| Summary: | This thesis is concerned with how labour market institutions and policies at the country level shape the stratification processes. Two topical questions are at the basis of the presented research: First, how do institutional frameworks impact the linkages between job positions and wage, and between individuals and jobs? Second, what do these linkages reveal about the underlying mechanisms that continue to generate wage inequality in the labour market? The interest lies in the sizes of statistical effects or associations, and in the extent of conformity to predictions based on different theorical approaches. All three of the empirical chapters in this thesis draws upon the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) data from OECD. Combining data from this cross-national survey with country-level data on employment protections, union strengths and work-family policies, this thesis investigates cross-national variation in wage inequality by contract type and skill distribution, and the gender gap in skill specialization. Confirming the broad argument of new institutionalism, the thesis identifies labour market institutions as an important factor shaping the structure of wage inequality. Besides, the results suggest that the wage premium to permanent contracts compared to temporary contracts is likely to reflect employment rent by virtue of higher termination costs for the employers, rather than higher productivity due to skill specialization. Power relations crystalized in union strength may distort the market pressure for returns to both specialized and general skills. The gender gap in job-specific skills can be shaped by women’s expectations of the possibility of achieving work-family balance, over and beyond the level of job interruptions.
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