Flex Work Research Centre

‘Mind the Gap’

International database on employment and adaptable labour (IDEAL)

The aim of the paper is twofold:

• To present a useful overview of the current international labour market situation, with a specific focus on the Lisbon targets on participation and unemployment (Chapter 1) and on several types of flexible labour relations, including agency work (Chapter 2).
• To address special issues that influence international labour markets and labour relations. This publication deals with the issues of ageing, the resulting future employment gap and labour migration (Chapter 3), and includes two special contributions from Prof. Emmer and Prof. Dustmann. Part-time work is becoming more popular, mostly among youths (including those who are still in education). Nearly half of all Dutch employees work fewer than 35 hours a week, as do 30-40% of employees in the rest of Europe except the Southern and Eastern countries. Part-time jobs are typically a female phenomenon (except in Denmark and the Netherlands) and are more popular among the low-skilled. Most part-time workers do not want a full-time job. Differences in national part-time rates are therefore employee-driven (which makes it difficult to stimulate these people to work full-time hours).

Temporary work is more popular among young workers, the low-skilled and immigrants; the worker’s sex does not come into the equation. Spain, Poland and Portugal have the largest number of temporary workers. Temporary agency work is most prominent in the UK (4.3% of total employment), followed by France, the Benelux countries and the US (around 2%). It is a leading indicator for GDP growth, is subject to special regulation in most countries, is becoming more popular and often functions as a stepping stone towards a permanent job.