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Comparing Precarious Employment Across Countries: Measurement Invariance of the Employment Precariousness Scale for Europe (EPRES-E)

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  • Eva Padrosa

    (Research Group on Health Inequalities, Environment - Employment Conditions Network (GREDS-EMCONET), Universitat Pompeu Fabra
    Johns Hopkins University – Universitat Pompeu Fabra Public Policy Centre (JHU-UPF PPC))

  • Mireia Bolíbar

    (Research Group on Health Inequalities, Environment - Employment Conditions Network (GREDS-EMCONET), Universitat Pompeu Fabra
    Johns Hopkins University – Universitat Pompeu Fabra Public Policy Centre (JHU-UPF PPC)
    Universitat de Barcelona)

  • Mireia Julià

    (Research Group on Health Inequalities, Environment - Employment Conditions Network (GREDS-EMCONET), Universitat Pompeu Fabra
    Johns Hopkins University – Universitat Pompeu Fabra Public Policy Centre (JHU-UPF PPC))

  • Joan Benach

    (Research Group on Health Inequalities, Environment - Employment Conditions Network (GREDS-EMCONET), Universitat Pompeu Fabra
    Johns Hopkins University – Universitat Pompeu Fabra Public Policy Centre (JHU-UPF PPC)
    Transdisciplinary Research Group on Socioecological Transitions (GinTRANS), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid)

Abstract

Comparing precarious employment (PE) across countries is essential to deepen the understanding of the phenomenon and to learn from country-specific experiences. However, this is hampered by the lack of internationally meaningful measures of PE. We aim to address this point by assessing the measurement invariance (MI) of the Employment Precariousness Scale for Europe (EPRES-E), an adaptation of the EPRES construct in the European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS). EPRES-E consists of 13 proxy-indicators sorted into six dimensions: temporariness, disempowerment, vulnerability, wages, exercise of rights, unpredictable working times. Drawing on EWCS-2015, MI of the second-order factor model was tested in a sample of 31,340 formal employees by means of (a) multi-group confirmatory factor analyses, and (b) the substantive exploration of EPRES-E mean scores in each country. The results demonstrate that threshold invariance holds for the first-order structure (dimensions) of 22 countries (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK), but only metric invariance is attained by the second-order structure. The latter is supported by the exploration of mean scores, where we found that different score patterns in each dimension lead to similar overall EPRES-E scores, suggesting that PE is configured by different sources within the six dimensions in each country according to their broader socio-political trajectories. We conclude that, although EPRES-E can be used for comparative purposes in 22 European countries, the scores of each dimension must be reported alongside the overall EPRES-E score.

Suggested Citation

  • Eva Padrosa & Mireia Bolíbar & Mireia Julià & Joan Benach, 2021. "Comparing Precarious Employment Across Countries: Measurement Invariance of the Employment Precariousness Scale for Europe (EPRES-E)," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 154(3), pages 893-915, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:soinre:v:154:y:2021:i:3:d:10.1007_s11205-020-02539-w
    DOI: 10.1007/s11205-020-02539-w
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Pawel Mikolajczak, 2021. "What affects employment by NGOs? Counteraction to precarious employment in the Polish non-profit sector in the perspective of COVID-19 pandemic crises," Oeconomia Copernicana, Institute of Economic Research, vol. 12(3), pages 761-788, September.
    2. Anja Umicevic & Ana Arzensek & Valentina Franca, 2021. "Precarious Work and Mental Health among Young Adults: A Vicious Circle?," Managing Global Transitions, University of Primorska, Faculty of Management Koper, vol. 19(3 (Fall)), pages 227-247.

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