IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/ecolab/v27y2016i3p349-367.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Precarious work and intrinsic job quality: Evidence from Finland, 1984–2013

Author

Listed:
  • Pasi Pyöriä
  • Satu Ojala

Abstract

It is often argued that job insecurity and precarious work are on the rise. However, the evidence to back these arguments remains mixed and inconclusive. In this study, we define and measure precarious work in Finland using five variables that reflect both objective and subjective insecurity: atypical employment, actually experienced unemployment, the threat of dismissal or unemployment, poor chances of finding a new job, and low earnings. Results based on Statistics Finland’s Quality of Work Life Surveys from 1984 to 2013 indicate that, from a labour market or forms of employment perspective, the proportion of precarious wage earners has increased from 11% in 1984 to 13% in 2013. From a second perspective, however, focusing on changing working conditions, growing inequality and eroding social security mechanisms, we also analyse how a precarious labour market position is related to intrinsic job quality. Precarious workers experience decreased levels of skill and discretion, and they work in a less supportive environment than other employees.

Suggested Citation

  • Pasi Pyöriä & Satu Ojala, 2016. "Precarious work and intrinsic job quality: Evidence from Finland, 1984–2013," The Economic and Labour Relations Review, , vol. 27(3), pages 349-367, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:ecolab:v:27:y:2016:i:3:p:349-367
    DOI: 10.1177/1035304616659190
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1035304616659190
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1177/1035304616659190?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Miikka Rokkanen & Roope Uusitalo, 2013. "Changes in Job Stability – Evidence from Lifetime Job Histories," Finnish Economic Papers, Finnish Economic Association, vol. 26(2), pages 36-55, Autumn.
    2. Merja Kauhanen & Jouko Nätti, 2015. "Involuntary Temporary and Part-Time Work, Job Quality and Well-Being at Work," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 120(3), pages 783-799, February.
    3. Satu Ojala & Pasi Pyöriä, 2015. "Working around the clock? - The time and location of paid work in Finland 1979-2010," electronic International Journal of Time Use Research, Research Institute on Professions (Forschungsinstitut Freie Berufe (FFB)) and The International Association for Time Use Research (IATUR), vol. 12(1), pages 73-96, December.
    4. Martin Olsthoorn, 2014. "Measuring Precarious Employment: A Proposal for Two Indicators of Precarious Employment Based on Set-Theory and Tested with Dutch Labor Market-Data," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 119(1), pages 421-441, October.
    5. Siegrist, Johannes & Starke, Dagmar & Chandola, Tarani & Godin, Isabelle & Marmot, Michael & Niedhammer, Isabelle & Peter, Richard, 2004. "The measurement of effort-reward imbalance at work: European comparisons," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 58(8), pages 1483-1499, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Merita Jokela, 2018. "Patterns of Precarious Employment in a Female-Dominated Sector in Five Affluent Countries - The Case of Paid Domestic Labor Sector in Five Welfare States," LIS Working papers 746, LIS Cross-National Data Center in Luxembourg.
    2. Wayne Lewchuk, 2017. "Precarious jobs: Where are they, and how do they affect well-being?," The Economic and Labour Relations Review, , vol. 28(3), pages 402-419, September.
    3. Pasi Pyöriä & Satu Ojala & Tiina Saari & Katri-Maria Järvinen, 2017. "The Millennial Generation," SAGE Open, , vol. 7(1), pages 21582440176, March.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Yucel Demiral & Tobias Ihle & Uwe Rose & Paul Maurice Conway & Hermann Burr, 2022. "Precarious Work as Risk Factor for 5-Year Increase in Depressive Symptoms," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(6), pages 1-21, March.
    2. Mario Schnalzenberger & Nicole Schneeweis & Rudolf Winter-Ebmer & Martina Zweimüller, 2014. "Job Quality and Employment of Older People in Europe," LABOUR, CEIS, vol. 28(2), pages 141-162, June.
    3. KonShik Kim, 2023. "The impact of job quality on organizational commitment and job satisfaction: The moderating role of socioeconomic status," Economic and Industrial Democracy, Department of Economic History, Uppsala University, Sweden, vol. 44(3), pages 773-797, August.
    4. Nektaria Nicolakakis & Maude Lafantaisie & Marie-Claude Letellier & Caroline Biron & Michel Vézina & Nathalie Jauvin & Maryline Vivion & Mariève Pelletier, 2022. "Are Organizational Interventions Effective in Protecting Healthcare Worker Mental Health during Epidemics/Pandemics? A Systematic Literature Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(15), pages 1-18, August.
    5. repec:iab:iabfda:201601(de is not listed on IDEAS
    6. Liebig, Stefan & Schupp, Jürgen, 2008. "Leistungs- oder Bedarfsgerechtigkeit? Über einen normativen Zielkonflikt des Wohlfahrtsstaats und seiner Bedeutung für die Bewertung des eigenen Erwerbseinkommens," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 59(1), pages 7-30.
    7. Oliver Weigelt & J. Charlotte Seidel & Lucy Erber & Johannes Wendsche & Yasemin Z. Varol & Gerald M. Weiher & Petra Gierer & Claudia Sciannimanica & Richard Janzen & Christine J. Syrek, 2023. "Too Committed to Switch Off—Capturing and Organizing the Full Range of Work-Related Rumination from Detachment to Overcommitment," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(4), pages 1, February.
    8. Hafid Ballafkih & Joop Zinsmeister & Martha Meerman, 2017. "A Job and a Sufficient Income Is Not Enough: The Needs of the Dutch Precariat," SAGE Open, , vol. 7(4), pages 21582440177, December.
    9. Mandy Schult & Verena Tobsch, 2012. "Freizeitstress: wenn die Arbeit ständig ruft," SOEPpapers on Multidisciplinary Panel Data Research 485, DIW Berlin, The German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP).
    10. Niko Cajander & Arto Reiman, 2020. "Work Commitment Modes of Temporary Agency Workers in Restaurants," International Journal of Business and Administrative Studies, Professor Dr. Bahaudin G. Mujtaba, vol. 6(2), pages 65-72.
    11. Jean-Baptist du Prel & Johannes Siegrist & Daniela Borchart, 2019. "The Role of Leisure-Time Physical Activity in the Change of Work-Related Stress (ERI) over Time," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(23), pages 1-9, December.
    12. Roman Raab, 2020. "Workplace Perception and Job Satisfaction of Older Workers," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 21(3), pages 943-963, March.
    13. João Silvestre da Silva-Junior & Frida Marina Fischer, 2014. "Long-Term Sickness Absence Due to Mental Disorders Is Associated with Individual Features and Psychosocial Work Conditions," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(12), pages 1-14, December.
    14. Cildoz, Marta & Ibarra, Amaia & Mallor, Fermin, 2020. "Coping with stress in emergency department physicians through improved patient-flow management," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    15. Shimazu, Akihito & de Jonge, Jan, 2009. "Reciprocal relations between effort-reward imbalance at work and adverse health: A three-wave panel survey," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 68(1), pages 60-68, January.
    16. Niko Cajander & A. Reiman, 2021. "Insights into Heterogeneity of Temporary AgencyWork in Restaurants," International Journal of Business and Administrative Studies, Professor Dr. Bahaudin G. Mujtaba, vol. 7(1), pages 36-47.
    17. Ioannis A. Sakellaris & Dikaia E. Saraga & Corinne Mandin & Célina Roda & Serena Fossati & Yvonne De Kluizenaar & Paolo Carrer & Sani Dimitroulopoulou & Victor G. Mihucz & Tamás Szigeti & Otto Hännine, 2016. "Perceived Indoor Environment and Occupants’ Comfort in European “Modern” Office Buildings: The OFFICAIR Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 13(5), pages 1-15, April.
    18. Maki Tei-Tominaga & Kyoko Asakura & Takashi Asakura, 2018. "Generation-Common and -Specific Factors in Intention to Leave among Female Hospital Nurses: A Cross-Sectional Study Using a Large Japanese Sample," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(8), pages 1-17, July.
    19. Angela Rauch & Anja Burghardt & Johannes Eggs & Anita Tisch & Silke Tophoven, 2015. "lidA–leben in der Arbeit. German cohort study on work, age and health [lidA–leben in der Arbeit. Kohortenstudie zu Gesundheit und Älterwerden in der Arbeit]," Journal for Labour Market Research, Springer;Institute for Employment Research/ Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), vol. 48(3), pages 195-202, October.
    20. Ross Donohue, 2014. "Holland’s constructs in relation to career persistence and career change: A study of Australian managerial and professional workers," Australian Journal of Management, Australian School of Business, vol. 39(2), pages 167-189, May.
    21. Eduardo Gismera & José Luis Fernández & Jesús Labrador & Laura Gismera, 2019. "Suffering at Work: A Challenge for Corporate Sustainability in the Spanish Context," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(15), pages 1-18, August.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Atypical employment; job insecurity; job quality; precarious work; qualifications; skills; unemployment; work intensity;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J21 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Force and Employment, Size, and Structure
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials
    • J64 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Unemployment: Models, Duration, Incidence, and Job Search
    • J81 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Standards - - - Working Conditions

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:sae:ecolab:v:27:y:2016:i:3:p:349-367. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.