Precarity index for psychological studies of the Russian labour market

Abstract

Purpose. The purpose of the article is to substantiate the Precarity Index scale, present its psychometric characteristics, identify psychological and biographical correlates of precarity, and compare different types of employment at the Russian labour market. Method. The sample consistedof 495 people between 30 and 45 years who were included in four types of employment: permanent; fixed-term (one–three years); temporary (less than one year); and casual, short-term employment. Results. The precarious employment attributes have been analyzed both in foreign and domestic approaches. The key attributes are highlighted, and Precarity Index scale is proposed. It includes 13 items to assess current and expected employment characteristics. The hypotheses of construct validity and empirical validity of Precarity Index have been confirmed. Its psychological correlates are experience of job insecurity and forced employment, perception of career development barriers, and deprivation of the psychological benefits which a standard employment relationship includes. Different types of employment have different levels of precarity. Full-time permanent employment hasthe lowest level, casual (short-term) employment has the highest one. The unemployment periods in career and the frequency of job changes during the past three years are the biographical correlates of Precarity Index. Conclusions. The scale has acceptable psychometric properties, construct validity and empirical validity. The Precarity Index can be considered as employment uncertainty for specific individuals and groups, it reflects the history and current quality of their employment. It is proved that the psychological functional structure of precarious work differs from a stable work a lot. There has been made a conclusion that a finer differentiation between casual and temporary (less than one year) employment is needed; the further analysis of informal employment as a component of the Precarity index is needed. Value of results. The Precarity Index is a new instrument to measure a set of behavioural and subjective characteristics of employment. It provides a new perspective to evaluate organizations, social, age, and professional groups in terms of employment quality. The scale has an interdisciplinary potential; it may be useful for sociologists and economists, human resource managers. The emergenceof a compact scale measuring precarity is an important step in the study of human adaptation to different types of employment at the Russian labour market.