Job Security Across Europe

Predictors of Subjective Job Security in Northern, Southern, and Central European Countries

Abstract

According to OECD statistics the unemployment rate in 2011 varied across Europe 10–20 per cent. At that time, European Social Survey Round 5 data was collected which showed that job security was highest in northern country cluster, moderate in southern country cluster, and lowest in the Visegrad country cluster. Our first research question addressed whether general, aggregated social indicators (unemployment and employment rate, and social expenditure) determine perceived job security in the three country clusters. The overall sample was comprised of three southern countries, four Visegrad countries, and four northern countries and consisted of people aged 20-60 who reported to be in paid work and working more than 30 hours a week. The main aim of the current paper was to examine the predictors of job security in the context of all three country clusters. Results indicated that the proposed model of job security predictors showed the best fit for the southern country cluster, explaining over 30 per cent of the variance of perceived job security (background characteristics explained there most of the variance there). Variation in the explanatory power of the job security variable in the northern country cluster was mainly explained by both job and organizational characteristics, while in the Visegrad country cluster it was mainly explained by job characteristics. The paper is a contribution to the discussion about job security in the current period of recession in Europe.