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Labour as a Buffer: Do Temporary Workers Suffer?

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Listed:
  • Booth, Alison L.

    (Australian National University)

  • Francesconi, Marco

    (University of Essex)

  • Frank, Jeff

    (University of London)

Abstract

In this paper, we investigate whether or not there is an equal opportunities dimension to regulating equal pay and conditions for temporary work. We develop a “buffer stock” model of temporary work that suggests a number of reasons why ethnic minorities and women may be more likely to be on fixed-term contracts than comparable white males. Using three different British datasets (a random representative survey of households and two data sets of specific labour market groups), we then estimate the degree to which women and/or ethnic minorities are more likely to be on temporary contracts and estimate any associated wage differentials.

Suggested Citation

  • Booth, Alison L. & Francesconi, Marco & Frank, Jeff, 2002. "Labour as a Buffer: Do Temporary Workers Suffer?," IZA Discussion Papers 673, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp673
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Alison L. Booth & Marco Francesconi & Jeff Frank, 2002. "Temporary Jobs: Stepping Stones Or Dead Ends?," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 112(480), pages 189-213, June.
    2. Juan J Dolado & Carlos Garcia--Serrano & Juan F. Jimeno, 2002. "Drawing Lessons From The Boom Of Temporary Jobs In Spain," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 112(721), pages 270-295, June.
    3. David Blackaby & Alison L Booth & Jeff Frank, 2005. "Outside Offers And The Gender Pay Gap: Empirical Evidence From the UK Academic Labour Market," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 115(501), pages 81-107, February.
    4. Blackaby, David & Frank, Jeff, 2000. "Ethnic and Other Minority Representation in UK Academic Economics," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 110(464), pages 293-311, June.
    5. David Blackaby & Alison L Booth & Jeff Frank, 2005. "Outside Offers And The Gender Pay Gap: Empirical Evidence From the UK Academic Labour Market," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 115(501), pages 81-107, February.
    6. Alison L Booth & Juan J. Dolado & Jeff Frank, 2002. "Symposium On Temporary Work Introduction," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 112(480), pages 181-188, June.
    7. Jeff Frank, 2006. "Gay Glass Ceilings," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 73(291), pages 485-508, August.
    8. Booth, Alison L. & Francesconi, Marco & Frank, Jeff, 2003. "A sticky floors model of promotion, pay, and gender," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 47(2), pages 295-322, April.
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    2. Peter Mayerhofer & Peter Huber & Dieter Pennerstorfer, 2017. "Handel und Einzelhandel im Wiener Beschäftigungssystem. Arbeitsmarktrelevanz, Arbeitsplatzcharakteristika, absehbare Herausforderungen," WIFO Studies, WIFO, number 61951, April.
    3. Boockmann, Bernhard & Hagen, Tobias, 2008. "Fixed-term contracts as sorting mechanisms: Evidence from job durations in West Germany," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 15(5), pages 984-1005, October.
    4. Heineck, Guido & Schwarze, Johannes, 2004. "Fly Me to the Moon: The Determinants of Secondary Jobholding in Germany and the UK," IZA Discussion Papers 1358, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    5. Christian Pfeifer, 2005. "Flexibility, Dual Labour Markets, and Temporary Employment. Empirical Evidence from German Establishment Data," management revue. Socio-economic Studies, Rainer Hampp Verlag, vol. 16(3), pages 404-422.
    6. Jürgen Bierbaumer-Polly & Ulrike Huemer & Thomas Horvath & Christa Edlmayr & Georg Michenthaler, 2014. "Beschäftigung im Handel," WIFO Studies, WIFO, number 47151, April.
    7. Bosio, Giulio, 2009. "Temporary employment and wage gap with permanent jobs: evidence from quantile regression," MPRA Paper 16055, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    8. Tatiana Karabchuk, 2012. "Temporary employment in Russia: why mostly men?," European Journal of Comparative Economics, Cattaneo University (LIUC), vol. 9(2), pages 279-303, August.
    9. Smirnykh, Larisa & Wörgötter, Andreas, 2013. "Why Do Russian Firms Use Fixed-Term and Agency Work Contracts?," IZA Policy Papers 54, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    10. Florian Baumann & Mario Mechtel & Nikolai Stähler, 2011. "Employment Protection and Temporary Work Agencies," LABOUR, CEIS, vol. 25(3), pages 308-329, September.
    11. Giulio Bosio, 2014. "The Implications of Temporary Jobs on the Distribution of Wages in Italy: An Unconditional IVQTE Approach," LABOUR, CEIS, vol. 28(1), pages 64-86, March.
    12. Matteo PICCHIO, 2006. "Wage Differentials between Temporary and Permanent Workers in Italy," Working Papers 257, Universita' Politecnica delle Marche (I), Dipartimento di Scienze Economiche e Sociali.
    13. Karabchuk Tatiana, 2009. "Determinants of temporary employment for men and women in Russia," EERC Working Paper Series 09/11e, EERC Research Network, Russia and CIS.
    14. Hagedorn, Marcus & Kaul, Ashok, 2002. "Langzeitarbeitslosigkeit in Deutschland: Fakten, Ursachen und Bekämpfung," IZA Discussion Papers 680, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    15. Engellandt, Axel & Riphahn, Regina T., 2005. "Temporary contracts and employee effort," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 12(3), pages 281-299, June.
    16. Bardasi, Elena & Francesconi, Marco, 2004. "The impact of atypical employment on individual wellbeing: evidence from a panel of British workers," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 58(9), pages 1671-1688, May.
    17. Christoph Ehlert & Sandra Schaffner, 2011. "Health Effects of Temporary Jobs in Europe," Ruhr Economic Papers 0295, Rheinisch-Westfälisches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Universität Dortmund, Universität Duisburg-Essen.
    18. Hagen, Tobias, 2003. "Do Fixed-Term Contracts Increase the Long-Term Employment Opportunities of the Unemployed?," ZEW Discussion Papers 03-49, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
    19. Muñoz-Bullón, Fernando, 2008. "Who downsizes for longer? A longitudinal analysis," DEE - Working Papers. Business Economics. WB wb082805, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid. Departamento de Economía de la Empresa.
    20. Tatiana KARABCHUK, 2011. "Temporary employment in Russia: why mostly men?," Scientific Bulletin - Economic Sciences, University of Pitesti, vol. 10(1), pages 42-60.
    21. Christian Pfeifer, 2009. "Fixed‐term Contracts and Employment Adjustment: An Empirical Test of the Core–Periphery Hypothesis Using German Establishment Data," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 85(268), pages 92-107, March.
    22. Ehlert, Christoph & Schaffner, Sandra, 2011. "Health Effects of Temporary Jobs in Europe," Ruhr Economic Papers 295, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.
    23. D'Addio, Anna Cristina & Rosholm, Michael, 2005. "Exits from temporary jobs in Europe: A competing risks analysis," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 12(4), pages 449-468, August.
    24. Perugini, Cristiano & Pompei, Fabrizio, 2017. "Temporary Jobs, Institutions, and Wage Inequality within Education Groups in Central-Eastern Europe," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 92(C), pages 40-59.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    wages; temporary employment; agency and fixed-term work; equal opportunities;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J21 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Force and Employment, Size, and Structure
    • J30 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - General
    • J63 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Turnover; Vacancies; Layoffs

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