Intensité du travail et mobilité professionnelle

Abstract

The issue analyses the links between pace constraints at work and changes in the occupational position. The literature suggests the following hypothesis : high intensity work would be linked with increased upward mobility for those of the workers who have enough resources to successfully cope with it, and with increased downward mobility for the others. The French Education, Training and Occupational Qualifi cation Survey (FQP) provides a fi ve years occupational timetable and retrospective data on working conditions. It allowed the authors to empirically test their hypothesis. They fi nd that pace constraints are associated with more frequent job changes and with a splitting of careers. Some biases may be caused by retrospective questions or by endogeneity : so it is necessary to be careful in interpreting this fi nding ; however, a detailed analysis suggests that these biases, if they exist, are not important enough to invalidate these conclusions.