Job quality differences among younger and older workers in Europe: The role of institutions

We compare non-wage aspects of job quality of younger and older workers across European countries and relate the differences between them to the prevailing institutional settings. Microdata from the European Union Labour Force Survey are used to carry out the measurement of a job quality index during the period 2005-2015, while aggregate indicators are used to approximate a set of labour market institutions. Our findings support the notion that the institutional framework affects the age gap in job quality. Among other results, we find that older workers fare better than younger workers, that the employment quality is higher for employees working in countries where the wage-bargaining system is more coordinated/centralized and the employment protection for regular workers is stricter and that these institutions tend to favour the job quality of older workers over younger ones.