The Quality of Temporary Jobs: Insights from the Survey of Working Life

Abstract

This paper discusses some of the insights that can be gained from the Survey of Working Life (2008) on the main features of temporary employment, the reasons that are given for working in a temporary job, and the pay and conditions of temporary employees. In the March 2008 quarter 9.4 percent of employees were working in temporary jobs. Most of the older adults and more than half of the young adults who were employed on a temporary basis indicated that they preferred temporary work, while prime­aged adults were roughly equally divided between preferring temporary work and wanting a permanent job. There were substantial differences between temporary and permanent employees in the job quality indicators considered, but also substantial differences among the four main types of temporary worker (casual, fixed­term, temporary employment agency and seasonal).