Premium
Wage differentials within a female‐dominated occupation: Domestic workers in informal and flexible jobs in Portugal
Author(s) -
SULEMAN Fátima,
FIGUEIREDO Maria da Conceição
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
international labour review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.433
H-Index - 46
eISSN - 1564-913X
pISSN - 0020-7780
DOI - 10.1111/ilr.12065
Subject(s) - formality , labour economics , wage , inequality , temporary work , economics , work (physics) , informal sector , care work , demographic economics , business , economic growth , political science , mechanical engineering , mathematical analysis , mathematics , law , engineering
The authors use an original cross‐sectional data set to examine the impact of informal and flexible contractual arrangements on the wages of domestic workers hired by private employers in Portugal. OLS estimations suggest that formality benefits workers, whether they have a stable or a flexible contract. However, social and labour market processes help to shape and maintain inequality, especially for migrant workers. Although skills are undervalued and do not generate rewards, higher wages are identified for workers who are engaged in contingent work, work for multiple employers or provide care for the elderly. However, such workers are still subject to exploitation and insecurity.