George Erickcek () (W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research) Susan Houseman () (W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research) Arne Kalleberg (University of NorthCarolina Chapel Hill)
Abstract
We examine why employers use temporary agency and contract company workers and the implications of these practices for the wages, benefits, and working conditions of workers in low-skilled labor markets. Through intensive case studies in manufacturing (automotive supply), services (hospitals), and public sector (primary and secondary schools) industries, we define the circumstances under which these workers are likely to be adversely affected, minimally affected, or even benefitted by such outsourcing. Adverse effects on compensation are clearest when companies substitute agency temporaries or contract company workers for regular employees on a long-term basis because low-skilled workers within the organization receive relatively high compensation and employment and labor law or workers and their unions do not block companies from such substitution. Often, however, organizations only contract out management functions or utilize agency temporaries for brief periods of time, with little direct effect on in- house, low-skilled workers. Moreover, employers often use temporary agencies to screen workers for permanent positions. Because temporary agencies lower the cost to employers of using workers with poor work histories or other risky characteristics, agencies may benefit these workers by giving them opportunities to try out for positions they otherwise might not have had.
Download Info
To download:
If you experience problems downloading a file, check if you have the
proper application to
view it first. Information about this may be contained
in the File-Format links below. In case of further problems read
the IDEAS help
page. Note that these files are not on the IDEAS
site. Please be patient as the files may be large.
As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to look for a different version under "Related research" (further below) or search for a different version of it.
Publisher Info
Paper provided by W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research in its series Staff Working Papers with number
03-90.
Length: Date of creation: Jul 2002 Date of revision: Handle: RePEc:upj:weupjo:03-90
Note: A revised version of this paper appears in Eileen Appelbaum, Annette Bernhardt, and Richard J. Murnane, eds. Low-Wage America: How Employers are Reshaping Opportunity in the Workplace (pp. 368-406). New York: Russell Sage Foundation, 2003. Please cite the revised version. Contact details of provider: Postal: 300 S. Westnedge Ave. Kalamazoo, MI 49007 USA Phone: 1-616-343-5541 Fax: 1-616-343-7310 Web page: http://www.upjohninstitute.org
References listed on IDEAS Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.: