Analysis by UCD and the Nevin Institute of Economic Research concludes that just over a quarter of workers here are in what they consider to be safe, high-quality jobs.
However, the same proportion are often employed in so-called ‘precarious employment’, where wages are low and employment is highly unstable.
The research is based on data from the 2021 UCD Working in Ireland Survey (WIIS).
According to the report, most employees in high-quality jobs earn an annual net salary of between €40,000 and €60,000, usually with generous benefits.
Posts usually have some flexibility and training provisions, but working hours tend to be long, with 60% working more than 41 hours a week.
These positions are most likely to be held by men with a degree or higher qualification and are primarily found in the managerial, professional, technical, scientific, administrative, and foreign direct investment (FDI) sectors.
At the other end of the spectrum, low-quality jobs fall into two broad categories.
The first is “demanding, highly controlled, and insecure work” where workers face significant job insecurity, have low incomes, tend to work long and hard hours, and have low work-life flexibility. ” is explained.
The second cluster is considered “precarious and low-wage jobs” and is similarly characterized by insecurity and low pay, but with little training and little management support. The characteristic is that there is no
Between these two broad categories are the medium-quality jobs that employ about half of the workforce.
It consists of two groups. The first consists of “secure and reasonably well-conducted collectively bargained jobs” that provide secure, full-time, permanent employment.
These jobs generally offer good benefits, but salaries are below or at average income levels.
These are mostly unionized jobs in large companies in the public and private sectors.
The second “intermediate” cluster is classified as safe and relatively good jobs with strong employee-management relationships.
Such jobs are characterized by job security and average to low incomes, but in contrast lack union representation.
These jobs are usually found in foreign companies.
“The state can do more to improve the quality of jobs,” concludes the report’s authors, John Geary, professor at UCD’s School of Management, and Lisa Wilson, senior economist at the Nevin Institute of Economic Research. .
“There is the potential to establish a set of minimum standards across a range of work quality dimensions.More could also be done on paternity leave. will be alleviated.”
They acknowledge that these options will likely be difficult to implement, but there is precedent for a national minimum wage, for example, and steps towards achieving a living wage, sick pay and the upcoming code. claims. The right to request flexible working arrangements.
“Another approach is for the state to strengthen the role of sectoral collective bargaining between trade unions and employers,” the authors suggest.
“Good jobs increase the productive capacity of the economy. Poor jobs do not, and worse, have negative knock-on effects such as poor welfare and health, which, to put it clichéd, costs the state. ”, the researchers concluded. .