Labour market discrimination against former juvenile delinquents: evidence from a field experiment

In view of policy action to integrate ex-offenders into society, it is important to identify the underlying mechanisms of the negative relationship between criminal record on the one hand and later employment and earnings on the other hand. In this study, we identify hiring discrimination against former juvenile delinquents in a direct way. To this end, we conduct a field experiment in the Belgian labour market. We find that labour market discrimination is indeed a major barrier in the transition to work for former juvenile delinquents. Labour market entrants disclosing a history of juvenile delinquency get about 22 percent less callback compared to their counterparts without a criminal record. This discrimination is heterogeneous by the occupation for which one applies

Is Temporary Employment a Stepping Stone for Unemployed School Leavers?

Many school-leavers enter the labour market via temporary employment. In this paper we investigate the impact of a temporary employment spell at the start of the career on the transition rate into permanent employment. We compare the case of temporary employment to the hypothetical case of a direct transition from unemployment to permanent employment. In order to control for selective participation in temporary employment we include a large set of explanatory variables which have been especially collected to study school-leavers. We apply the AIC-information criterion to select the appropriate specification for unobserved heterogeneity. Based on the information criteria we conclude that given our data, there is no support for a model with selection in unobserved characteristics. Simulation exercises provide insights into the development of the effect of temporary employment over time. For a sample of unemployed Flemish school-leavers we find that in the short run temporary employment delays the school leaver's transition to permanent employment. However, in the long run temporary employment acts as a stepping stone and decreases the duration until permanent employment. --temporary employment,school leavers,labour market policy

Is temporary employment a stepping stone for unemployed school leavers?

Many school-leavers enter the labour market via temporary employment. In this paper we investigate the impact of a temporary employment spell at the start of the career on the transition rate into permanent employment. We compare the case of temporary employment to the hypothetical case of a direct transition from unemployment to permanent employment. In order to control for selective participation in temporary employment we include a large set of explanatory variables which have been especially collected to study school-leavers. We apply the AIC-information criterion to select the appropriate specification for unobserved heterogeneity. Based on the information criteria we conclude that given our data, there is no support for a model with selection in unobserved characteristics. Simulation exercises provide insights into the development of the effect of temporary employment over time. For a sample of unemployed Flemish school-leavers we find that in the short run temporary employment delays the school leaver’s transition to permanent employment. However, in the long run temporary employment acts as a stepping stone and decreases the duration until permanent employment

Overeducation and job satisfaction: the role of job demands and control

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to investigate how job demands and control contribute to the relationship between overeducation and job satisfaction. Design/methodology/approach - The analysis is based on data for Belgian young workers up to the age of 26. The authors execute regression analyses, with autonomy, quantitative demands and job satisfaction as dependent variables. The authors account for unobserved individual heterogeneity by means of panel-data techniques. Findings - The results reveal a significant role of demands and control for the relationship between overeducation and job satisfaction. At career start, overeducated workers have less control than adequately educated individuals with similar skills levels, but more control than adequately educated employees doing similar work. Moreover, their control increases faster over the career than that of adequately educated workers with a similar educational background. Finally, demands have less adverse effects on satisfaction for high-skilled workers, irrespective of their match, while control moderates the negative satisfaction effect of overeducation. Research limitations/implications - Future research should look beyond the early career and focus on other potential compensation mechanisms for overeducation. Also the role of underlying mechanisms, such as job crafting, deserves more attention. Practical implications - The results suggest that providing more autonomy is an effective strategy to avoid job dissatisfaction among overeducated workers. Originality/value - The study connects two areas of research, namely, that on overeducation and its consequences and that on the role of job demands and control for workers' well-being. The results contribute to a better understanding why overeducation persists. Moreover, they are consistent with the hypothesis that employers hire overeducated workers because they require less monitoring and are more able to cope with demands, although more direct evidence on this is needed

Wie niet mooi is moet betrouwbaar zijn

Uit experimenteel onderzoek blijkt dat zowel aantrekkelijkheid als persoonlijkheidskenmerken succes op de arbeidsmarkt bepalen. Bovendien gelden ze als substituten voor elkaar: gepercipieerde betrouwbaarheid heeft een grotere impact op de kansen dat minder aantrekkelijke kandidaten aangenomen worden. Het is aan de overheid om enerzijds werkzoekenden hiervan bewust te maken en anderzijds eventuele discriminatie door werkgevers terug te dringen

Does loneliness lurk in temp work? Exploring the associations between temporary employment, loneliness at work and job satisfaction

This research contributes to the limited literature concerning the determinants of loneliness at work, as well as to the literature on psychological outcomes associated with temporary work. More specifically, we are adding to the literature by exploring whether there is an association between working temporarily and loneliness at work and whether loneliness at work partly explains the association between working temporarily and job satisfaction. To this end, we analyse—by means of a mediation model—a unique sample of Flemish employees in the private sector. We find that employees with a temporary contract experience more loneliness at work as opposed to employees with a permanent contract. In addition, we discover that loneliness at work mediates the association between working temporarily and job satisfaction

Praktijkboek: bronnen zoeken, vinden en verwerken online/offline

Waar en hoe vind je relevant bronnenmateriaal? Hoe selecteer je de gevonden informatie? Hoe verwerk je deze informatie juist en gestructureerd? Hoe verwijs je correct naar de gebruikte bronnen? Hoe vermijd je plagiaat? Het internet leidt tot een wereldwijde informatietsunami. Wie onvoldoende voorbereid is, zal vroeg of laat verdrinken. Precies daarom is de verzameling, beoordeling en verwerking van informatie vandaag als competentie belangrijker dan ooit. Bronnen zoeken, vinden en verwerken online/offline is dé wegwijzer voor het schrijven van een goede wetenschappelijke paper, of een bachelor- of masterproef in een economische studierichting. Het centrale tienstappenplan is de leidraad bij het zoeken, lezen, beoordelen en verwerken van bronnen en informatie. Ga aan de slag met de oefeningen en opdrachten (incl. voorbeeldoplossingen) om je onderzoekscompetenties aan te scherpen. Zo leer je zoekstrategieën gebruiken, en informatie kritisch verwerken en presenteren