New perspectives for Labour Markets: Quality of Employment Deprivation Measurement and Implications

Kirsten Sehnbruch is a Global Professor of the British Academy and a Distinguished Policy Fellow at the International Inequalities Institute at the London School of Economics and Political Science.

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Abstract:

Since the ILO launched its concept of decent work in 1999, the subject of job quality has attracted an increasing amount of academic and public policy attention. Examining traditional variables such as the unemployment rate or wages produces only a partial picture of the performance of labour markets. Both individual well-being and socioeconomic sustainability depend on the quality of available jobs. This issue is especially relevant in countries where earnings are low, social security systems lack coverage, informality remains high and where many formal jobs are also precarious. However, at present, there is no established measure of decent work.

This talk proposes a method for measuring the multidimensional quality of employment deprivation in labour markets. Using the well-established Alkire/Foster methodology for multidimensional indices and data from Latin America, this presentation examines which variables of labour market performance can be included to measure cumulative deprivations associated with precarious employment conditions. It further shows how this methodology can be used to inform public policies. It then discusses how this methodology could be applied and established in the European context.

Please note that attendance at this seminar is online.

For further information about the event please contact Gabriel Burdin.