Job loss by wage level: lessons from the Great Recession in Ireland

IZA Journal of European Labor Studies

Table 1 Population aged 18–64, unless otherwise specified, various characteristics, 2004–2010

	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010
At work	63.5	64.3	64.8	64.7	62.8	57.0	55.3
Works as an employee	52.0	52.9	53.8	53.2	52.2	47.2	45.2
Share of people aged 21–35 who have never worked	9.4	9.0	8.4	8.6	8.5	10.8	10.4
All people working as employees
Works low hours (self-reported status)^a	22.6	23.4	24.7	28.0	27.2	31.2	32.4
Wants but cannot find work for longer, % hours^b, %	2.2	2.6	2.3	2.6	3.7	8.6	9.9
Has changed job in the last 12 months^c, %	7.3	8.5	10.6	10.2	9.5	6.9	5.2
To “take up or seek a better job” or “to retire or live off private means”^d, %	3.6	4.4	6.1	6.0	5.3	3.2	1.8
Average of total usual weekly hours (all jobs)	35.1	34.9	34.6	34.5	34.5	33.3	33.0

Source: authors’ computations from SILC data
^aSelf-reported status: if respondent estimates working 30 h or less in total (all employment)
^bIf respondent self-reported working less than 30 h a week and would like “to work more hours, but cannot find a full-time job or work more hours in this job”
^cIncludes promotions and new contracts with the same employer
^dThis question is asked to people who say they have changed jobs in the last 12 months. Other reasons for a job change include end of temporary contract, redundancy, business closure, marriage, childbirth, study, illness, other family reasons and not specified