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There are considerable numbers of studies showing that women and men in Sweden work in different sectors and in different occupations; also that men to a greater extent than women work in higher hierarchical positions. Not only are segregation patterns persistent, but wage differences as well. Even though the wage gap between men and women in Sweden has decreased, it still persists. The article starts with a discussion of the framework for wage setting and more specifically regulations aiming at eliminating gendered wage differences at a more general level. Then we turn to a specific case study where we describe methods and data used. This is followed by two empirical sections, where the first is a quantitative description of segregation and wage patterns found between the two occupations in question. The second part is based on qualitative data and presents and analyses the wage formation process as experienced by these two groups. The article gives an illustration of both how decentralized wage negotiations and individualization of wage work for the higher educated employees and it also presents an aspect of the formation of gendered wage differences.

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There has been widespread interest across various national contexts in employers' use of contingent forms of labour. The tendency to conflate different contract types into catch-all categories has increasingly given way to recognition of the differences between forms of labour. Despite this, systematic comparisons of employers' attitudes to different forms of labour remain an underdeveloped area of research. Drawing on an original survey of the UK construction sector this paper offers new insight into employers' attitudes to different forms of contingent labour and tracks changes in their use. Uniquely, the analysis of movement between different forms of labour goes beyond approaches that focus on the dichotomy between direct and contingent labour to trace a more complex pattern of movement between the different contingent forms. This more nuanced picture of changing patterns of employers' use of contingent labour suggests an area for development in future research.

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The increased number of casuals in the Australian workforce has generated considerable concern about a proliferation of inferior jobs in the labour market. Critics of casualisation have pointed to poor outcomes associated with casual work: job insecurity, lack of training and career paths, marginalisation in the workplace and so forth. Those who defend casualisation argue that non-standard employment provides greater choice within the labour market, and that casual employees are no less dissatisfied with their jobs than permanent employees. In this paper, I re-assess this debate by examining a recent analysis of job satisfaction among casual employees by Wooden and Warren in 2004 [indexed at TD/TNC 84.214]. I argue that findings of contentment among casual employees are subject to both methodological and philosophical weaknesses. In place of subjective measures of job satisfaction, I argue that the quality of jobs should be directly assessed by objective criteria like remuneration. Following this, I fit earnings equations to the [Household, Income and Labour Dynamics of Australia] HILDA [survey] data and find that part-time casual employees earn only a modest premium over permanent full-time employees. When the loadings, which casuals are paid, are taken into account, I find that part-time casual employees are actually penalised by virtue of working as casuals. I conclude that casual jobs are inferior jobs, irrespective of the satisfaction levels of their incumbents.

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This article focuses on the associations between on-the-job training and new information technology, innovation introduced in the workplace, and competition experienced by the workplace. The study uses Statistics Canada's 2001 Workplace and Employee Survey, a Canada-wide survey of employers and employees. Only about a third of Canadian workers receive on-the-job training. Multivariate results show that innovation introduced in the workplace is significantly associated with providing on-the-job training. To a lesser extent, implementing new information technology and experiencing competition are also positively associated with on-the-job training. Economic growth and prosperity as well as inclusion and equality can be achieved by providing opportunities for workers to learn and develop their skills and abilities. We recommend governments to support workplaces and workers in their initiatives for the broader-focused on-the-job training since it is a social good that will benefit the society as well as the workers and their workplaces.

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It is widely assumed that non-standard employment arrangements, and especially casual employment, involve employment conditions that are inferior to more traditional employment arrangements. This paper uses data from the first wave of the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey to examine this issue. These data suggest that workers do not necessarily see non-standard employment as undesirable. First, workers on fixed-term contracts are more satisfied with their jobs than other workers. Second, the lower levels of job satisfaction among casual employees are restricted to those working full-time and even then the size of the effect is only marked among male employees.

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A related article is indexed at TD/TNC 84.213. Show less

This article uses national-level data to examine the benefits for workers of better skill utilisation and the question of how opportunities to use skills in the workplace can be enhanced. Analysis of the New Zealand data in the 2005 and 2015 rounds of the International Social Survey Programme confirms that better skill utilisation is generally associated with a broad range of beneficial outcomes, including higher employee income, better opportunities for career advancement, higher job satisfaction, greater organisational commitment and lower turnover intentions. In addition, skill utilisation serves as a significant mediator between work autonomy and employee outcomes, particularly in the 2015 survey. As a general rule, better utilisation of employee skills will occur in organisational climates in which employee autonomy is encouraged.

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