Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-l7hp2 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-24T13:02:04.189Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Casual Employment in Australia: Growth, Characteristics, a Bridge or a Trap?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2023

John Burgess  and
Iain Campbell
Iain Campbell
Affiliation:
Department of Economics, University of Newcastle and National Key Centre in Industrial Relations, Monash University.
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

About one in every four Australian employees is a casual. The casual share has doubled over the past decade and continues to expand. This paper catalogues the growth of casual employment and discusses the characteristics of casual jobs and of those in casual jobs. The key analytical issue discussed is whether casual employment is a transitional employment arrangement on the road towards permanent employment conditions. Alternatively, is it a trap which is associated with job insecurity, low earnings and spells outside of employment? Although the evidence is partial and circumstantial, casual employment is a bridge for some and a trap for others. In particular, for those who wish to beak out of unemployment, casual employment is unlikely to be a transitional point on the road to a permanent job. This finding has important implications for the design of labour market programs.

Type
Symposium on Dimensions of Precarious Employment
Information
The Economic and Labour Relations Review , Volume 9 , Issue 1 , June 1998 , pp. 31 - 54
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s) 1998

References

Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Catalogue References CitedGoogle Scholar
6203.0, The Labour Force. Australia. MonthlyGoogle Scholar
6247.1, Part-time Casual and Temporary Employment, NSW. IrregularGoogle Scholar
6286.0, Australia’s Employment and Unemployment Patterns, 1994–1996. IrregularGoogle Scholar
6310.0, Weekly Earnings of Employees, Australia. AnnualGoogle Scholar
6315.0, Award Coverage, Australia. DiscontinuedGoogle Scholar
6325.0, Trade Union Members, Australia. Annual (discontinued)Google Scholar
6325.0. 40.001, Trade Union Members, Australia. IrregularGoogle Scholar
6334.0, Employment Benefits, Australia. Annual (discontinued)Google Scholar
6341.0, Alternative Working Arrangements, Australia. AnnualGoogle Scholar
Australian Bureau of Statistics (1997) SEUPDATE. Nos. 2, 3, CanberraGoogle Scholar
Australian Bureau of Statistics (1998) Job Seekers Who Found Part-time Work: A Longitudinal Perspective. Survey of Employment and Unemployment Patterns, Working Paper 2/98, CanberraGoogle Scholar
Australian Centre for Industrial Relations Research and Teaching (ACIRRT, 1996) Agreements Database and Monitor (ADAM), JuneGoogle Scholar
Bennett, L (1994) Making Labour Law in Australia: Industrial Relations, Politics and Law, North Ryde, The Law Book CompanyGoogle Scholar
Biddle, D (1998) Labour Market Programs in Australia. Back to the Future Conference: Labour Market and Industrial Relations Policies of the Howard Government. University of NewcastleGoogle Scholar
Bieback, K.-J. (1992) ‘The Protection of Atypical Work in Australian and West German Labour Law’, Australian Journal of Labour Law 5, 1, 17–39Google Scholar
Bray, M (1991) Conclusions. In Bray, M., Taylor, V. (eds), The Other Side of Flexibility: Unions and Marginal Workers in Australia, ACIRRT Monograph no. 3, Sydney, ACIRRT, University of Sydney, 191–205Google Scholar
Brooks, A (1991) ‘Marginal Workers and the Law’ in Bray, M., Taylor, V. (eds), The Other Side of Flexibility: Unions and Marginal Workers in Australia, ACIRRT Monograph no. 3, Sydney, ACIRRT, University of Sydney, 44–74Google Scholar
Brosnan, P (1996) ‘Labour Markets and Social Deprivation’, Labour & Industry 72, 3–34CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brosnan, P., Campbell, I. (1995) Labour Market Deregulation in Australia: Towards New Forms of Workforce Division? Paper for the 17th Annual Meeting of the International Working Party on Labour Market Segmentation, Siena Italy JulyGoogle Scholar
Buchtemann, C., Quack, S. (1989) ‘Bridges or Traps? Non-standard Employment in the Federal Republic of Germany’, in Rodgers, G., Rodgers, J. (eds), Precarious jobs in labour market regulation: The growth of atypical employment in Western Europe, Geneva, IILS, 109–148Google Scholar
Budget Statements (1996) Statements 1–4, 1996/97 AGPS, CanberraGoogle Scholar
Burgess, J (1994a) ‘Restructuring the Australian Labour Force: From Full Employment to Where?’, Journal of Australian Political Economy 34, 103–127Google Scholar
Burgess, J (1994b) ‘Non-Standard and Precarious Employment: A Review of Australian Workforce Data’, Labour Economics and Productivity 6, 2, 118–129Google Scholar
Burgess, J., Mitchell, W., Watts, M. (1998) The Labour Market. In Kriesler, P. (ed) The Australian Economy: The Essential Guide 3. Macmillan, Melbourne (forthcoming)Google Scholar
Campbell, I (1993) ‘Labour Market Flexibility in Australia’, Labour & Industry 5, 3, 1–32Google Scholar
Campbell, I (1996a) ‘Casual Employment, Labour Regulation and Australian Trade Unions’, Journal of Industrial Relations 38, 4, 571–599Google Scholar
Campbell, I (1996b) ‘The Growth of Casual Employment in Australia: Towards an Explanation’, in Teicher, J. (ed), Non-Standard Employment in Australia and New Zealand, NKCIR Monograph no. 9, Melbourne, NKCIR, Monash University 43–107Google Scholar
Campbell, I (1998) Labour Restructuring and the Growth of Casual Employment in Australia, 1982–1996. Unpublished PhD thesis. University of MelbourneGoogle Scholar
Campbell, I., Burgess, J. (1997) Temporary Employment in the OECD: the Extreme Case of Australia. Conference of the International Working Party on Labour Market Segmentation, Porto, PortugalGoogle Scholar
Campbell, I., Mathews, J. (1998) ‘Research the Model of Standard Working Time in Australia: Theoretical Preliminaries’, in Harbridge, R., Gadd, C., Crawford, A. (eds) Current Research in Industrial Relations. Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, 477–485Google Scholar
Carter, S (1990) Casual Employment and Industrial Democracy, Canberra, AGPSGoogle Scholar
Creighton, B., Stewart, A. (1994) Labour Law: An Introduction, 2nd ed., Sydney, The Federation PressGoogle Scholar
Dawkins, P., Norris, K. (1990) ‘Casual Employment in Australia’, Australian Bulletin of Labour 16, 156–173Google Scholar
Dawkins, P., Norris, K. (1995) ‘The growth of part-time employment in Australia and the United Kingdom, 1978–93’, Labour Economics and Productivity 7, 1, 2–27Google Scholar
Dawkins, P., Simpson, M. (1993) Work, Leisure and the Competitiveness of Australian Industry, Institute for Research into International Competitiveness, Discussion Paper 93: 02Google Scholar
De Ruyter, A. (1997) A Shift-Share Analysis of the Growth of Casual Employment, 1988–1995. B. Ec. Hons Program. Department of Economics, University of NewcastleGoogle Scholar
Foster, R (1996) Australian Economic Statistics. Reserve Bank of Australia, SydneyGoogle Scholar
Heiler, K (1998) ‘The Petty Pilfering of Minutes or What Has Happened to the Length of the Working Day in Australia’, in Harbridge, R., Gadd, C., Crawford, A. (eds) Current Research in Industrial Relations. Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, 166–176Google Scholar
Kalleberg, A., Rasell, E., Hudson, K., Webster, D., Reskin, B., Cassirer, N., Appelbaum, E. (1997) Non Standard Work, Substandard Jobs. Economic Policy Institute, WashingtonGoogle Scholar
Lever-Tracy, C. (1988) ‘The Flexibility Debate: Part-time Work’. Labour & Industry, 1, 2, 210–241Google Scholar
Lewis, H (1990) Part-time Work: Trends and Issues. AGPS, CanberraGoogle Scholar
Liberal Party of Australia (1996) Pathways to Real Jobs: The Federal Coalition’s Employment and training Policy. MelbourneGoogle Scholar
Matthies, H., Mückenberger, U., Offe, C., Peter, E., Raasch, S. (1994) Arbeit 2000: Anforderungen an eine Neugestaltung der Arbeitswelt, Hamburg, RowohltGoogle Scholar
McCallum, R (1994) ‘The Imperfect Safety-Net: The Enforcement of Federal Awards and Agreements’, in McCallum, R., McCarry, G., Ronfeldt, P. (eds), Employment Security, Sydney, The Federation Press, 201–226Google Scholar
Mishel, L., Bernstein, J., Schmitt, J. (1997) The State of Working in America, 1996–1997. Economic Policy Institute, WashingtonGoogle Scholar
Moir, H., Robinson, C. (1984), ‘Labour Market Measures: A Review of Some Popular Labour Market Measures’, in Blandy, R., Covick, O. (eds), Understanding Labour Markets. Allen & Unwin, Sydney, 61–83Google Scholar
Mückenberger, U. (1989) ‘Non-standard forms of employment in the Federal Republic of Germany: The role and effectiveness of the State’, in Rodgers, G., Rodgers, J. (eds) (1989) Precarious jobs in labour market regulation: The growth of atypical employment in Western Europe, Geneva, IILS, 267–285Google Scholar
Natti, J (1993) Temporary Employment in the Nordic Countries: A “Trap” or a “Bridge”?’, Work, Employment and Society 7, 3, 451–464CrossRefGoogle Scholar
National Board of Employment, Education and Training (NBEET) (1992), Disadvantaged Job Seekers: Casual, Part-time and Temporary Work. Report no. 18, CanberraGoogle Scholar
OECD (1996) Employment Outlook, July 1996, Paris, OECDGoogle Scholar
Rodgers, G., Gore, C., Figueiredo, J. (eds) (1995) Social Exclusion: Rhetoric, Reality, Responses, Geneva, ILO PublicationsGoogle Scholar
Romeyn, J (1992) Flexible Working-time: Part-time and Casual Employment. Industrial Relations Research Series no. 13, Department of Industrial Relations, CanberraGoogle Scholar
Schumannn, K., Rogowski, R., Kruppe, T. (1995) Fixed-Term Contracts and Labour Market Efficiency in the European Union, WZB Discussion Paper FS I 95-207, Berlin, WZBGoogle Scholar
Simpson, M (1994) An Analysis of the Characteristics and Growth of Casual Employment in Australia, 1984–1992, The Western Australian Labour Market Research Centre, Perth, Curtin University of Technology, Discussion Paper 94/5Google Scholar
Simpson, M., Dawkins, P., Madden, G. (1997) Casual Employment in Australia: Incidence and Determinants, Australian Economic Papers, 36, no. 69, 194–204CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Standing, G (1993) ‘Labor Regulation in an Era of Fragmented Flexibility’, in Buechtemann, C. (ed), Employment Security and Labor Market Behavior: Interdisciplinary Approaches and International Evidence, Cornell, IILR Report no. 23, Ithaca, ILR Press, 425–441Google Scholar
Streeck, W (1992) Social Institutions and Economic Performance: Studies of Industrial Relations in Advanced Capitalist Economies, London, SageGoogle Scholar
Sweet, R (1995) What Do We Know About Casual Work? Dusseldorp Skills Forum, SydneyGoogle Scholar
Walsh, T (1989) Part-time Employment and Labour Market Policies. National Westminster Quarterly Review, May, 43–55Google Scholar
Wooden, M (1996a) ‘The Australian Labour Market - March 1996’, Australian Bulletin of Labour, 22, 1, 3–27Google Scholar
Wooden, M (1996b) ‘The Youth Labour Market: Characteristics and Trends’, Australian Bulletin of Labour, 22, 2, 137–160Google Scholar
Wooden, M (1997) The Labour Market for Young Australians. National Institute of Labour Studies, Flinders University of South AustraliaGoogle Scholar