How to measure quality in job transitions? Audrey Levêque, Jean-François Orianne & François Pichault (University of Liège, Belgium)

Defining flexicurity Flexicurity remains a theoretical and “macro” level concept => make it more concrete and operational Flexicurity = a policy that encourages positive transitions (towards employment or a better job)

Defining flexicurity Flexicurity remains a theoretical and “macro” level concept => make it more concrete and operational Flexicurity = a policy that encourages positive and quality transitions in a given institutional context

Positive job transitions INPUT (no job/existing job)

Positive job transitions OUTPUT (job/better job) INPUT (no job/existing job)

Positive and quality job transitions Process: quality of transitions OUTPUT (job quality) INPUT (job quality)

Positive and quality job transitions Process: quality of transitions OUTPUT (job quality) INPUT (job quality) CONTEXT

How to measure positive and quality transitions ? => INDICATORS

Job quality: output indicators 2 main recent sources: Davoine, L. (2007) and Muñoz de Bustillo, R. et al. (dir.) (2009) Job quality dimensions = employment AND work Data collected at the individual level (european survey: LFS)

Quality of transitions: process indicators Characterize the process itself between T and T+n, i.e. between the input and the output of the transition, whatever this transition may be :

Five main fields of transitions Schmid, 1995

Quality of transitions: process indicators Most writers focuse on the output only Method: a focus group of key experts on the labour market in charge of exploring the transversal dimensions of quality in labour market transitions Data collected at the individual level

Quality of transitions: transversal dimensions Result of a personal choice If not, possibility of anticipating the transition Strong individual support = efficient, frequent, non-discriminating, coherent and decentralized accompanying actions Perception of security during the transition Possibility of acquiring new skills and experience

Quality of transitions  A set of new questions to integrate into LFS. For example: ”Were you provided with a regular follow-up during the transition?” “If your professional status has changed during the reference period, did you acquire new skills during this transition (knowledge, know-how, personal skills)?”

Institutional context In order to avoid meaningless international comparisons, it is important to refer indicators of job and transition quality to the specific institutional context in which the data were collected, i.e.: Lifelong learning Labour market Social protection Social dialogue Data gathered at meso and/or macro levels

CONCLUSION : transition quality table

Quality of job transitions Poor Process quality Job quality

Quality of job transitions -+ +Inefficient -Poor Process quality Job quality

Quality of job transitions -+ +Inefficient -PoorPainful Process quality Job quality

Quality of job transitions -+ +InefficientHigh -PoorPainful Process quality Job quality