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Atypical Work and Employment Continuity

Author

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  • Addison, John T.

    (Durham University Business School)

  • Surfield, Christopher J.

    (Saginaw Valley State University)

Abstract

Atypical employment arrangements such as agency temporary work and contracting have long been criticized as offering more precarious and unstable work than regular employment. Using data from two datasets – the CAEAS and the NLSY79 – we determine whether workers who take such jobs rather than regular employment, or the alternative of continued job search, subsequently experience greater or lesser employment continuity. Observed differences between the various working arrangements are starkest when we do not account for unobserved individual heterogeneity. Controlling for the latter, we report that the advantage of regular work over atypical work and atypical work over continued joblessness dissipates.

Suggested Citation

  • Addison, John T. & Surfield, Christopher J., 2009. "Atypical Work and Employment Continuity," IZA Discussion Papers 4065, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp4065
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Valeria Cirillo & Andrea Ricci, 2022. "Heterogeneity matters: temporary employment, productivity and wages in Italian firms," Economia Politica: Journal of Analytical and Institutional Economics, Springer;Fondazione Edison, vol. 39(2), pages 567-593, July.
    2. Daniëlle Bertrand-Cloodt & Frank Cörvers & Ben Kriechel & Jesper Thor, 2012. "Why Do Recent Graduates Enter into Flexible Jobs?," De Economist, Springer, vol. 160(2), pages 157-175, June.
    3. Schiersch, Alexander, 2016. "Considering the (Un)observed: temporary agency work in productivity estimations," VfS Annual Conference 2016 (Augsburg): Demographic Change 145749, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    4. Hanita Sarah Saad Author_Email: NIL, 2011. "Regulating Atypical Employment In The Malaysian Private Sector: Balancing Flexibility And Security," Annual Summit on Business and Entrepreneurial Studies (ASBES 2011) Proceeding 2011-040-126, Conference Master Resources.
    5. Addabbo, Tindara & Favaro, Donata, 2010. "The flexibility penalty in a long-term perspective," MPRA Paper 21064, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    6. John T. Addison & Chad D. Cotti & Christopher J. Surfield, 2015. "Atypical Jobs: Stepping Stones or Dead Ends? Evidence from the NLSY79," Manchester School, University of Manchester, vol. 83(1), pages 17-55, January.
    7. Alexander Schiersch, 2015. "TFP, Labor Productivity and the (Un)observed Labor Input: Temporary Agency Work," Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin 1532, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
    8. Giovanni S.F. Bruno & Floro E. Caroleo & Orietta Dessy, 2013. "Stepping stones versus dead end jobs: exits from temporary contracts in Italy after the 2003 reform," Rivista Internazionale di Scienze Sociali, Vita e Pensiero, Pubblicazioni dell'Universita' Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, vol. 121(1), pages 31-62.
    9. Nikhil Datta & Giulia Giupponi & Stephen Machin, 2019. "Zero-hours contracts and labour market policy," Economic Policy, CEPR, CESifo, Sciences Po;CES;MSH, vol. 34(99), pages 369-427.
    10. Pop, Luana Miruna, 2023. "Is no employment better than self-employment? The story of how Romania managed to create a class of ‘invisible’ and forgotten workers," SEER Journal for Labour and Social Affairs in Eastern Europe, Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG, vol. 26(1), pages 7-46.
    11. Addison, John T. & Cotti, Chad & Surfield, Christopher J., 2009. "Atypical Work: Who Gets It, and Where Does It Lead? Some U.S. Evidence Using the NLSY79," IZA Discussion Papers 4444, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    12. Sebastian NIELEN & Alexander SCHIERSCH, 2016. "Productivity in German manufacturing firms: Does fixed-term employment matter?," International Labour Review, International Labour Organization, vol. 155(4), pages 535-561, December.
    13. Surfield, Christopher & Welch, William, 2009. "Atypical Work and Employment Regulations: A Comparison of Right-to-Work to Closed-Shop States," MPRA Paper 14462, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    14. Inga Laß & Mark Wooden, 2019. "Non-standard Employment and Wages in Australia," RBA Annual Conference Papers acp2019-04, Reserve Bank of Australia, revised Jul 2019.
    15. Galina SAVELIEVA & Svetlana ZAHAROV, 2021. "Challenges Of Labor Market Transformations Towards Social Policies In The Republic Of Moldova," Contemporary Economy Journal, Constantin Brancoveanu University, vol. 6(3), pages 95-120.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    employment continuity; open-ended work; atypical work; unemployment; inactivity;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J40 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Particular Labor Markets - - - General
    • J60 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - General
    • J63 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Turnover; Vacancies; Layoffs
    • M50 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Personnel Economics - - - General

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