Atypical forms of employment
Research topic
A key question, both in Norway and internationally, is whether we will see a more two-tier working life, where the gap between "good" and "bad" jobs increases. Is the labour market moving towards a greater divide between permanent, full-time positions with good development opportunities and jobs with various forms of atypical attachment characterized by uncertainty?
Full-time and permanent positions remain the norm in Norwegian working life. The share of employees in various forms of temporary employment, self-employment, and freelancing, as well as those in short-term part-time positions, has remained stable over time.
However, technological development has led to the emergence of platform work. Although the proportion of people working on such platforms in Norway is modest, increased growth in the sharing economy will likely result in more self-employed individuals. In the long term, this may affect both the employment and enterprise structure.
Monitoring the development of atypical employment is important for several reasons. It provides updated knowledge about whether this is a gateway or a dead end for those with a lack of formal education and/or gaps in their CVs. A possible increase in atypical affiliations will impact the degree of union membership in Norway, as temporary employees are less organized than permanent employees.
Increased use of affiliations that replace permanent employment may contribute to a lower degree of unionization and fewer employees covered by collective agreements.
An increased scope of atypical work may affect employers' willingness to invest in developing the skills of those with loose ties, leading to a less adaptable workforce. Generally, temporary employees and others in atypical work have fewer channels for participation and influence in working life, and thus participate less in a democratic working life.
Fafo will continue to be a leading environment for research into companies' labour strategies and how different forms of affiliation affect the labour market and employees' pay and working conditions. Fafo will further develop comparative research in this area in collaboration with Nordic and European partners.
