Russel Sage Foundation

Much of the research on non-standard forms of employment has analyzed individual data from household surveys or tax forms. Key questions have included measurement of the size of non-standard versus standard employment relationships and the quality of non-standard work, for instance whether temporary employment can function as a “stepping stone” to permanent jobs. Less attention has been paid to the demand-side of the non-standard labor market, including firm-level measures of the usage of different types of non-standard workers and the factors that may influence employer decisions on the composition of their labor forces. To examine the demand-side of the non-standard labor market, economist John Earle will analyze firm-level data from the Annual Survey of Entrepreneurs (ASE). Earle will analyze firms’ use of different types of non-standard work, by industry, size, age, and region. For example, he will examine the extent to which young firms and those engaged in product and process innovation are more or less likely to use non-standard employment. He will also look at whether non-standard work is more or less common in firms offering fringe benefits such as health insurance and using other management practices.