Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Students or lower-skilled workers? ‘Displacement’ at the bottom of the labour market

  • Published:
Higher Education Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Although the labour market participationof students has increased substantially inrecent years, the unemployment rate oflower-skilled workers in Europe has remainedhigh. To what extent, therefore, do studentsoccupy jobs that are also suitable forlower-skilled unemployed workers? Two separateempirical studies were carried out for thepurpose of answering this question, one amongststudents in higher education and one amongstemployers. The conclusion is that studentsoccupy a substantial numbers of jobs that are,in principle, also suitable for thelower-skilled unemployed, especially in sectorssuch as retail trade/shops, hotel and cateringand industry. This suggests that a substantialdisplacement process is taking place. Themotives employers give for recruiting studentsinstead of lower-skilled persons are mostlyrelated to the students' perceivedcommunication skills and flexibility as well astheir ability to learn the job more quickly.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Asselberghs, K., Batenburg, R., Huijgen, F. and Witte, M. de (1998). Kwalitatieve structuur van de werkgelegenheid in Nederland. Deel IV. [The qualitative structure of employment in the Netherlands. Part IV.] The Hague: OSA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Boom, J. de., Hofman, W.H.A., Wensveen, P. van and Berg, M.N. van den (1998). Studeren en werken in het Wetenschappelijk Onderwijs, een onderzoek naar de relatie tussen werken, lenen en studievoortgang. [Studying and working in University Education, a study of working, borrowing and study progress.] Rotterdam: RISBO.

    Google Scholar 

  • Batenburg, R. and Witte, M. de (2001). 'Underemployment in the Netherlands: How the Dutch 'Polder model' failed to close the Education-Jobs Gap', Work, Employment and Society 15(1), 73–94.

    Google Scholar 

  • Statistics Netherlands (1998). Kerncijfers Onderwijs en wetenschapsbeoefening. [Key figures on Education and Science.] Voorburg: Statistics Netherlands.

    Google Scholar 

  • EUROSTAT (1999). Statistical indicators: New Cronos Database.

  • Grift, Y.K. (1998). Female Labour Supply: The influence of Taxes and Social Premiums. Doctoral Thesis, University of Utrecht.

  • Hakim, C. (1998). Social Change and Innovation in the Labour Market. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hofman, W.H.A., Steijn, A.J. and Wensveen, P. van (1999). Studenten of laaggeschoolden.Over verdringing aan de onderkant van de arbeidsmarkt. [Students or the lower-skilled? Concerning displacement at the lower end of the labour market.] Rotterdam: RISBO.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hofman, W.H.A., Nieuwenhuis, A.F.M. and In't Veld, R.J. (1991). 'Het cascademodel: Scholing als werkbare oplossing voor marktimperfecties tussen vraag en aanbod' [The Cascade Model: Training as suitable solution for labour market imperfections in supply and demand], Tijdschrift voor Arbeidsvraagstukken 7(4), 30–41.

    Google Scholar 

  • Huijgen, F. (1989). De kwalitatieve structuur van de werkgelegenheid in Nederland.Deel III. [The qualitative structure of employment in the Netherlands. Part III.] The Hague: OSA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Livingstone, D.W. (1998). The Education-Jobs Gap: Underemployment or Economic Democ-racy. Boulder: Westview Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Meer, P. and Wielers, R. (2001). 'The increased Labour Market Participation of Dutch Students', Work, Employment and Society 15(1), 55–71.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (1997). OCenWin kerncijfers. [Education, Culture and Science in key figures.] Zoetermeer: Ministry of Education, Culture and Science.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (1998). Rijksbegroting Ministerie van Onder-wijs, Cultuur en Wetenschappen. [Ministry of Education, Culture and Science Budget.] Zoetermeer: Ministry of Education, Culture and Science.

    Google Scholar 

  • OECD (1998). Labour market and social policy. Occasional papers No. 31, Paris.

  • Oosterbeek, H. and Webbink, D. (1998). 'Overscholing en verdringing op de Nederlandse arbeidsmarkt' [Overeducation and displacement in the Dutch labour market], in: Groot, W., Maassen van den Brink, H., Oosterbeek, H., Webbink, D. and Hartog, J.: Overscholing en verdringing op de arbeidsmarkt. Welboom: The Hague.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ours, J.C. and Ridder, G. (1995). 'Job matching and job competition: Are less educated workers at the back of job queues?', European Economic Review 39, 1717–1731.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sociaal en Cultureel Planbureau (1998). Sociaal en Cultureel Rapport 1998, 25 jaar sociale verandering. [Social and Cultural report 1998: 25 years of social change.] Rijswijk/Den Haag: SCP.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thurow (1975). Generating inequality. Basic Books: New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Unescostat (1999). Unesco statistics: http://unescostat.unesco.org.

  • Velden, R. van der and Smoorenburg, M.S.M. (1999). 'Overscholing en beloning: Het effect van verschillende meetmethoden' [Overschooling and wages. The effect of different measurement methods], Tijdschrift voor Arbeidsvraagstukken 15 (2), 111–124.

    Google Scholar 

  • Verbeek, F. and Jong, U. (1995). Het risico van studeren en werken. [The risk of combining study and paid employment.] Amsterdam: SCO.

    Google Scholar 

  • Visser, J. and Hemerijck, A. (1997). 'A Dutch miracle': job growth, welfare reform and corporatism in the Netherlands. Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • VSNU, (1998). Kengetallen Universitair Onderwijs. [Key figures about University Education] Utrecht: VSNU.

    Google Scholar 

  • Webbink, H.D., Paape, A.H., Berkhout, P.G.H. and Plug, E.J.S. (1998). Neerwaartse verdringing nader bezien: een onderzoek op microniveau naar omvang en achterliggende factoren. [Displacement reconsidered: A micro-level study into its size and underlying factors.] Den Haag: Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wolbers, M. (1998). Diploma-inflatie en verdringing op de arbeidsmarkt: Een studie naar ontwikkelingen in de opbrengsten van diploma's in Nederland. [Grade-competition and displacement on the labour market: A study on developments in the value of qualifications in the Netherlands.] Doctoral Thesis, University of Maastricht.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. RISBO/Erasmus, University Rotterdam, The Netherlands

    W.H.A. Hofman & A.J. Steijn

Authors
  1. W.H.A. Hofman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. A.J. Steijn
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to W.H.A. Hofman.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Hofman, W., Steijn, A. Students or lower-skilled workers? ‘Displacement’ at the bottom of the labour market. Higher Education 45, 127–146 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022406706257

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022406706257

Search

Navigation