The relationship between employment quality and worker well-being in the European labour force

Background. Analytically, job quality can be divided in intrinsic 'work quality' (job content and working conditions) and 'employment quality' (employment conditions and relations). Although most research focuses on work quality, it are probably employment conditions and relations that have changed the most since the end of the 1970's. These changes are related to the increased flexibility and competitiveness demands following the breaking-down of the post-Second World War model of industrial mass production. Employment de-standardisation is compelling the need to assess its consequences for workers' health and well-being.

Method. This study uses data from the 2005 European Working Conditions Survey. Relations between contemporary employment arrangements and three indicators of well-being are investigated in a sample of EU27 wage-earners: job satisfaction; the perception of health or safety being at risk because of work and the perceived ability to stay in employment until the age of 60.

Results. First, Latent Class Clustering techniques are applied to construct a typology of contemporary employment arrangements, based on different features of employment quality. Five types of contemporary employment arrangements are found: Standard Employment Relationship-like jobs; instrumental jobs; precarious intensive jobs; precarious unsustainable jobs and portfolio jobs. Afterwards, binary logistic regression analyses are used to relate the typology to the outcomes. These five types of jobs show clear relations with the three outcome variables, even when controlled for intrinsic work quality indicators.

Conclusion. This typological approach provides innovative insights into the structuring of contemporary employment in Europe and the consequences for workers' well-being.