Is Precariousness Equal for all Temporary Workers? Differences and Similarities between Social Classes

Abstract

The article places itself in the debate about whether non-standard paid work has spread to all the social classes in an equal fashion or if, on the contrary, professionals, managers and high-grade technicians have not found themselves subject in equal measure to the typical employment relations of manual workers. In order to seek into this issue, we analyze the likelihood of moving from a fixed-term contract to 1) a permanent contract, 2) unemployment, 3) inactivity, 4) being an employer or self-employed, or 5) continuing on a fixed-term contract. The data come from the Spanish Labour Force Survey between 2010 and 2013. The results indicate that there are some significant differences between the social classes and that, as such, temporary work is not equal for everybody. In particular, the risk of becoming unemployed is higher for those who work at the bottom of the structural ladder.