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Employment and Social Developments in Europe 2014
Laeken Indicators of Job Quality The Laeken indicators represent a sys- Index( )( ). To illustrate the complex-
103 104
tem of indicators with no aggregation ity, the index of intrinsic job quality, for
The Laeken indicators of job quality between the different dimensions. While example, is composed of a whole set of
include 10 dimensions, categorised into this does not require any pre-judgement indicators measuring skills and discretion;
two themes: characteristics of the job/ on the relative importance of the differ- good social environment; good physical
105
worker (e.g. skills, working conditions, ent attributes, each observer may use environment; and work intensity ( ).
reconciliation between working and non- their own subjective system of weighing,
working life, health and safety at work, job emphasising the features they consider An advantage of the EWCS is that it
satisfaction) and the wider socioeconomic most important. is well documented and harmonised.
and labour market context (e.g. employ- The same questionnaire is used in all
ment rates, growth in aggregate labour Several other organisations, such as Euro - countries, which allows cross-country
98
demand)( ). found, OECD, ILO and UNECE, have also comparisons. However, because of
made efforts to assess and quantify the important changes in the questionnaire,
The Laeken indicators constitute the big- quality of work as reviewed in the follow- comparisons over time are possible only
gest attempt at that time to construct an ing paragraphs. for a core of key questions which were
EU system of job quality indicators. Nev- retained unchanged since 1991.
ertheless, there have been some critiques. Eurofound: Quality of Work
For example, both the European Com- and Employment One issue with the EWCS is its periodic-
mission (2008) and the European Parlia- ity: it is conducted every five years. Also
ment (2009) recognise that this set of The European Foundation for the worth mentioning is the sample size,
indicators covers economy-wide areas not Improvement of Living and Working Con- which does not allow for too many lev-
directly related to job quality while lacking ditions, Eurofound, has been working on els of breakdowns. Nevertheless, gender
very relevant indicators such as wages, the measurement of the concept since mainstreaming has been an important
work intensity and some more qualitative 1991 in the European Working Conditions concern for recent reviews of the ques-
99
aspects of human capital formation ( ). Surveys (EWCS). The questionnaire covers tionnaire, and the most recent addition
all major areas of job quality identified in allows for breakdowns by age, gender
Another issue is the inclusion of gaps the social sciences literature. and occupation.
(gender and age gaps). The European Par -
liament (2009) considers that in order to The survey is carried out every five years The EWCS has also been used as a basis
reflect differences in job quality for spe- (1991, 1995, 2000, 2005, 2010). The for development of other job quality indi-
cific groups, the way to do this is to com- scope of the questionnaire as well as the ces/systems of indicators by other organi -
pute the variables of job quality for each country coverage has widened substan- sations, for example, the EMCO indicators
101
of the subgroups and then compare the tially since the first edition ( ). list or the European Trade Union Institute
overall results between them ( ). Job quality index (see below).
100
The Eurofound’s concept of work and
employment quality (see Eurofound,
( ) The EU defined several specific indicators
98
for evaluating each dimension, except in the 2002) has four main dimensions: career ( ) Regarding the methodology of composing
103
case of social dialogue where no agreement and employment security, health and the indices, based on statistical correlations
was reached. The 10 dimensions of job similar items were identified and normalised,
quality are: intrinsic job quality; skills, well-being, skills development, reconcili- and then grouped in a summative index.
life-long learning and career development; ation of working and non-working life. When multiple indices are aggregated
gender equality; health and safety together they were accorded equal weights,
at work; flexibility and security; work except where it was found that the indices
organisation and the work-life balance; Historically, the EWCS has not come up had considerably different associations
inclusion and access to the labour market; with subjective well-being. The weighting
social dialogue and worker involvement; with an index of job quality, but rather assumptions are accompanied by a sensitivity
diversity and non-discrimination; overall with a ‘system’ of indicators on job qual- analysis. More methodological details are
work performance. All available sources at th 102 available in Chapter 2 of Eurofound (2012b).
EU level were used (e.g. LFS, ECHS, etc.). For ity. In a study based on the 5 EWCS( ), ( ) Eurofound discusses the pros and cons of
104
more details, see http://ec.europa.eu/social/ Eurofound presented, however, four com - producing a single job quality index. This might
BlobServlet?docId=2134&langId=en and be justified from a rather pure theoretical
European Commission (2008). posite indices of job quality: an Earnings perspective, whereby it is assumed to be a utility
99
( ) According to the EP, a good job quality index index, a Working Time Index, a Career Pros - associated with each job, i.e. the index is seen as
should not include any information that pects Index, and an Intrinsic Job Quality measuring that utility. One feature that makes
does not relate directly to the well-being of a single index very appealing is its tractability,
workers because it tends to skew the results. ease of presentation, and ease of cross-
The European Parliament refers to several country comparisons. However, this argument
such dimensions in the Laeken Indicators is firstly not very persuasive since job quality,
such as access to the labour market, as discussed above, is a multi-faceted concept.
overall performance and productivity and Secondly, it risks being interpreted differently
variables measuring the quantity of jobs. by different users. For example, economists
While important because it gives the general will tend to think about wages, social scientists
context, according to the EP this type of about non-wage aspects, etc. Last but not least,
information can form part of another index to compute such an index would require very
on the socioeconomic context, for example. strong assumptions about how individuals trade
100
( ) In fact, this problem stems from the fact off job quality features against each other. The
that the indicators are measured only choice of four indices presented by Eurofound
at the aggregate level, and to deal with is something of a middle solution: they are
distributional aspects some indicators are 101 th smaller in number and allow country rankings
measured as gaps. This problem is overcome ( ) The latest, 5 EWCS is available at: in a meaningful way; yet, they sufficiently well
in the EWCS, which will be reviewed next, http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/surveys/ portray the different aspects of job quality
which allows to compute the various ewcs/2010/. For more details about without mixing them up.
105
dimensions separately for men and women the different extensions by waves, see ( ) Table 1 in Eurofound (2012b), p. 20, gives
(alternatively allows for breakdowns by age, Eurofound (2010), p. 141. a brief description of the content of each index
102
occupation). ( ) Eurofound (2012b) and survey questions on which it is based.
172
Laeken Indicators of Job Quality The Laeken indicators represent a sys- Index( )( ). To illustrate the complex-
103 104
tem of indicators with no aggregation ity, the index of intrinsic job quality, for
The Laeken indicators of job quality between the different dimensions. While example, is composed of a whole set of
include 10 dimensions, categorised into this does not require any pre-judgement indicators measuring skills and discretion;
two themes: characteristics of the job/ on the relative importance of the differ- good social environment; good physical
105
worker (e.g. skills, working conditions, ent attributes, each observer may use environment; and work intensity ( ).
reconciliation between working and non- their own subjective system of weighing,
working life, health and safety at work, job emphasising the features they consider An advantage of the EWCS is that it
satisfaction) and the wider socioeconomic most important. is well documented and harmonised.
and labour market context (e.g. employ- The same questionnaire is used in all
ment rates, growth in aggregate labour Several other organisations, such as Euro - countries, which allows cross-country
98
demand)( ). found, OECD, ILO and UNECE, have also comparisons. However, because of
made efforts to assess and quantify the important changes in the questionnaire,
The Laeken indicators constitute the big- quality of work as reviewed in the follow- comparisons over time are possible only
gest attempt at that time to construct an ing paragraphs. for a core of key questions which were
EU system of job quality indicators. Nev- retained unchanged since 1991.
ertheless, there have been some critiques. Eurofound: Quality of Work
For example, both the European Com- and Employment One issue with the EWCS is its periodic-
mission (2008) and the European Parlia- ity: it is conducted every five years. Also
ment (2009) recognise that this set of The European Foundation for the worth mentioning is the sample size,
indicators covers economy-wide areas not Improvement of Living and Working Con- which does not allow for too many lev-
directly related to job quality while lacking ditions, Eurofound, has been working on els of breakdowns. Nevertheless, gender
very relevant indicators such as wages, the measurement of the concept since mainstreaming has been an important
work intensity and some more qualitative 1991 in the European Working Conditions concern for recent reviews of the ques-
99
aspects of human capital formation ( ). Surveys (EWCS). The questionnaire covers tionnaire, and the most recent addition
all major areas of job quality identified in allows for breakdowns by age, gender
Another issue is the inclusion of gaps the social sciences literature. and occupation.
(gender and age gaps). The European Par -
liament (2009) considers that in order to The survey is carried out every five years The EWCS has also been used as a basis
reflect differences in job quality for spe- (1991, 1995, 2000, 2005, 2010). The for development of other job quality indi-
cific groups, the way to do this is to com- scope of the questionnaire as well as the ces/systems of indicators by other organi -
pute the variables of job quality for each country coverage has widened substan- sations, for example, the EMCO indicators
101
of the subgroups and then compare the tially since the first edition ( ). list or the European Trade Union Institute
overall results between them ( ). Job quality index (see below).
100
The Eurofound’s concept of work and
employment quality (see Eurofound,
( ) The EU defined several specific indicators
98
for evaluating each dimension, except in the 2002) has four main dimensions: career ( ) Regarding the methodology of composing
103
case of social dialogue where no agreement and employment security, health and the indices, based on statistical correlations
was reached. The 10 dimensions of job similar items were identified and normalised,
quality are: intrinsic job quality; skills, well-being, skills development, reconcili- and then grouped in a summative index.
life-long learning and career development; ation of working and non-working life. When multiple indices are aggregated
gender equality; health and safety together they were accorded equal weights,
at work; flexibility and security; work except where it was found that the indices
organisation and the work-life balance; Historically, the EWCS has not come up had considerably different associations
inclusion and access to the labour market; with subjective well-being. The weighting
social dialogue and worker involvement; with an index of job quality, but rather assumptions are accompanied by a sensitivity
diversity and non-discrimination; overall with a ‘system’ of indicators on job qual- analysis. More methodological details are
work performance. All available sources at th 102 available in Chapter 2 of Eurofound (2012b).
EU level were used (e.g. LFS, ECHS, etc.). For ity. In a study based on the 5 EWCS( ), ( ) Eurofound discusses the pros and cons of
104
more details, see http://ec.europa.eu/social/ Eurofound presented, however, four com - producing a single job quality index. This might
BlobServlet?docId=2134&langId=en and be justified from a rather pure theoretical
European Commission (2008). posite indices of job quality: an Earnings perspective, whereby it is assumed to be a utility
99
( ) According to the EP, a good job quality index index, a Working Time Index, a Career Pros - associated with each job, i.e. the index is seen as
should not include any information that pects Index, and an Intrinsic Job Quality measuring that utility. One feature that makes
does not relate directly to the well-being of a single index very appealing is its tractability,
workers because it tends to skew the results. ease of presentation, and ease of cross-
The European Parliament refers to several country comparisons. However, this argument
such dimensions in the Laeken Indicators is firstly not very persuasive since job quality,
such as access to the labour market, as discussed above, is a multi-faceted concept.
overall performance and productivity and Secondly, it risks being interpreted differently
variables measuring the quantity of jobs. by different users. For example, economists
While important because it gives the general will tend to think about wages, social scientists
context, according to the EP this type of about non-wage aspects, etc. Last but not least,
information can form part of another index to compute such an index would require very
on the socioeconomic context, for example. strong assumptions about how individuals trade
100
( ) In fact, this problem stems from the fact off job quality features against each other. The
that the indicators are measured only choice of four indices presented by Eurofound
at the aggregate level, and to deal with is something of a middle solution: they are
distributional aspects some indicators are 101 th smaller in number and allow country rankings
measured as gaps. This problem is overcome ( ) The latest, 5 EWCS is available at: in a meaningful way; yet, they sufficiently well
in the EWCS, which will be reviewed next, http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/surveys/ portray the different aspects of job quality
which allows to compute the various ewcs/2010/. For more details about without mixing them up.
105
dimensions separately for men and women the different extensions by waves, see ( ) Table 1 in Eurofound (2012b), p. 20, gives
(alternatively allows for breakdowns by age, Eurofound (2010), p. 141. a brief description of the content of each index
102
occupation). ( ) Eurofound (2012b) and survey questions on which it is based.
172
