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Reassessing the Pay Gap for Temps in Germany

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  • Jahn Elke J.

    (Associate Professor, Aarhus School of Business, Aarhus University, Department of Economics, Frichshuset, Hermodsvej 22, 8230 Aabyhoej, Denmark)

Abstract

As a consequence of the rapid growth of temporary agency employment in Germany, the debate on the remuneration of temporary agency workers has intensified recently. The study finds that the earnings gap of temporary help workers in Germany is indeed large and increased during the past decade. Decomposition reveals that the widening gap mainly is driven by changes in relative skill prices and less by differences in the workforce composition. Temps already have to accept a marked earnings decline before entering the temporary help sector. Nevertheless, after leaving the sector temporary help workers no longer have to accept a pay penalty. A recent reform set a high incentive for temporary help agencies to pay their workers according to a collective agreement. Surprisingly, the unionization of the sector could not bring the widening earnings gap to a halt.

Suggested Citation

  • Jahn Elke J., 2010. "Reassessing the Pay Gap for Temps in Germany," Journal of Economics and Statistics (Jahrbuecher fuer Nationaloekonomie und Statistik), De Gruyter, vol. 230(2), pages 208-233, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:jns:jbstat:v:230:y:2010:i:2:p:208-233
    DOI: 10.1515/jbnst-2010-0205
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    Cited by:

    1. Simon Woodcock, 2022. "The Determinants of Displaced Workers’ Wages: Sorting, Matching, Selection, and the Hartz Reforms," Discussion Papers dp22-04, Department of Economics, Simon Fraser University.
    2. Woodcock, Simon D., 2020. "The Effect of the Hartz Labor Market Reforms on Post-unemployment Wages, Sorting, and Matching," IZA Discussion Papers 13300, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    3. Sarah Hamersma & Carolyn Heinrich & Peter Mueser, 2014. "Temporary Help Work: Earnings, Wages, and Multiple Job Holding," Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 53(1), pages 72-100, January.
    4. Jahn, Elke Jutta & Rosholm, Michael, 2015. "The Cyclicality of the Stepping Stone Effect of Temporary Agency Employment," VfS Annual Conference 2015 (Muenster): Economic Development - Theory and Policy 113117, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    5. Bachmann, Ronald & Martinez Flores, Fernanda & Rulff, Christian, 2022. "Die Lohnlücke in der Zeitarbeit: Eine empirische Analyse auf Grundlage von BA-Daten und der Verdienststrukturerhebung," RWI Projektberichte, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, number 262219.
    6. Smirnykh, Larisa & Wörgötter, Andreas, 2019. "The importance of institutional and organizational characteristics for the use of fixed-term contracts in Russia," Journal of East European Management Studies, Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG, vol. 24(1), pages 89-121.
    7. Burkert, Carola & Garloff, Alfred & Lepper, Timo, 2014. "Arbeitnehmerüberlassung in Hessen: Sprungbrett in reguläre Beschäftigung, Vermeidung von Arbeitslosigkeit oder gefangen in der Leiharbeitsfalle?," IAB-Regional. Berichte und Analysen aus dem Regionalen Forschungsnetz. IAB Hessen 201401, Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), Nürnberg [Institute for Employment Research, Nuremberg, Germany].
    8. Hana Urbancová & Monika Hudáková & Adéla Fajčíková, 2020. "Diversity Management as a Tool of Sustainability of Competitive Advantage," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(12), pages 1-16, June.
    9. René Petilliot, 2018. "How important is the type of working contract for job satisfaction of agency workers?," International Review of Economics, Springer;Happiness Economics and Interpersonal Relations (HEIRS), vol. 65(3), pages 359-379, September.
    10. Henna Busk & Christine Dauth & Elke J. Jahn, 2017. "Do Changes in Regulation Affect Temporary Agency Workers’ Job Satisfaction?," Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 56(3), pages 514-544, July.
    11. Jahn, Elke J. & Pozzoli, Dario, 2013. "The pay gap of temporary agency workers — Does the temp sector experience pay off?," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 24(C), pages 48-57.
    12. Bachmann, Ronald & Martinez Flores, Fernanda & Rulf, Christian, 2022. "Die Lohnlücke in der Zeitarbeit: Eine empirische Analyse auf Grundlage der Integrierten Erwerbsbiografien und der Verdienststrukturerhebung," RWI Materialien 153, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung.
    13. 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.
    14. Niebuhr, Annekatrin & Buch, Tanja, 2013. "Wage effects of labor market entry via temporary work agency employment - evidence for German apprenticeship graduates," VfS Annual Conference 2013 (Duesseldorf): Competition Policy and Regulation in a Global Economic Order 79818, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    15. Woodcock, Simon D., 2023. "The determinants of displaced workers’ wages: Sorting, matching, selection, and the Hartz reforms," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 233(2), pages 568-595.
    16. Jahn, Elke & Pozzoli, Dario, 2011. "Does the Sector Experience Affect the Pay Gap for Temporary Agency Workers?," Working Papers 11-9, University of Aarhus, Aarhus School of Business, Department of Economics.
    17. 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.
    18. Rheinisch-Westfälisches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung & Bertelsmann-Stiftung (ed.), 2012. "Herausforderung Zeitarbeit: Studie im Auftrag der Bertelsmann Stiftung," RWI Projektberichte, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, number 72612.
    19. Grund, Christian & Minten, Axel & Toporova, Nevena, 2017. "The Motivation of Temporary Agency Workers: An Empirical Analysis," IZA Discussion Papers 11229, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    20. Smirnych, L. I. & Wörgötter, Andreas, 2016. "The importance of institutional and organizational characteristics for the use of fixed-term and agency work contracts in Russia," ECON WPS - Working Papers in Economic Theory and Policy 09/2016, TU Wien, Institute of Statistics and Mathematical Methods in Economics, Economics Research Unit.
    21. 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.

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