Publication Details

Job protection versus independence

the importance of employment characteristics in determining job satisfaction in Chile

Lea Cassar
2010

Abstract

Due to data constraints and traditional employment indicators disregarding qualitative aspectsof the working life, our understanding of the determinants of job satisfaction in developingcountries is still very limited. We use data from a unique, nationally representative survey,which contains extensive information on quantitative and qualitative characteristics ofemployment, to investigate the determinants of job satisfaction in Chile. Consistent with thedualistic view of labor markets, job protection appears to be mainly a positive determinant ofjob satisfaction rather than a cost to be avoided by engaging in informal activities. Further, wefind self-employed workers to be penalized by the lack of valuable workplace facilities, suchas decent toilets and clean water. However, working in the self-employment sector does notnecessarily mean taking the “bad” jobs. We show that self-employed workers deriveprocedural utility from being independent, as do their counterparts in industrial countries.

Publication Type(s)

Conference Paper

Ten Years of War Against Poverty Conference Papers

Conference: Ten Years of War Against Poverty

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