EPSU – young workers and precarious
work
Nick Clark
Working Live Research Institute
Main themes

3 Key sectors:
 Energy
& water
 Public administration, defence, social security
 Health & social care

16-24 year olds
 Employment
 Precarity
 Collective
bargaining
 Training, progression & careers
EU 27 and selected countries
Bulgaria
 Czech Republic
 France
 Germany
 Greece
 Italy
 Netherlands
 Spain
 UK

Youth in the European labour
market
 High
level of unemployment (21% compared to
10%, ranging from 8% Austria to 46% Spain)
 Low
activity rate (50-60%, compared to 70%+)
 Increasing participation in tertiary education
 In work, more likely to
Have
temporary contract (4 times more likely)
Work part-time involuntarily
Be low paid
 Less
Be
 Hit
likely to
self-employed
hard during the crisis
Change in youth unemployment rates 20072010 (EU 27)
Change in youth unemployment rates 20072010 (EU 27)
Part time as % of all workers,
15-24 yrs
80.0
70.0
60.0
EU (27 countries)
50.0
Bulgaria
Czech Repc
40.0
Germany
Greece
30.0
Spain
France
Italy
20.0
Netherlands
UK
10.0
0.0
Proportion 16-24 year olds with temporary
contract (Eurostat Q2 2010)
Change in temporary employment
Activity status young people
EU 27, 2008 (from EMCO report no 5 ,2010)
Policy context in Europe




Youth on the Move – Commission’s 2010 initiative, primarily aimed
at improving educational levels, but also to launch “Youth
employment framework”
Interventions to support young workers in OECD countries report
(World Bank 2007) found direct employment strategies in US and
Canada, but not Europe
European Employment Observatory Review, Youth employment
measures, 2010 (published Feb 2011) – no policy initiatives
reported relating to state as employer
Eurofound study (2011) finds active labour market strategies
common government response (sometimes contested by unions),
but again no mention of public sector’s role as employer

“Overall, governments’ policies towards young workers have tended to emphasise the
importance of getting young people into work, no matter the quality of the jobs available.”
YOUNG WORKERS & PUBLIC
SERVICES
Youth employment by sector
2005 (EU-25)
Youth employment by sector
2005 (EU-25)
Youth employment by sector
2005 (EU-25)
Youth employment by sector
2005 (EU-25)
Ranked by proportion of youth in
population
All industries & services
Water, waste
Health, social work
Elec, gas
Pubic admin, defence, soc sec
as prop of working age population
25
Youth (15-24) as proportion of all employees, Q2 2011
20
p
e 15
r
c
e
n 10
t
5
0
Greece
Spain
Italy
Germany
Czech Rep
EU (27)
Bulgaria
France
UK
Netherlands
Ranked by proportion of youth in
population
All industries & services
Water, waste
Health, social work
Elec, gas
Pubic admin, defence, soc sec
as prop of working age population
25
Youth (15-24) as proportion of all employees, Q2 2011
20
p
e 15
r
c
e
n 10
t
5
0
Greece
Spain
Italy
Germany
Czech Rep
EU (27)
Bulgaria
France
UK
Netherlands
Ranked by proportion of youth in
population
All industries & services
Water, waste
Health, social work
Elec, gas
Pubic admin, defence, soc sec
as prop of working age population
25
Youth (15-24) as proportion of all employees, Q2 2011
20
p
e 15
r
c
e
n 10
t
5
0
Greece
Spain
Italy
Germany
Czech Rep
EU (27)
Bulgaria
France
UK
Netherlands
Ranked by proportion of youth in
population
All industries & services
Water, waste
Health, social work
Elec, gas
Pubic admin, defence, soc sec
as prop of working age population
25
Youth (15-24) as proportion of all employees, Q2 2011
20
p
e 15
r
c
e
n 10
t
5
0
Greece
Spain
Italy
Germany
Czech Rep
EU (27)
Bulgaria
France
UK
Netherlands
Ranked by proportion of youth in
population
All industries & services
Water, waste
Health, social work
Elec, gas
Pubic admin, defence, soc sec
as prop of working age population
25
Youth (15-24) as proportion of all employees, Q2 2011
20
p
e 15
r
c
e
n 10
t
5
0
Greece
Spain
Italy
Germany
Czech Rep
EU (27)
Bulgaria
France
UK
Netherlands
Ranked by proportion of youth in
population
All industries & services
Water, waste
Health, social work
Elec, gas
Pubic admin, defence, soc sec
as prop of working age population
25
Youth (15-24) as proportion of all employees, Q2 2011
20
p
e 15
r
c
e
n 10
t
5
0
Greece
Spain
Italy
Germany
Czech Rep
EU (27)
Bulgaria
France
UK
Netherlands
Ranked by proportion of youth in
population
All industries & services
Water, waste
Health, social work
Elec, gas
Pubic admin, defence, soc sec
as prop of working age population
25
Youth (15-24) as proportion of all employees, Q2 2011
20
p
e 15
r
c
e
n 10
t
5
0
Greece
Spain
Italy
Germany
Czech Rep
EU (27)
Bulgaria
France
UK
Netherlands
Sectoral change in employment by age
2008-2010 in France (Schulze-Marmeling, HERA on EIRO)
Sectoral change in employment by age
2008-2010 in France (Schulze-Marmeling, HERA on EIRO)
Sectoral change in employment by age
2008-2010 in France (Schulze-Marmeling, HERA on EIRO)
Sectoral change in employment by age
2008-2010 in France (Schulze-Marmeling, HERA on EIRO)
Use of agency labour (CIETT figures)
Use of agency labour (CIETT figures)
Use of agency labour (CIETT figures)
Use of agency labour (CIETT figures)
Job security and age: French civil
service (2008)
60.0
50.0
40.0
30.0
< 30 ans (en %) Hommes
20.0
< 30 ans (en %) Femmes
< 30 ans (en %) Total
10.0
0.0
Job security and age: French civil
service (2008)
60.0
50.0
40.0
30.0
< 30 ans (en %) Hommes
20.0
< 30 ans (en %) Femmes
< 30 ans (en %) Total
10.0
0.0
Job security and age: French civil
service (2008)
60.0
50.0
40.0
30.0
< 30 ans (en %) Hommes
20.0
< 30 ans (en %) Femmes
< 30 ans (en %) Total
10.0
0.0
Youth as % all temps: health & social work
q1 2008-q2 2011, EU 27
29.5
29.0
28.5
28.0
27.5
27.0
26.5
26.0
25.5
25.0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Quarter
9
10
11
12
13
14
Youth as % all temps: public admin,
defence, social sec.
q1 2008-q2 2011, EU 27
27.0
26.0
25.0
24.0
23.0
22.0
21.0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
Youth as % all temps: water, waste
q1 2008-q2 2011, EU 27
30.0
25.0
20.0
15.0
10.0
5.0
0.0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
Youth as % all temps: electricity, gas, etc.
q1 2008-q2 2011, EU 27
60.0
50.0
40.0
30.0
20.0
10.0
0.0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
summary from data




Unemployment becoming more widespread amongst
Europe’ young workers
As measures (but not definitions) of precarity, temporary
contracts and involuntary part time working more
prevalent
Public services perform worse than economy as a whole
in employing young workers – public administration
universally the worst
Young workers more affected by crisis – particularly in
public services
Interviews – key
themes
 Forms
of precarious work amongst young
workers in target sectors,
 Social dialogue:
 Recruitment
of young workers
 Training for young workers
 transition of young workers from precarious to more
stable work
 Precarious work:
 Temporary
contracts (including agencies)
 Stages, apprenticeships
 actions
by unions
Preliminary outcome from
interviews
 absence
of recruitment of young workers
 precarious forms of work
 previous agreements being abandoned or
breached
 ending of government support programme
 amendments to legal protections
 development of youth networks