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Work autonomy, work pressure, and job satisfaction: An analysis of European Union countries

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2023

Helena Lopes ,
Sérgio Lagoa  and
Teresa Calapez
Helena Lopes*
Affiliation:
ISCTE-Instituto Universitário de Lisboa, Portugal
Sérgio Lagoa
Affiliation:
ISCTE-Instituto Universitário de Lisboa, Portugal
Teresa Calapez
Affiliation:
ISCTE-Instituto Universitário de Lisboa, Portugal
*
Helena Lopes, Department of Political Economy, ISCTE-Instituto Universitário de Lisboa, Avenida das Forças Armadas Lisboa, 1649-026, Lisboa, Portugal. Email: helena.lopes@iscte.pt
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Abstract

Based on European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS) micro-data, we show that, on average, work autonomy has declined and work pressure has increased in most European Union countries since 1995. Since such evolution is substantially detrimental for workers, we examine whether workers of varied skill levels in different countries have been equally impacted. Descriptive analysis shows that low-skill clerical workers are the most affected and that Scandinavian countries fare better. Econometric results show that the decline in job satisfaction is due mainly to the increase in work pressure—which might be reaching a limit for high-skill workers—and that job satisfaction is most affected by an increase in work pressure when this is not accompanied by greater work autonomy.

Keywords

J28J21European comparisonsjob satisfactionwork autonomywork pressure
Type
Non-Symposium Articles
Information
The Economic and Labour Relations Review , Volume 25 , Issue 2: Symposium - Some Impacts of Neoliberalism , June 2014 , pp. 306 - 326
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s) 2014

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