Erwerbsarbeit heute: Auf neuen Spuren unterwegs (Employment today: Following new paths)

Since 1994 there has been a strong increase in atypical forms of earning money. As distinct from normal working relationships, the following forms of employment are classified as 'atypical': temporary employment in the form of limited contracts or temporary agency work; self-employment ; and part-time employment in the form of real part-time work or as a Mini- or Midi-job. The authors proceed from the assumption that atypical forms of earning money offer firms flexibility or cost advantages in comparison to normal working relationships. On the other hand, their increasing importance is also an expression of changes within society, according to the authors. For instance, the growing share of part-time work absorbs the increased inclination of women to work and provides a way of combining family life with professional development. The authors draw attention to the fact that atypical forms of earning money are not necessarily always 'precarious', even if higher flexibility often involves individual risks. At the same time however, atypical forms of earning a living contribute to maintaining a stable employment situation, even during economic changes, and avoiding less competitive persons being left out. One of the disadvantages of atypical forms of earning money in respect to corporate objectives is the lack of identification of the employees in question with a particular establishment. 'Maximal flexibility is not the same as optimal flexibility, which means that the scope for atypical forms of earning a living will meet natural limitations, even in the future.' (IAB)