When good jobs go bad and bad jobs get worse: women’s progression opportunities in a polarised labour market

Eikhof, D. R. and Warhurst, C. (2015) When good jobs go bad and bad jobs get worse: women’s progression opportunities in a polarised labour market. In: Bimrose, J., McMahon, M. and Watson, M. (eds.) Women’s Career Development Throughout the Lifespan: an International Exploration. Routledge: Abingdon, UK, pp. 52-65. ISBN 9780415816779

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Publisher's URL: https://www.routledge.com/Womens-Career-Development-Throughout-the-Lifespan-An-international-exploration/Bimrose-McMahon-Watson/p/book/9780415816779

Abstract

On the basis of projections to 2020, the UK labour market is forecast to keep its hourglass economy shape. At the top end the number of services jobs that are highly paid and highly skilled is expected to increase; likewise the number of lowwage, lower skills services jobs at the bottom. In the middle, the number of workers employed in manufacturing will decrease (Wilson and Homenidou 2011). With the hollowing out of the middle and the expansion in the number of jobs at the top and bottom, what appears to be emerging is not just an hourglass but a polarised labour market of good and bad jobs, or what Goos and Manning (2007) call lovely and lousy jobs. Such polarisation trends are not confined to the UK, but exist across the EU countries (Hurley et al. 2011) as well as the US (Kalleberg 2011). As such, the points that we make about women’s progression opportunities in the UK may resonate more internationally, as we indicate in the chapter.

Item Type:Book Sections
Status:Published
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Eikhof, Professor Doris Ruth
Authors: Eikhof, D. R., and Warhurst, C.
College/School:College of Arts & Humanities > School of Culture and Creative Arts > Theatre Film and TV Studies
Publisher:Routledge
ISBN:9780415816779
Published Online:17 December 2014

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