Face-to-Face Service Occupations in Europe

Face-to-face service occupations occupy an important part of the employment structure of post-industrial labor markets and this transformation raises alarms about inequality since employment in such occupations arguably depends on poor working conditions. This study examines trends in low-wage service employment across 19 European countries between 1992 and 2010 in order to get leverage on the conditions under which such jobs expand. The influence of structural economic and demographic changes is assessed in relation to political factors, such as the partisan shade of government and the influence of the social partners in the policy-making process. The generosity of welfare benefits and wages are also taken into account. The analysis finds that structural changes and low wages are strongly related to trends in employment. More heterogeneous effects are found for the influence of policy and political forces. Case studies are conducted to explore how policy and political factors condition the expansion of face-to-face services.