Summaries
Cobbler, stick to your last? On the impact of field of study on type of job and the financial bonus of a good match
(H.G. van de Werfhorst!
This article analyses the effects of field-speci fic educational resources on finding a job that matches the acquired knowledge and skills, and whether a match is beneficial for one's wage. Four types of field-resources have been distinguished: cultural, economic, communi cative and technical field-resources. We assume that, first, people are often employed in jobs that match their type of resources. Second, be cause specialised knowledge and skills are hard to replace, employers are willing to pay high wages to employees whose field-resources match the type of job. Empirical analyses on two Dutch surveys (N=6322), show that peo ple are often employed in jobs that match their resources. Economic field-resources generate high wages, whereas cultural resources are de trimental. In three out of four branches, the appropriate field-resources generate the hig hest wages,- only cultural resources did not give a bonus in matching jobs.
Performance payments and the poldermodel (E.M. van Sas)
One of the essential elements of the so-called Dutch poldermodel is the policy line of central wage co-ordination with the opportunity for variation at a decentralised level. Paradoxically, this system of conditioned wage formation threatens the poldermodel. Until now a delica te balance exists between general socio-econo mic interests and firm-specific opportunities. However, within the framework of de-central variation performance payments are rapidly in troduced in collective labour agreements. One could imagine that due to performance pay
ments the firm-specific opportunities are going to outrun the general socio-economic interests. In this article it is analysed how per formance payments relate to the poldermodel. Computer use at the working place in The European Union: Determinants and effects (P.G.W. Smulders)
This study, based on data of a sample of 12.442 employed workers from all 15 EU-coun- tries, first shows that there are large differences in computer-use between the northern and the southern European countries. The Scandinavi an countries, Great Britain and the Nether lands are among the leaders in the field of computer-use. Computers are intensely used in the financial services (banking and insuran ces). On the other hand, low-use branches are: agriculture, construction, hotels and restau rants. In addition, computers are significantly more used in the public than in the private sec tor, more in larger than in smaller companies, more by white collar than by blue collar wor kers and more by higher educated than by lo wer educated workers. Surprisingly, there are no significant age- or sex-related differences in computer-use. With the help of ANOVA and lo gistic regression analyses, it could be determi ned that, computer-users, in comparison with non-users, work less in shifts, and during nights and weekends, work less on a tempora ry basis, are less exposed to physical and che mical strain, have more complex work and more control in their work, participate more in decision-making, and get more training, paid by their employer. Also, computer-using em ployees have a more secure job, less back ache, less muscular pains in arms or legs and are less tired than their non-computer-using collea gues. Two important disadvantages are related
Summaries
to computer-work, viz. a high level of time pressure and eye problems. In general, how ever, computer-workers in the EU belong to the workers in the better working and health con ditions.
Women from ethnic minorities on the labour market
(A. Merens)
The labour force participation by women from ethnic minorities in the Netherlands has risen substantially during the period 1994- 1998. In spite of this the participation of Tur kish and Moroccan women remains relatively low: roughly a fifth of them in fact have work. By contrast, about a half of the Surinamese, Antillean/Aruban and indigenous women have a job. Statistical analysis shows that edu cational level is the strongest determinant for the level of labour force participation of all five groups of women. The participation of Turkish, Moroccan and Antillean/Aruban women is also affected by migration background and househould situation. Women who have stayed only briefly in the Netherlands have a relatively poor chance of having work. With respect to household situation it shows that Turkish and Moroccan women who are married and have children, which is the case for most of these
women, work to a far lesser extent than those who are not (yet) married. Antillean/Aruban women who are at the head of a one-parent fa mily have relatively little chance of a job. Capital intensity and the job structure: An analysis on the sector level
(F. Koster, R.J.J. Wielers en P.H. van derMeer) The article analyzes the relationships between developments in capital intensity, labor pro ductivity, wage level, demand for educational credentials and changes in the job structure for economic sectors in the Netherlands between 1977 and 1991. It is found that the growth in these variables in absolute terms is highly cor related. Growth rates show a less clear picture, due to insignificant correlations between the growth rate of capital intensity and the other variables. These results imply that, although the relative positions of sectors do not change, the absolute differences in work conditions between sectors are increasing. Some sectors pay increasingly better wages, offer better work conditions and attract better qualified workers. Other sectors lag behind. Not being able to in crease labour productivity through an increase of capital intensity, employers in these sectors have to resort to relatively smaller wage increa ses and the increase of work pressure.
