(10 April 2013) – Four researchers from Paris, Copenhagen and Düsseldorf have studied the consequences of the crisis on job quality between 2005 and 2010 in the EU. Improvements are visible with regard to working conditions, working-time and work-life balance. However, involuntary non-standard employment has increased and wages display a pronounced deterioration.
At the national level, some countries exhibit a more than marginal improvement in overall job quality (Poland, Czech Republic, Belgium and Denmark), whereas others see marked declines in job quality (Ireland and France).
Some socio-economic groups are more affected by decreasing trends in job quality, especially youth, older workers and low-educated workers. Women seem less affected by these negative trends than men but are more likely than men to become unemployed or inactive over the period.
Employment protection legislation (as defined by the OECD) prevents individual transitions to non-employment (and has no direct effect on job quality) while public expenditure per unemployed slightly reduces the risk of job quality deterioration.