Mireia Julià1,2, Francesc Belvis1,2, Alejandra Vives1,3,4,5, Gemma Tarafa1,2,6, Joan Benach1,2,6. 1. Health Inequalities Research Group, Employment Conditions Knowledge Network (GREDS-EMCONET), Department of Political and Social Science, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain. 2. Johns Hopkins University-Universitat Pompeu Fabra Public Policy Center, Barcelona, Spain. 3. Departamento de Salud Pública, Escuela de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago de Chile, Chile. 4. ACCDiS, FONDAP, Santiago de Chile, Chile. 5. CEDEUS, FONDAP, Santiago de Chile, Chile. 6. Transdisciplinary Research Group on Socioecological Transitions (GinTRANS2), Universidad Autónoma Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The aim of this study is to estimate the prevalence of informal workers and their working conditions and employment precariousness in the EU-27; and to explore the association of different contract arrangements with health outcomes and how they are influenced by working and employment conditions. METHODS: A sample of 27 245 working-age employees from the fifth European Working Condition Survey of 2010 was analysed. Logistic regression models were fitted to estimate the contribution of different contract arrangement (permanent, temporary and informal) and working and employment precariousness variables on health outcomes (psychosocial well-being and self-rated health). RESULTS: Prevalence of informal employees in the EU-27 is 4.1% among men and 5.1% among women. Although informal employees have the poorest working conditions and employment precariousness, they did not seem to reflect poorer health. Precariousness employment variables have a greater impact than working conditions variables in reducing the association between health outcomes and type of contract arrangement, especially in the case of informal employees. CONCLUSIONS: Informal employment in the EU-27 is characterized by worse working conditions and employment precariousness than the conditions for formal employees. There is no evidence at all that being in informal employment implies better health outcomes compared to permanent employees.
BACKGROUND: The aim of this study is to estimate the prevalence of informal workers and their working conditions and employment precariousness in the EU-27; and to explore the association of different contract arrangements with health outcomes and how they are influenced by working and employment conditions. METHODS: A sample of 27 245 working-age employees from the fifth European Working Condition Survey of 2010 was analysed. Logistic regression models were fitted to estimate the contribution of different contract arrangement (permanent, temporary and informal) and working and employment precariousness variables on health outcomes (psychosocial well-being and self-rated health). RESULTS: Prevalence of informal employees in the EU-27 is 4.1% among men and 5.1% among women. Although informal employees have the poorest working conditions and employment precariousness, they did not seem to reflect poorer health. Precariousness employment variables have a greater impact than working conditions variables in reducing the association between health outcomes and type of contract arrangement, especially in the case of informal employees. CONCLUSIONS: Informal employment in the EU-27 is characterized by worse working conditions and employment precariousness than the conditions for formal employees. There is no evidence at all that being in informal employment implies better health outcomes compared to permanent employees.
Keywords:
EU-27; employment conditions; health inequalities; informal employment; precarious employment; social determinants of health; working conditions