Manifestations of Inequality in the Post-Industrial Labor Market

Description

This PhD dissertation project delves into various aspects of inequality, focusing on the emergence of a post-industrial labor market. Over the past decades, labor markets in several countries, including Sweden, have undergone extensive structural transformations affecting both the nature of job tasks and the composition of the workforce.

Technological advancements have upgraded manufacturing sector jobs. Simultaneously, a contrasting trend is observed in the service sector, with a growing proportion of workers engaged in industries like cleaning, hospitality, and caregiving. These jobs often entail lower skill requirements, lower wages, and precarious working conditions. Unlike the manufacturing sector, these roles have not benefited from technological developments to the same extent, indicating significant sectoral disparities in the availability of high-quality employment.

The fundamental hypothesis examined in this project is that the expanding service sector challenges established manifestations of inequality and social class. This subject is explored from various perspectives within the project.

The primary data source utilized in this dissertation is Swedish population registers, supplemented with survey data. Methodologically, a variety of statistical techniques are employed, including event-history design, latent class analysis, and machine learning.

Supervisors: Dr Miia Bask & Dr Emma Von Essen (Dept. of Sociology, Uppsala University)