Low-Wage Work in the Netherlands (RSF's Project on Low-Wage Work in Europe and the US)

The Dutch economy has often been heralded for accomplishing solid employment growth within a generous welfare system. In recent years, the Netherlands has seen a rise in low-wage work and has maintained one of the lowest unemployment rates in the European Union. Low-Wage Work in the Netherlands narrows in on the causes and consequences of this new development. The authors find that the increase in low-wage work can be partly attributed to a steep rise in the number of part-time jobs and non-standard work contracts―46 percent of Dutch workers hold part-time jobs. The decline in full-time work has challenged historically powerful Dutch unions and has led to a slow but steady dismantling of many social insurance programs from 1979 onward. At the same time, there are hopeful lessons to be gleaned from the Dutch model: low-wage workers benefit from a well-developed system of income transfers, and many move on to higher paying jobs. Low-Wage Work in the Netherlands paints a nuanced picture of the Dutch economy by analyzing institutions that both support and challenge its low-wage workforce. A Volume in the Russell Sage Foundation Case Studies of Job Quality in Advanced Economies The Dutch Story / Robert Solow -- The Debate In The Netherlands On Low Pay / Wiemer Salverda, Maarten Van Klaveren, And Marc Van Der Meer -- Low-wage Work And The Economy / Wiemer Salverda -- Labor Market Institutions, Low-wage Work, And Job Quality / Wiemer Salverda -- The Position, Design, And Methodology Of The Industry Studies / Maarten Van Klaveren -- The Retail Industry : The Contrast Of Supermarkets And Consumer Electronics / Maarten Van Klaveren -- Hotels : Industry Restructuring And Room Attendants' Jobs / Ria Hermanussen -- Health Care : Integrated Quality Care Sheltered From Cost Control? / Marc Van Der Meer -- Call Center Employment : Diverging Jobs And Wages / Maarten Van Klaveren And Wim Sprenger -- The Food Industry : Meat Processing And Confectionary / Arjen Van Halem -- Labor Market Institutions And Firm Strategies That Matter For The Low-paid / Wiemer Salverda ... [et Al.]. Wiemer Salverda, Maarten Van Klaveren, And Marc Van Der Meer, Editors. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Mode Of Access: World Wide Web. Examines the extent of low paid jobs in call centres, food processing, hospitals, hotels, and retail outlets, partly over the period 1980-2005. Reflects on the role of labour market institutions with respect to part-time working and non-standard work contracts Title Page, Copyright Contents About the Authors Acknowledgments Introduction: The Dutch Story Chapter 2: Low-Wage Work and the Economy Index