Multiple jobholding in Europe: features and effects of primary job quality

Abstract

This article investigates the relationship between job quality features of the primary job and the propensity to engage in multiple paid activities. The analysis covers workers from 28 European countries using data from the EWCS (European Working Conditions Survey) 2010-2015. The results show that workers experiencing economic and job insecurity in their primary job are more likely to engage in additional paid employment. Multiple jobholders (MJHs) report higher work pressure and more unsocial hours in their main jobs, but also more control over and flexibility in working hours, more autonomy and a wider scope for exercising skills, the latter largely explained by compositional factors. Moreover, the evidence shows that experiences of work diverge among multiple jobholders, and they can be classified into six clusters based on the quality of their primary job. This points to a variety of motivations and factors that encourage multiple jobholding. Finally, we find a considerable cross-country variation in job quality among multiple jobholders, with worse outcomes in more segmented labour markets with a higher proportion of non-standard employment.