The Social Consequences of Labour Market Flexibilisation in Different EU Countries

Research question/goal: 

Labour market flexibilisation during the last decade has been discussed as a crucial measure to enhance economic growth and combating high unemployment within continental European countries. In this project we investigate the consequences of labour market flexibilisation for individuals and societies as a whole, enlarging the narrow economic perspective towards social and societal aspects.

  1. What consequences go along with deregulating employment relationships
  • for work careers and individual life courses, for entrapment in economic precariousness, poverty and for other social risks?
  • for the society at large in terms of rising social inequality and the erosion of social cohesion?
  • Furthermore we investigate the relationship between employment regulation and social politics. Is the formula 'politics against the market' still valid to understand the post-fordist economy/society interplay or might not instead appropriate social policies help the market to be also more efficient?
  • The project studies these issues by comparative analyses of European countries that differ in labour market flexibility and relevant welfare state institutions.

    Fact sheet

    Funding: 
    MZES
    Duration: 
    2003 to 2004
    Status: 
    completed
    Data Sources: 
    crosssectional and longitudinal data from the National Labou
    Geographic Space: 
    Europe

    Publications

    Books

    Müller, Walter, and Stefani Scherer (Eds.) (2003): Mehr Risiken - Mehr Ungleichheit? Abbau von Wohlfahrtsstaat, Flexibilisierung von Arbeit und die Folgen. Frankfurt/Main: Campus. [Mannheimer Jahrbuch für Europäische Sozialforschung; 7] more