Helen Russell

Getting a Job in Europe: The Transition from Unemployment to Work among Young People in Nine European Countries

Youth unemployment remains a significant problem in most EU countries. In this paper we explore the dynamics of this problem by comparing young peoples transitions from unemployment to employment in nine member states. Using the first two waves of the European Community Household Panel, we follow the progress of 14,600 young Europeans over a two-year period. We examine how the employment prospects of young unemployed people are affected by their country of residence and by their personal characteristics such as age, gender, parenthood and educational attainment as well as by previous work experience and unemployment duration. We attempt to unpack the crossnational differences in the underlying transition rate by substituting country names with macro/institutional level variables such as youth long-term unemployment rates, active labour market policy expenditure, employment regulation regimes and benefit provisions for unemployed young people.

Friends in Low Places: Gender, Unemployment and Sociability

The recent debates about the underclass and social exclusion have focused attention on the social networks of the unemployed. However the research in this area has largely failed to take on board the gender dimension of sociability. Using survey data this paper compares the patterns of sociability of unemployed men and women. It is argued that womens more home-centred social activity and their stronger neighbourhood and kinship links means that their social networks are less vulnerable to unemployment than mens. It is found that womens previous pattern of labour market participation is critical in building up a social network which is resistant to unemployment. However a social network that is external to the labour market may also have some negative implications. An absence of friends in employment could lead to a detachment from the world of work. The networks of unemployed men and women are found to feature a much higher than normal concentration of unemployed members and are deficient in employment contacts. Contrary to underclass predictions this does not lead to a reduction in employment commitment but it does have repercussions for the availability of support and access to job information.

Five Characteristics of Youth Unemployment in Europe: Flexibility, Education, Migration, Family Legacies, and EU Policy

Current levels of youth unemployment need to be understood in the context of increased labor market flexibility, an expansion of higher education, youth migration, and family legacies of long-term unemployment. Compared with previous recessions, European-wide policies and investments have significantly increased with attempts to support national policies. By mapping these developments and debates, we illustrate the different factors shaping the future of European labor markets. We argue that understanding youth unemployment requires a holistic approach that combines an analysis of changes in the economic sphere around labor market flexibility, skills attainment, and employer demand, as well as understanding the impact of family legacies affecting increasingly polarized trajectories for young people today. The success of EU policy initiatives and investments will be shaped by the ability of national actors to implement these effectively.

Gender differences in pay among recent graduates: private sector employees in Ireland

In this paper we seek to investigate the role of different factors in accounting for the differences in earnings among recent graduates working in the private sector in Ireland. Three years after graduation there is a pay gap of 8 per cent in hourly wages between male and female graduates in the private sector and a 4 per cent non-significant gap in the public sector. Our analyses suggest that there are four main factors behind the pay gap in the private sector: first, differential returns to educational capital for male and female graduates; second, differential returns to employment experience for male and female graduates; third, gender differences in field of study, and differences in the rewards attached to these fields; fourth, working in a female-dominated workplace, which has a negative influence on earnings for both men and women but predominantly affects women.

Work-Life Balance, Working Conditions and the Great Recession

While concern with the interface between work and family life is not new, work-life balance has risen to prominence in academic and policy debates in recent years. This has occurred in the context of rising female participation in the labour market, and a concomitant rise in the proportion of people combining work and caring roles (McGinnity and Whelan 2009). Work does not happen in a vacuum: individuals weave work into their lives in myriad ways, and to a greater or lesser extent feel ‘successful’ or ‘balanced’ in how they do this.

485 The trends and determinants of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (msd) in ireland between 2002 and 2013

Introduction In Ireland between 2002–2013, Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD) accounted for 50% of self-reported work-related illnesses. Moreover the average number of days absent (15.9 days) was higher than the average of 12.8 days for all other illnesses (except stress, anxiety and depression). Methods This paper examines trends and determinants for work-related MSD between 2002 and 2013, using annual cross-sectional data from the Quarterly National Household Survey (QNHS). Results Rates of MSD were strongly linked to the economic cycle. Rates per 1000 workers ranged from 11 in 2002 to 19 during the economic boom before falling to 7 during the recession (2009). The 2013 rate in a recovering economy was 14 per 1000 workers. This pro-cyclical pattern remained when characteristics of workers and their workplace were held constant using logistic regression. Furthermore, within sectors, rates were higher when the annual percentage change in employment was positive. We also found that certain worker and workplace factors influenced the risk of MSD independently. Workers aged 35–64 had the highest risk of MSD (2.5 times more than workers <25 years). Construction sector workers, followed by those working in agriculture and health, had the greatest risk of MSD. Rates in education and all other services sectors were much lower. The self-employed, those working 40 to 49u2009hours per week (compared to <30u2009hours), shift workers, and new recruits (with <6 months job experience) also had a higher risk of MSD. Discussion These findings show that some groups of workers face a higher risk of work-related MSD and that further monitoring and targeted measures are needed to support employers and employees especially at a time of economic recovery. Full results and description of the methodology can be found at http://www.esri.ie/publications/work-related-illness/