| Abstract [eng] |
Employees preferences for state protection against a possible loss of income due to unemployment: a skills-based approach. This study aims to examine the causal link between the skill set used by employees in their occupation and their preferences for state protection against a possible loss of income due to unemployment. State protection is operationalized as a government support to declining industries to save jobs and government expenditure on unemployment benefits. The skill set is defined as the number of skills used in occupations and their depth. The latter variable is related to education, as higher education leads to deeper skills, so depth is considered as an intervening variable. The theoretical background of the study is based on two aspects. Firstly, taking into account T. Iversen and D. Soskice asset theory, J. Goldthorpe class scheme model, and the studies of W. Streeck, E. Lazaer, A. Christenko, Ž. Martinaitis, and S. Gaušas, the individualistic approach to the skill set is reviewed. Based on these studies, three hypotheses were raised. Less support for government protection is determined by 1) increasing number of skills, 2) increasing depth of skills and 3) higher level of education. Secondly, the influence of skills on preferences can be explained not only through the substantive dimension (nature of the skill set) but also through the economic dimension - structural differences across countries, that rely on macro aspects. In order to control such differences, the works of P. Hall and D. Soskice, G. Esping-Andersen, G. Bonoli, M. Fenger and J. Aidukaitė have been reviewed and the factors of the economic dimension were taken into account by clustering the 22 surveyed countries into five categories that best define aspects of their employment relationship regulation and the role of the government. Therefore, the fourth hypothesis states that the explanatory power of the causal link between employees’ skill sets and their preferences should persist regardless of the country category. The study was performed using binary logistic regression and data from the International Social Survey Programme. Empirical evidence shows that the first, third and the fourth hypotheses were confirmed. Employees with more skills and higher education are less likely to support government protection against a possible loss of income due to unemployment. At the same time, the fourth hypothesis is also partially confirmed - the causal relationship between employees' preferences and the number of their skills and education persists regardless of the country category. However, considering the relatively low performance of the models, it can be argued that the causal link is likely to be much stronger if independent variables were to be selected from economic factors related to structural differences among the countries. |
