ETUI Konferenz "Getting europe back to work: Alternatives to Austerity" Brussels

1. ETUI Konferenz "Getting europe back to work: Alternatives to Austerity" Brussels

2. Panel labour market: The myth of success from labour-market deregulation: what lessons from Germany and Poland? Prof. Klaus Dörre, Department of Sociology November 6, 2013 Brussels

3. Definition of Precarity • Some Trends • Subjective Dimensions • Conclusions

4. I. Definition of Precarity • Employment is precarious if it does not permanently allow for subsistence above a certain cultural, socially defined, level. Employment of this kind does discriminate because it does not allow employees to unfold their potential at work, work is not gainful, and it is employment not held in high esteem by society. It has a lasting discriminatory effect as it negatively impacts on social integration, options for political participation and the capacity to plan one‘ life. Precarious work and its social constitution mean that those in precarious employment fall below standard levels of protection and integration as commonly defined in welfare states. At the level of subjective experience, precarious employment and/or work evoke feelings of meaninglessness and disdain (Castel/Dörre 2009: 17).

5. II. Some Trends

6. Precarity in Germany

7. II. Some Trends • Already before the crisis, the segment of non-standardised employment relationships (part-time, temporary work, fixed-term jobs and marginal employment) was growing continuously.

8. Extent of Precarity Number of people in standard employment relationships Number of people in atypical employment relationships

9. Mikrozensus, Sample conducted by the Federal Statistical Office Part-time Work (up to 20hrs.) Marginal Employment (i.e. low income and/or very short term employment) Fixed term employment Temporary agency work 1) Multiple answers possible 2) 1997 estimate by the Federal Labour Agency

10. Mikrozensus, Sample conducted by the Federal Statistical Office Male Female Total Part-time Work (up to 20hrs.) 1) Marginal Employment (i.e. low income and/or very short term employment) Fixed term Employment 1) Temporary agency work 1) 1) Multiple answers possible

11. Mikrozensus, Sample conducted by the Federal Statistical Office Aged between…

13. Percentage of low wage employees in Germany, East-West Germany, 1995-2010 • Source: SOEP 2010, IAQ-Calculations standardized low wage limit East-West-Germany differentiatet

14. Hourly wage Total Percentage Less than 5 € Less than 6 € Less than 7 € Less than 8 € Less than 8,50 € More than 8,50 € Further analyses have show that extremely low hourly wages are much more widespread in Eastern Germany. In 2008, about one in eight employees (12.8%) earned less than 6 € per hour, compared to 5.4% in Western Germany. Obviosly, extremely low wages are not just an Eastern phenomenon. (Kalina/Weinkopf 2010) Source: Vorgänge; Abbildung 3

17. Stock (seasonally adjusted) Stock (raw value) Entry (seasonally adjusted) Entry (raw value)

20. III. SubjectiveDimensions • The more difficult the task of placing someone in work becomes, the stronger the tendency is for case managers to blame the unemployed 'client' (delegation of responsibility).

21. The vast majority of unemployed and precariously employed proactively makes a great effort to end their status of being benefit recipients (active without activation). Processing mode workers-at-any-cost tirelessjobseeking occupational concept As-if-workersre-interpretation, re-framing non-workersrejection of the norm ofemployment normative employment orientation Fig. 8: structure of basic types

22. subtypes (differentiated according to anticipated chances and experiences of employment) Fig. 9: the subtypes

23. Most respondents do not manage to enter regular employment; instead, what we are seeing is circular mobility. • The longer one receives benefits, the greater the pressure becomes to develop a habitus of survival that in turn sets the affected apart from the rest of society. • The interviewed benefit recipients consider themselves to be members of a stigmatised minority who are forced to do whatever they can to establish or maintain a connection to social normality.

24. The logic of Hartz IV requires abandoning certain aspirations concerning the quality of work and life – aspirations which in fact could motivate increased proactivity (Passivation through lowering of standards).

25. IV. Conclusions typology of how individuals handle and cope with precarious work and employment

26. Fig. 7: Indicators for exclusive Solidarity I workers administra-tivestaff managementstaff workers administra-tivestaff managementstaff workers administra-tivestaff managementstaff The socially weak nowa-days have a stronger lobby than the top performers in society A society that takes care of everyone is not viable I consider Hartz IV to be a cruel social policy Agreement Undecided Rejection

27. Fig. 8: Indicators for exclusive Solidarity II Greater pressure should be exerted on the unemployed workers administra-tivestaff managementstaff workers administra-tivestaff managementstaff managementstaff administra-tivestaff Hartz IV does not lead to lessunemployed, but to the disciplining of workingpeople who fearstigmatisation Labour market reformswerenecessary in order to reduce the number of unemployed Agreement Rejection Undecided

28. Dörre, Klaus/Scherschel, Karin/Booth, Melanie/Haubner, Tine/Marquardsen, Kai/Schierhorn, Karen (2013): Bewährungsproben für die Unterschicht? Soziale Folgen aktivierender Arbeitsmarktpolitik. Erschienen in der Reihe International Labour Studies - Internationale Arbeitsstudien, Band 3. Frankfurt am Main/New York: Campus.