IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/brjirl/v61y2023i3p723-751.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Two paths towards job instability: Comparing changes in the distribution of job tenure duration in the United Kingdom and Germany, 1984–2014

Author

Listed:
  • Xavier St‐Denis
  • Matissa Hollister

Abstract

This study provides novel evidence on trends in job stability in the United Kingdom and Germany, two capitalist economies with distinct sets of institutions and labour market reform trajectories. While we find evidence of an increase in short‐term jobs for men in both countries, we also find important differences in the overall patterns of change in the distribution of job tenure duration. The United Kingdom follows a masked instability pattern with opposite job stability trends for men and women. On the other hand, we find evidence of a polarization of the job tenure distribution among men and women in Germany. These findings are partly consistent with expectations from the dualization literature, emphasizing a growing segmentation of the labour market between insiders and outsiders. More generally, this study highlights the existence of multiple paths towards increased job instability that appear to be rooted in institutional differences.

Suggested Citation

  • Xavier St‐Denis & Matissa Hollister, 2023. "Two paths towards job instability: Comparing changes in the distribution of job tenure duration in the United Kingdom and Germany, 1984–2014," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 61(3), pages 723-751, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:brjirl:v:61:y:2023:i:3:p:723-751
    DOI: 10.1111/bjir.12733
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/bjir.12733
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/bjir.12733?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. Ulrich Kohler, 2011. "Comparing coefficients between nested nonlinear probability models," German Stata Users' Group Meetings 2011 08, Stata Users Group.
    2. Rueda, David, 2007. "Social Democracy Inside Out: Partisanship and Labor Market Policy in Advanced Industrialized Democracies," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780199234059.
    3. Rainer Winkelmann & Klaus Zimmermann, 1998. "Is job stability declining in Germany? Evidence from count data models," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 30(11), pages 1413-1420.
    4. Fitzenberger, Bernd & Sommerfeld, Katrin & Steffes, Susanne, 2013. "Causal effects on employment after first birth — A dynamic treatment approach," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 25(C), pages 49-62.
    5. Johannes Giesecke & Jan Paul Heisig, 2011. "Destabilization and Destandardization: For Whom? The Development of West German Job Mobility since 1984," Schmollers Jahrbuch : Journal of Applied Social Science Studies / Zeitschrift für Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaften, Duncker & Humblot, Berlin, vol. 131(2), pages 301-314.
    6. Kahn, Lawrence M., 2010. "Employment protection reforms, employment and the incidence of temporary jobs in Europe: 1996-2001," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 17(1), pages 1-15, January.
    7. Chiara Benassi, 2016. "Liberalization Only at the Margins? Analysing the Growth of Temporary Work in German Core Manufacturing Sectors," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 54(3), pages 597-622, September.
    8. Bruno Palier & Kathleen Thelen, 2010. "Institutionalizing Dualism: Complementarities and Change in France and Germany," Politics & Society, , vol. 38(1), pages 119-148, March.
    9. Marius R. Busemeyer, 2012. "Business as a Pivotal Actor in the Politics of Training Reform: Insights from the Case of Germany," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 50(4), pages 690-713, December.
    10. Gueorgui Kambourov & Iourii Manovskii, 2008. "Rising Occupational And Industry Mobility In The United States: 1968-97," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 49(1), pages 41-79, February.
    11. Didier Fouarge & Anna Manzoni & Ruud Muffels & Ruud Luijkx, 2010. "Childbirth and cohort effects on mothers' labour supply: a comparative study using life history data for Germany, the Netherlands and Great Britain," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 24(3), pages 487-507, September.
    12. Paul Gregg & Maria Gutiérrez‐Domènech & Jane Waldfogel, 2007. "The Employment of Married Mothers in Great Britain, 1974–2000," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 74(296), pages 842-864, November.
    13. Thelen,Kathleen, 2014. "Varieties of Liberalization and the New Politics of Social Solidarity," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9781107679566.
    14. Ronald Bachmann, 2005. "Labour Market Dynamics in Germany: Hirings, Separations, and Job-to-Job Transitions over the Business Cycle," SFB 649 Discussion Papers SFB649DP2005-045, Sonderforschungsbereich 649, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany.
    15. David Finegold & Karin Wagner, 2002. "Are Apprenticeships Still Relevant in the 21st Century? A Case Study of Changing Youth Training Arrangements in German Banks," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 55(4), pages 667-685, July.
    16. Yoshio Higuchi & Jane Waldfogel & Masahiro Abe, 1999. "Family leave policies and women's retention after childbirth: Evidence from the United States, Britain, and Japan," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 12(4), pages 523-545.
    17. Henry S. Farber, 2010. "Job Loss and the Decline in Job Security in the United States," NBER Chapters, in: Labor in the New Economy, pages 223-262, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    18. Thelen,Kathleen, 2014. "Varieties of Liberalization and the New Politics of Social Solidarity," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9781107053168.
    19. Paul Gregg & Jonathan Wadsworth, 2002. "Job tenure in Britain, 1975–2000. Is a job for life or just for Christmas?," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 64(2), pages 111-134, May.
    20. Marcel GARZ, 2013. "Employment and wages in Germany since the 2004 deregulation of the temporary agency industry," International Labour Review, International Labour Organization, vol. 152(2), pages 307-326, June.
    21. Gregg, Paul & Wadsworth, Jonathan, 1995. "A Short History of Labour Turnover, Job Tenure, and Job Security, 1975-93," Oxford Review of Economic Policy, Oxford University Press and Oxford Review of Economic Policy Limited, vol. 11(1), pages 73-90, Spring.
    22. Burgess, Simon & Rees, Hedley, 1996. "Job Tenure in Britain 1975-92," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 106(435), pages 334-344, March.
    23. Finegold, David & Soskice, David, 1988. "The Failure of Training in Britain: Analysis and Prescription," Oxford Review of Economic Policy, Oxford University Press and Oxford Review of Economic Policy Limited, vol. 4(3), pages 21-53, Autumn.
    24. Anke Hassel, 2014. "The Paradox of Liberalization — Understanding Dualism and the Recovery of the German Political Economy," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 52(1), pages 57-81, March.
    25. Karin Gottschall & Katherine Bird, 2003. "Family Leave Policies and Labor Market Segregation in Germany: Reinvention or Reform of the Male Breadwinner Model? -super-1," Review of Policy Research, Policy Studies Organization, vol. 20(1), pages 115-134, March.
    26. Ulrich Kohler & Kristian Bernt Karlson & Anders Holm, 2011. "Comparing coefficients of nested nonlinear probability models," Stata Journal, StataCorp LP, vol. 11(3), pages 420-438, September.
    27. Sandrine CAZES & Mirco TONIN, 2010. "Employment protection legislation and job stability: A European cross-country analysis," International Labour Review, International Labour Organization, vol. 149(3), pages 261-285, September.
    28. Ronald BACHMANN & Rahel FELDER, 2018. "Job stability in Europe over the cycle," International Labour Review, International Labour Organization, vol. 157(3), pages 481-518, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. Weisstanner, David, 2019. "Insiders under pressure: Flexible employment and wage inequality," INET Oxford Working Papers 2019-06, Institute for New Economic Thinking at the Oxford Martin School, University of Oxford.
    2. David Weisstanner, 2017. "Dualization and inequality revisited: Temporary employment regulation and middle-class incomes," LIS Working papers 720, LIS Cross-National Data Center in Luxembourg.
    3. Fleckenstein, Timo & Lee, Soohyun Christine, 2018. "Organised labour, dualisation and labour market reform:Korean trade union in economic and social crisis," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 86340, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    4. Werner Eichhorst & Paul Marx, 2021. "How stable is labour market dualism? Reforms of employment protection in nine European countries," European Journal of Industrial Relations, , vol. 27(1), pages 93-110, March.
    5. Arthur Corazza, 2020. "Power, interest and insecurity: A comparative analysis of workplace dualization and inclusion in Europe," LEQS – LSE 'Europe in Question' Discussion Paper Series 153, European Institute, LSE.
    6. Lisa Dorigatti & Roberto Pedersini, 2021. "Industrial relations and inequality: the many conditions of a crucial relationship," Transfer: European Review of Labour and Research, , vol. 27(1), pages 11-27, February.
    7. Thomas Paster & Dennie Oude Nijhuis & Maximilian Kiecker, 2020. "To Extend or Not to Extend: Explaining the Divergent Use of Statutory Bargaining Extensions in the Netherlands and Germany," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 58(3), pages 532-557, September.
    8. 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.
    9. Guglielmo Meardi & Melanie Simms & Duncan Adam, 2021. "Trade unions and precariat in Europe: Representative claims," European Journal of Industrial Relations, , vol. 27(1), pages 41-58, March.
    10. Daniel Clegg & Elke Heins & Philip Rathgeb, 2022. "Unemployment benefit governance, trade unions and outsider protection in conservative welfare states," Transfer: European Review of Labour and Research, , vol. 28(2), pages 195-210, May.
    11. Donato Di Carlo & Christian Lyhne Ibsen & Oscar Molina, 2024. "The new political economy of public sector wage-setting in Europe: Introduction to the special issue," European Journal of Industrial Relations, , vol. 30(1), pages 5-30, March.
    12. Ochsenfeld, Fabian, 2018. "The Relational Nature of Employment Dualization: Evidence from Subcontracting Establishments," SocArXiv ta4r6, Center for Open Science.
    13. Martin Behrens & Andreas Pekarek, 2021. "Divided We Stand? Coalition Dynamics in the German Union Movement," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 59(2), pages 503-531, June.
    14. Marius R Busemeyer & Martin B Carstensen & Patrick Emmenegger, 2022. "Orchestrators of coordination: Towards a new role of the state in coordinated capitalism?," European Journal of Industrial Relations, , vol. 28(2), pages 231-250, June.
    15. Hiroaki Richard Watanabe, 2018. "Labour Market Dualism and Diversification in Japan," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 56(3), pages 579-602, September.
    16. Martin Behrens & Andreas Pekarek, 2023. "Delivering the goods? German industrial relations institutions during the COVID‐19 crisis," Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 62(2), pages 126-144, April.
    17. Hertog, Steffen, 2020. "Segmented market economies in the Arab world: the political economy of insider-outsider divisions," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 103677, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    18. Chiara Benassi, 2016. "Liberalization Only at the Margins? Analysing the Growth of Temporary Work in German Core Manufacturing Sectors," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 54(3), pages 597-622, September.
    19. Rebecca J Oliver & Andrew L Morelock, 2021. "Insider and outsider support for unions across advanced industrial democracies: Paradoxes of solidarity," European Journal of Industrial Relations, , vol. 27(2), pages 167-183, June.
    20. Leone Leonida & Marianna Marra & Sergio Scicchitano & Antonio Giangreco & Marco Biagetti, 2020. "Estimating the Wage Premium to Supervision for Middle Managers in Different Contexts: Evidence from Germany and the UK," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 34(6), pages 1004-1026, December.

    More about this item

    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:bla:brjirl:v:61:y:2023:i:3:p:723-751. 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: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/lsepsuk.html .

    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.