Work organization, gender and workforce transition to non-employment in OECD countries

Abstract

This paper examines the relationship between forms of work organisation and transition of the workforce to non-employment with a special focus on gender differences. It relies on a rich database merging micro data from the survey on adult skills (PIAAC, cycle 1) and macro-level information on 28 OECD countries to account for the interaction between structural heterogeneities and micro-level characteristics of the workplaces. Five forms of work organisation are identified based on the description given by employees of their activities in their job and characterising the way knowledge, learning and discretion are shaped at the workplace level: Discretionary learning, Constrained learning, Independent, Simple and Taylorist. Their relationship with transitions to non-employment, defined as the probability to change from employment to non-employment over a one-year period, is then assessed. This probability is interpreted as vulnerability to non-employment. The analysis reveals a significant influence of forms of work organisation for both men and women with the least vulnerable employees working in Discretionary learning forms when those in Taylorist settings are more at risk. Gender specific determinants also appear to be notable. On the individual level, educational pathways are very important for men, while for women family status, family responsibilities as well as occupation matter more. On the country level, economic growth and R&D performance reinforce the protective effect of some forms of work organisation for men highlighting the role of broader economic and institutional environments, while women are better off in countries where the opportunities for adult education are more widespread, showcasing the importance of continuous learning and skill development.