EPSU – young workers and precarious EPSU – young workers and precarious workwork

Nick ClarkNick ClarkWorking Live Research InstituteWorking Live Research Institute

June 2012June 2012

Main themesMain themes

3 Key sectors:3 Key sectors: Energy & waterEnergy & water Public administration, defence, social securityPublic administration, defence, social security Health & social careHealth & social care

16-24 year olds16-24 year olds EmploymentEmployment PrecarityPrecarity Collective bargainingCollective bargaining Training, progression & careersTraining, progression & careers

EU 27 and selected countriesEU 27 and selected countries

BulgariaBulgaria Czech RepublicCzech Republic FranceFrance GermanyGermany GreeceGreece ItalyItaly NetherlandsNetherlands SpainSpain UKUK

Youth in the European labour Youth in the European labour marketmarket

High level of unemploymentHigh level of unemployment (21% compared to (21% compared to 10%, ranging from 8% Austria to 46% Spain)10%, ranging from 8% Austria to 46% Spain)

Low activity rate Low activity rate (50-60%, compared to 70%+)(50-60%, compared to 70%+)

Increasing participation in tertiary educationIncreasing participation in tertiary education In work, more likely toIn work, more likely to

Have temporary contract (4 times more likely)Have temporary contract (4 times more likely) Work part-time involuntarilyWork part-time involuntarily Be low paidBe low paid

Less likely to Less likely to Be self-employedBe self-employed

Hit hard during the crisisHit hard during the crisis

Youth unemployment rates, EU-27 and Youth unemployment rates, EU-27 and EA-17, seasonally adjusted, January 2000 EA-17, seasonally adjusted, January 2000 - April 2012- April 2012

Ratio of youth to adult unemployment Ratio of youth to adult unemployment rates 1987-2010, EUrates 1987-2010, EU

Change in youth unemployment rates 2007-Change in youth unemployment rates 2007-2010 (EU 27)2010 (EU 27)

Part time as % of all workers, Part time as % of all workers, 15-24 yrs 15-24 yrs

Proportion 16-24 year olds with temporary contract (Eurostat Q2 2010)

Change in temporary employmentChange in temporary employment

Activity status young peopleActivity status young peopleEU 27, 2008 EU 27, 2008 ((from EMCO report no 5 ,2010)from EMCO report no 5 ,2010)

Policy context in EuropePolicy context in Europe

Youth on the Move – Youth on the Move – Commission’s 2010 initiative, primarily aimed Commission’s 2010 initiative, primarily aimed at improving educational levels, but also to launch “Youth at improving educational levels, but also to launch “Youth employment framework”employment framework”

Interventions to support young workers in OECD countries report Interventions to support young workers in OECD countries report (World Bank 2007) found direct employment strategies in US and (World Bank 2007) found direct employment strategies in US and Canada, but not EuropeCanada, but not Europe

European Employment Observatory Review, Youth employment European Employment Observatory Review, Youth employment measures, 2010 (published Feb 2011) – no policy initiatives measures, 2010 (published Feb 2011) – no policy initiatives reported relating to state as employerreported relating to state as employer

Eurofound study (2011) finds active labour market strategies Eurofound study (2011) finds active labour market strategies common government response (sometimes contested by unions), common government response (sometimes contested by unions), but again no mention of public sector’s role as employerbut again no mention of public sector’s role as employer

““Overall, governments’ policies towards young workers have tended to emphasise the Overall, governments’ policies towards young workers have tended to emphasise the importance of getting young people into work, no matter the quality of the jobs available.”importance of getting young people into work, no matter the quality of the jobs available.”

YOUNG WORKERS & PUBLIC YOUNG WORKERS & PUBLIC SERVICESSERVICES

Youth employment by sector Q2 Youth employment by sector Q2 2011 (EU-27)2011 (EU-27) (Q4 in brackets) (Q4 in brackets)

All industries and services

Electricity, gas Water, waste

Pubic admin-istration, defence, social security

Health, social work

EU (27) 9.1 (10.0) 6.2 (6.2) 5.4 (4.9) 4.8(4.7) 7.6(8.2)

Bulgaria 6.1 - - - -

Czech Rep 6.3 4.2 3.9 4.2 4.0

France 8.8 6.9 5.6 4.6 5.9

Germany 11.0 10.4 - 8.3 11.6

Greece 4.4 - - 2.6 2.9

Italy 5.1 4.0 2.9 1.5 2.5

Netherlands 15.5 - - 4.8 11.0

Sweden* 10.9 - - 3.7 8.4

Spain 5.7 4.9 - 3.1 4.9

UK 12.8 9.9 11.7 4.9 8.7

Youth employment by sector Q2 Youth employment by sector Q2 2011 (EU-27)2011 (EU-27) (Q4 in brackets) (Q4 in brackets)

All industries and services

Electricity, gas Water, waste

Pubic admin-istration, defence, social security

Health, social work

EU (27) 9.1 (10.0) 6.2 (6.2) 5.4 (4.9) 4.8(4.7) 7.6(8.2)

Bulgaria 6.1 - - - -

Czech Rep 6.3 4.2 3.9 4.2 4.0

France 8.8 6.9 5.6 4.6 5.9

Germany 11.0 10.4 - 8.3 11.6

Greece 4.4 - - 2.6 2.9

Italy 5.1 4.0 2.9 1.5 2.5

Netherlands 15.5 - - 4.8 11.0

Sweden* 10.9 - - 3.7 8.4

Spain 5.7 4.9 - 3.1 4.9

UK 12.8 9.9 11.7 4.9 8.7

Youth employment by sector Q2 Youth employment by sector Q2 2011 (EU-27)2011 (EU-27) (Q4 in brackets) (Q4 in brackets)

All industries and services

Electricity, gas Water, waste

Pubic admin-istration, defence, social security

Health, social work

EU (27) 9.1 (10.0) 6.2 (6.2) 5.4 (4.9) 4.8(4.7) 7.6(8.2)

Bulgaria 6.1 - - - -

Czech Rep 6.3 4.2 3.9 4.2 4.0

France 8.8 6.9 5.6 4.6 5.9

Germany 11.0 10.4 - 8.3 11.6

Greece 4.4 - - 2.6 2.9

Italy 5.1 4.0 2.9 1.5 2.5

Netherlands 15.5 - - 4.8 11.0

Sweden* 10.9 - - 3.7 8.4

Spain 5.7 4.9 - 3.1 4.9

UK 12.8 9.9 11.7 4.9 8.7

Ranked by proportion of youth in Ranked by proportion of youth in populationpopulation

EU states as employers of EU states as employers of youth youth

Sectoral change in employment by age Sectoral change in employment by age 2008-2010 in France 2008-2010 in France (Schulze-Marmeling, HERA on EIRO)(Schulze-Marmeling, HERA on EIRO)

Job security and age: French civil Job security and age: French civil service (2008)service (2008)

Youth as % all temps: health & social work Youth as % all temps: health & social work q1 2008-q2 2011, EU 27q1 2008-q2 2011, EU 27

Youth as % all temps: public admin, Youth as % all temps: public admin, defence, social sec.defence, social sec.q1 2008-q2 2011, EU 27q1 2008-q2 2011, EU 27

Youth as % all temps: water, wasteYouth as % all temps: water, wasteq1 2008-q2 2011, EU 27q1 2008-q2 2011, EU 27

Youth as % all temps: electricity, gas, etc.Youth as % all temps: electricity, gas, etc.q1 2008-q2 2011, EU 27q1 2008-q2 2011, EU 27

summary from datasummary from data

Unemployment becoming more widespread amongst Unemployment becoming more widespread amongst Europe’s young workersEurope’s young workers

Temporary contracts and involuntary part time working Temporary contracts and involuntary part time working more prevalent for young workersmore prevalent for young workers

Public services perform worse than economy as a whole Public services perform worse than economy as a whole in employing young workers – public administration in employing young workers – public administration universally the worstuniversally the worst

Young workers more affected by crisis – particularly in Young workers more affected by crisis – particularly in public servicespublic services

Interviews – key Interviews – key themesthemes

Forms of precarious work amongst young Forms of precarious work amongst young workers in target sectorsworkers in target sectors part-time, temporary or zero hours contracts in health part-time, temporary or zero hours contracts in health

& social care (Netherlands, Sweden, Germany)& social care (Netherlands, Sweden, Germany) collapse in permanent posts for young in public collapse in permanent posts for young in public

admin (Germany, Italy, Spain, UK, France, Greece)admin (Germany, Italy, Spain, UK, France, Greece) agency working in general not an issue, except in agency working in general not an issue, except in

France, some in UK.France, some in UK.

Social dialogue:Social dialogue: Recruitment of young workersRecruitment of young workers

national schemes – Swedennational schemes – Sweden UK healthUK health otherwise previous schemes halted under austerityotherwise previous schemes halted under austerity

Training for young workers Training for young workers few places in public admin, few places in public admin, professional training continues in health, professional training continues in health, apprenticeships in utilities apprenticeships in utilities

transition of young workers from precarious to more transition of young workers from precarious to more stable work stable work

Bargaining on payBargaining on pay Bulgaria, GermanyBulgaria, Germany

actions by unionsactions by unions

Reaching out to the young at school/collegeReaching out to the young at school/college Netherlands, Czech RepublicNetherlands, Czech Republic

Campaigning over “youth” issuesCampaigning over “youth” issues Italy, FranceItaly, France

Youth structuresYouth structures Sweden, Netherlands, France, Czech RepublicSweden, Netherlands, France, Czech Republic

Recruitment drivesRecruitment drives UK, BulgariaUK, Bulgaria

ConclusionsConclusions

few national labour market interventions aimed few national labour market interventions aimed at youth are expressed through public at youth are expressed through public employment (none exclusively so)employment (none exclusively so)

public services reluctant to employ young public services reluctant to employ young people, regardless of their qualificationspeople, regardless of their qualifications

even poor quality jobs for young people a rare even poor quality jobs for young people a rare commodity in parts of the public sectorcommodity in parts of the public sector

relatively little precarious working amongst relatively little precarious working amongst young workers in the public services – because young workers in the public services – because previous precarious work has resulted in them previous precarious work has resulted in them being largely eliminatedbeing largely eliminated

public utilities slightly better – capital intensivepublic utilities slightly better – capital intensive reduced prospect for permanent work in health reduced prospect for permanent work in health

workers’ chosen fieldworkers’ chosen field growth in social care drawing in young people growth in social care drawing in young people

on flexible contracts ( on flexible contracts ( e.g. e.g. part-time with no core part-time with no core hours)hours)

European public administration has become a European public administration has become a middle- to retirement-age occupation with middle- to retirement-age occupation with almost no access for the young, no matter how almost no access for the young, no matter how well qualifiedwell qualified

EPSU affiliates turning to young members (and EPSU affiliates turning to young members (and potential members) potential members)

Little evidence of young workers’ interests Little evidence of young workers’ interests featuring in collective bargaining, featuring in collective bargaining,

  May be at local levelMay be at local level

young workers more likely to be on low wages – young workers more likely to be on low wages – but does not keep them in work.but does not keep them in work.

the orthodoxy that money spent on public the orthodoxy that money spent on public services is money wasted is failing the young in services is money wasted is failing the young in particularparticular

EPSUEPSU

ESPU affiliates at early stages of refocusing ESPU affiliates at early stages of refocusing their work onto the needs of young workers. their work onto the needs of young workers.

Specific experiences of good practice need to Specific experiences of good practice need to be located and described in more detail.be located and described in more detail.

Austerity has led to public employment being Austerity has led to public employment being denied to the young –denied to the young – developing a distinct European trade union campaigndeveloping a distinct European trade union campaign ““youth guarantee” specifically for the public services.youth guarantee” specifically for the public services.

what else do we need to know?what else do we need to know?

Privatisation and outsourcingPrivatisation and outsourcing Employment plans to support jobs in public Employment plans to support jobs in public

servicesservices Local good practice, in particular in the Local good practice, in particular in the

public utilitiespublic utilities