The Unequal Distribution of Job Insecurity, 1966-86

Abstract

In the first half of this paper the evidence concerning the costs of job insecurity is presented. There is now sufficient good research data to conclude that job insecurity is damaging to psychological health, marriages and employee motivation, and contributes to 'cycles of disadvantage'. In the second half of this paper, flows out of secure and insecure jobs are analysed using a work-histories dataset. Not only is it the case that flows from secure to insecure jobs were more common in the 1980s than in the 1970s and 1960s, but it is also apparent that the risk of a transition from a secure job into an insecure job is much greater for those in less advantaged jobs. The negative consequences of this further polarisation of the UK labour market are discussed.