Feminization of Labour Market Outsiders: Empirical Study on Dualization Theory and Women’s Overrepresentation in Outsider Jobs

This paper draws from the Dualization Theory and aims to empirically examine women’s overrepresentation in the outsider jobs in contemporary Europe. Labour market inequality is one of the most important challenges post-industrial societies face. With growing polarization and increasing number of disadvantaged workers, scholars argue that we are now in the 'age of dualization’ (Emmenegger et al. 2012). Dualization Theory suggests that the labour market is divided into two parts, namely, the insiders verses outsiders. Outsiders are those who are disadvantaged along multiple lines, and women are more likely to be outsiders than others (Häusermann and Schwander 2012). Drawing from the literature, this study aims to answer the following question: To what extent are women overrepresented in the outsider jobs, and does it vary cross-nationally? Instead of using the definitions of outsiders widely used (outsiders being either unemployed or in non-standard employment) using Latent Class Analysis this study is able to empirically examine the division within the labour market. Then, this study examines women’s likelihood of being an outsider relative to men’s. The analysis is done using European Working Conditions Survey 2015 wave for analysing 28 European countries. Through this method, we are also able to see whether the division found is different across countries or gender lines. This study contributes to the knowledge of Dualization Theory by providing empirical evidence of the labour market division and women’s overrepresentation in the outsider jobs. It distinguishes from the previous studies by examining dualization patterns drawn from the data instead of pre-defining who outsiders are based on theories. Focusing on the employed, in addition to having a non-standard employment, this study considers income insecurity (Yoon and Chung 2016); involuntariness of non-standard jobs (Rueda 2014); subjective job insecurity (Chung 2016); and (bogus) self-employment. Lastly, this study contributes to understanding gender segregation in the labour market through the lens of Dualization Theory. This could prove structural barriers that exist within the labour market, which could either push women into the outsider jobs or disallow them to (re-)enter the insider jobs. References: Chung, H. (2016). Dualization and subjective employment insecurity: Explaining the subjective employment insecurity divide between permanent and temporary workers across 23 European countries. Economic and Industrial Democracy, 40(3), 700-729. Emmenegger, P., et al. (2012). How We Grow Unequal. In: Emmenegger, P., et al. ed. The Age of Dualization: The Changing Face of Inequality in Deindustrializing Societies. Oxford University Press, pp. 3-26. Häusermann, S. and Schwander, H. (2012). Varieties Of Dualization? Labor market segmentation and insider-outsider divides across regimes. In: Emmenegger, P., et al. ed. The Age of Dualization: The Changing Face of Inequality in Deindustrializing Societies. Oxford University Press, pp. 27-51. Rueda, D. (2014). Dualization, crisis and the welfare state. Socio-Economic Review, 12(2), 381-407. Yoon, Y. and Chung, H. (2016). New Forms of Dualization? Labour Market Segmentation Patterns in the UK from the Late 90s Until the Post-crisis in the Late 2000s. Social Indicators Research, 128(2), 609-631.