The social configuration of labour market divides: An analysis of Germany, Belgium and Italy

Abstract

We analyse insecurity-based dividing lines and their social configurations in the German, Belgian and Italian labour markets in 2015, using latent class analysis applied to EU Labour Force Survey data. In contrast to the dual vision of ‘insider-outsider’ approaches, our findings illustrate the existence of five distinctive labour market groups or segments across countries with similar social configurations. We explain this through the social embeddedness of national regulatory systems which generate different degrees of inclusiveness for different groups of workers. This adds to ongoing debates on connecting micro- and macro-levels of analysis, as labour market segmentation as a macro-phenomenon is studied based on its micro-foundations (terms and conditions of employment relationships). We use the interlinkages between national regulatory systems and social categories to explain the findings.