Labor Market Precarity Shapes Perception of the Public Sector in the Eurozone

This study analyses the impact of working in the public sector on job satisfaction in Europe (19) through the European Working Condition Survey (EWCS). A grouping of countries is proposed based on the perception of workers regarding the functioning of the labor market. Econometric estimates show that public sector workers, at an aggregate level, are more satisfied than those in the private sector. The highest job satisfaction corresponds to permanent contract public sector workers, followed by temporary contract public sector employees, the permanent contract private sector, and the temporary contract private sector workers. The results confirm that in those countries with a higher proportion of individuals who consider losing their job a probability, public sector job satisfaction is higher. In addition, those countries where the proportion of individuals with low confidence in finding a new job with similar characteristics to the one they have, public sector job satisfaction is also higher.