• Demonstrate knowledge of concepts, theories and methods used to study labour market inequality.
• Explain contemporary labour market theories and concepts.
• Operationalise key concepts with relevant data and indicators.
• Develop a relevant research question and design drawing upon the topics covered in the course.
• Show analytical proficiency in handling research questions and in supporting theory-driven arguments with relevant empirical evidence.

Inequality is a central issue in contemporary debates in business and social sciences as exemplified by Piketty’s research on inequality in his path-breaking book – “Capital in the Twenty-First Century". International organisations, such as the OECD, the World Bank and the European Union, are increasingly concerned with rising inequality across and within countries. The labour market is an important source and mitigator of inequalities. At the same time, labour market inequalities have a strong gender dimension which can be tackled by a variety of policies.

This course provides key inside on the role of governments, business and trade unions in creating and mitigating gender and labour market inequalities across countries and sectors of the economy. We examine various inequalities (gender, youth, migrant, low skilled) arising from recent decades of welfare state and labour market reforms and organizational changes within firms. The course thereby provides the students with analytical tools to assess the social and economic sustainability of advanced and emerging economies.

Digitalisation and big data are new trends influencing labour market inequalities. They also create new ethical dilemmas. For instance, we scrutinize the dilemmas in the "gig economy" and its implications on business models, wages and working conditions.

The course also focuses on work-place inequalities, especially from a gendered perspective and with a focus on youth and migrants. We discuss and examine, on the basis of country-examples, what businesses and policy makers can do to tackle such inequalities.

The course will enable the students to conduct independent research within the theme of labour market inequalities. Students will get hands-on experience of using relevant indicators and data and relating these to concepts and theories. This will allow them to analyse and understand complex societal problems. The skills acquired in this course are useful in preparation for writing a bachelor thesis and transferable to other settings, including work in businesses as well as, governmental and international organizations.

The coordinators and teachers of this course have an active labour market and gender research agenda and are involved in a range of EU projects of high relevance to this course.

Indicative overview of sessions

1. Course introduction and lecture – Labour market inequalities

2. Group exercise – Comparing “more and better jobs” across Europe

3. Lecture – The role of governments in moderating low wages

4. Lecture – The role of collective bargaining in labor market inequalities

5. Group exercise – Collective bargaining and social partner strategies in the cleaning sector

6. Lecture – The "gig economy" - new inequalities through digitalisation of labour?

7. Lecture – Unemployed and big data in public employment services

8. Group exercise - Comparing working-time issues across countries

9. Lecture – Institutional constraints and opportunities for gender equality

10. Group exercise – Determinants of gender (in-)equality with a focus on welfare state and labour markets

11. Lecture – The role of the firm in gender equality

12. Lecture – Youth unemployment and intersectional inequalities

13. Lecture – Research design

14. Student presentations of research question and approach in view of the exam & wrap-up and evaluation

Readings include state-of-the art academic articles, selected book chapters as well as reports by leading international organisations such as the OECD. Below is an indicative sample of readings used for this course:

Esping-Andersen, G. (2009) Incomplete Revolution: Adapting Welfare States to Women's New Roles, chapters 1 & 2, Polity Press, 19-74.

Healy, J. et al. (2017), Should we take the gig economy seriously? Labour and Industry: a journal of the social and economic relations of work, 27(3): 232-248.

Grimshaw, D. (2011) “What do we know about low-wage work and low-wage workers? Analysing the definitions, patterns, causes and consequences in international perspective”, Conditions of Work and Employment Series No. 28, Geneva: ILO.

Kowalewska, H. (2019), Bringing Women on Board: The Social Policy Implications of Gender Diversity in Top Jobs, Journal of Social Policy, DOI: https:/​​/​​doi.org/​​10.1017/​​S0047279419000722

OECD (2017) Collective bargaining in a changing world of work, OECD Employment Outlook 2017, Paris: OECD, ch. 4, p. 125-187

OECD (2017) The Pursuit of Gender Equality: An uphill battle, OECD Employment Outlook, Paris: OECD, Consult chapters 4 & 11.

O’Reilly, J., Leschke, J., Ortlieb, R., Seeleib-Kaiser, M. & Villa, P. (2019) Comparing the problems of youth labor market transitions in Europe: Joblessness, insecurity, institutions, and inequality, ch 1 in: O’Reilly et al. (eds.) Youth Labor in Transition: Inequalities, Mobility and Policies in Europe, Oxford University Press

Rubery, J., Grimshaw, D., Keizer, A. and Johson, M. (2018) Challenges and Contradictions in the ‘Normalising’ of Precarious Work, Work, Employment and Society, Vol. 32(3) 509 –527.

Trygstad, S., Larsen, T. P., Nergaard, K. (2018) Dealing with austerity and migration in the northern European cleaning sector: Social partner strategies to strengthen wage floors, European Journal of Industrial Relations, online first: https:/​​/​​doi.org/​​10.1177/​​0959680118790818

Wood, A., Graham, M. & Lehdonvirta, V. (2019) Good Gig, Bad Gig: Autonomy and Algorithmic Control in the Global Gig Economy, Work, Employment and Society, Vol 33(1): 56 –75.