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Gender, Educational Attainment, and Job Quality in Germany, Sweden, and the UK: Evidence from the 2015 European Working Conditions Survey

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  • Yi-Jung Wu

    (Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA)

  • Xiaojie Xu

    (Swedish Institute for Social Research, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden)

  • Jingying He

    (Population Studies Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA)

Abstract

This research aims to explore the relationships between gender, educational attainment, and job quality, including work autonomy, work intensity, and job satisfaction across Germany, Sweden, and the UK. The European Working Conditions Survey 2015 was used to achieve this research objective. Descriptive statistics and multivariate regression analysis were used to determine how educational level plays an important role in creating gender differences in job quality across three countries. The findings show that receiving postsecondary education can improve work autonomy for both German and Swedish women. However, postsecondary education has different impacts on gender gaps in job quality in these countries. While postsecondary education lowers the gender gap in work autonomy and intensity in Sweden, postsecondary education increases the gender gap in work autonomy and intensity in Germany. Postsecondary education does not significantly decrease gender differences in job satisfaction in Germany or Sweden or any of our job quality measures in the UK. These findings challenge the commonly held belief that higher education has a positive effect on job quality. In fact, gender norms and national institutional factors may also play important roles in this relationship.

Suggested Citation

  • Yi-Jung Wu & Xiaojie Xu & Jingying He, 2021. "Gender, Educational Attainment, and Job Quality in Germany, Sweden, and the UK: Evidence from the 2015 European Working Conditions Survey," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(23), pages 1-16, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:23:p:13139-:d:689309
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Sandra L. Hanson & Enrique S. Pumar, 2022. "Moving toward Sustainability: Rethinking Gender Structures in Education and Occupation Systems," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(3), pages 1-3, February.

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