Job quality and labour market performance

Job quality and labour market performance | 5

Figure 2. Some Laeken key indicators

I □CONTI □ NORTH □SOUTH □NMS ∣

Source: Eurostat, LFS.

I □CONTI □ NORTH □SOUTH □NMS∣

Source: Eurostat, LFS.

All things considered, this analysis confirms that there is a significant degree of heterogeneity
across the EU27 as regards job quality, (see also Gallie, 2007). As suggested by the institutional
complementarity framework (e.g. Amable, 2003), different institutional settings can at times
lead to similar performances, i.e. there might be functional equivalence. For instance, the United
Kingdom is close to Nordic countries, despite having different institutions. This suggests that
there are two pathways to high job quality, which is consistent with the findings of other recent
analyses of labour market performance, based on more quantitative indicators (OECD, 2006).
Of course a more detailed analysis of the different components of job quality would show
differences between the UK and the Nordic countries. The level of social protection is higher in
the Nordic countries, wage inequalities are lower, whereas in the UK there are higher
inequalities between social groups, as well as more poverty in work. Nevertheless, these results
show that several institutions may lead to a rather good level of job quality. Besides, it is also
clear from these clusters that job quality and employment performances are positively related:
over the 1990s and beginning of the 2000s, Nordic countries as well as the UK experienced

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