Social and economic change in Europe is driving the creation of low-wage service jobs that constitute a new 'underclass', according to a study funded by the European Commission.
The study's author examines trends in low-wage service employment across 19 European countries between 1992 and 2010, in order to find out whether the expansion and poor quality of these jobs are both as inevitable and inter-related as previous studies have suggested.
The author concludes by suggesting areas for further research. More detailed data on job quality would help to establish whether these jobs are as poor as the analysis suggests. Information on work histories and access to social benefits would shed more light on whether the welfare state manages to compensate workers for low pay.
Source: Moira Nelson, Low-Wage Service Occupations in Europe: An Inevitable Underclass?, Working Paper 3.7, NEUJOBS Research Project (European Commission)
Link: Paper