Labour market indicators and the occurrence of non-standard employment

Abstract

This section provides information on the development of non-standard employment. It is important to take into account the wider labour market situation. People might be more inclined to take up temporary employment in labour markets that are characterised by high unemployment. Another assumption is that parttime employment is more relevant in countries with high employment and low inactivity rates for women. The following sections do not attempt to confirm or reject these assumptions, but the discussion of the extent and development of non-standard employment within the broader labour market framework may allow us to discover certain country-specific patterns. In some instances the indicators are broken down by gender, age and qualification levels; furthermore, reasons for taking up part-time or temporary employment are looked at. This will not only allow us to outline country differences in the extent and composition of non-standard employment and unemployment, but will also help us to condense information on which control variables to include in the empirical models.