregate level, are more satisfied than those in the private sector. The highest job satisfaction corresponds to permanent contract public sector workers, followed by temporary contract public sector employees, the permanent contract private sector, and the temporary contract private sector workers. The results confirm that in those countries with a higher proportion of individuals who consider losing their job a probability, public sector job satisfaction is higher. In addition, those countries where the proportion of individuals with low confidence in finding a new job with similar characteristics to the one they have, public sector job satisfaction is also higher.

Does loneliness lurk in temp work? Exploring the associations between temporary employment, loneliness at work and job satisfaction

This research contributes to the limited literature concerning the determinants of loneliness at work, as well as to the literature on psychological outcomes associated with temporary work. More specifically, we are adding to the literature by exploring whether there is an association between working temporarily and loneliness at work and whether loneliness at work partly explains the association between working temporarily and job satisfaction. To this end, we analyse—by means of a mediation model—a unique sample of Flemish employees in the private sector. We find that employees with a temporary contract experience more loneliness at work as opposed to employees with a permanent contract. In addition, we discover that loneliness at work mediates the association between working temporarily and job satisfaction.

Policies to Enhance Transition to Work

This chapter highlights the continued struggles faced by Canadian youth in their transition from school to work. In July 2016 the unemployment rate for youth (aged 15–24) in Canada stood at 13.3% compared to the general unemployment rate of 6.9%. Many young people under the age of 30 who are employed are working in increasingly precarious conditions (e.g., temporary, contract, part-time, or low paid) or nonpermanent jobs. In this chapter, the authors focus particularly upon recent secondary school-based policy developments in Canada aimed at enhancing the transition from school to work for youth. They specifically focus our analysis on the country’s most populous province, Ontario, and demonstrate how the policy context in Ontario has prompted several initiatives and programs to support youth in transition from school to meaningful work.

Voluntary Mobility of Employees for Better Job Opportunities Given a Temporary Contract: Insights Regarding an Age-Varying Association Between the Two Events

What mechanisms govern the mobility of employees who voluntarily switch employers for better opportunities, given a temporary contract (TC)? We attempt to answer this question by exploring this issue in Southern and Central European countries. We use cross-sectional data from the European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions survey for the 2005–2016 period. We estimate a flexible simultaneous equation model for binary responses by assuming the presence of an age-varying association between voluntary mobility and having a TC. After accounting for several socio-demographic and economic variables, we find a nonlinear decreasing relation between age and the outcomes, while we detect heterogeneous nonlinear patterns in the association between voluntary mobility and having a TC across countries. These insights can support policy-makers aiming to promote initiatives that facilitate the professional mobility of employees given a TC for an efficient allocation of human capital in the production system.

Young people’s attitudes and values

This chapter discusses the attitudes and aspirations of young people themselves. First, it considers whether being employed, being jobless, or having a temporary contract affect young people's attitudes to trust and trustworthiness Those who have managed to find good jobs, along with those who choose not to participate in the labour market or education, are more trusting than students, while the unemployed and above all those who find themselves in precarious employment are the least trusting of all. Young people — whether employed or not — also showed strong signs of solidarity with those who did not have jobs. The chapter then assesses young people's work values, arguing that generational differences in attitudes to work are a myth. It also looks at emerging policy lessons from research on youth attitudes and values.

Temporary contracts, participation in decision making and job satisfaction in European workers

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to establish to what extent temporary contract and participation in decision making impact on employees job satisfaction and to propose a model whereby participation in decision making mitigates against the negative impact that temporary work has on job satisfaction. Design/methodology/approach The authors use data for a representative sample of 14,778 employees in 23 European countries. In order to test the hypotheses, the authors use regression models and the Chow test. Findings The results show that while temporary contracts decreases job satisfaction, participation in decision making increases it. However, autonomous teams, job autonomy, and job involvement buffer against the negative effect that temporary contract has on job satisfaction. Research limitations/implications The use of secondary data and the non-longitudinal nature of the data set. Practical implications The effect of participation in decision making in job satisfaction is greater for temporary workers than for permanents. Participation in decision making should not be restricted to permanent workers. Originality/value Participation in decision making and temporary contracts has been considered incompatible practices. The paper contributes to enrich the understanding of the relationship between these practices and job satisfaction. Sample representatives support the results obtained.