The Scarring Effect of First Job Precarity: New Evidence from a Panel Study in Hong Kong

Duoduo XU; Shuheng JIN; Ngai PUN; Jiao GUO; Xiaogang WU

doi:10.1177/09500170221112221

The Scarring Effect of First Job Precarity: New Evidence from a Panel Study in Hong Kong

Duoduo XU^*
, Shuheng JIN
, Ngai PUN
, Jiao GUO
, Xiaogang WU

^*Corresponding author for this work

Lingnan University

Research output: Journal Publications › Journal Article (refereed) › peer-review

13 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Does entering the labour market via precarious employment have a long-term scarring effect on one’s career? Prior research proposes diverse arguments, but firm conclusions remain elusive. Using panel data from Hong Kong, this study rekindles this debate by revealing the long-lasting effect of first job precarity on workers’ subsequent career prospects. A comprehensive measure of precarious employment is constructed to simultaneously account for employment status, contractual status and occupational status, and random effects models are used to test the scarring effect of first job precarity on subsequent monthly income, job satisfaction and fringe benefits. It is also observed that macroeconomic situations, particularly periods of economic crisis, have a detrimental effect on entry into precarious employment. Importantly, the results show the substantial negative consequences of initial precarious employment, highlighting the adverse impact of economic crises on first job precarity and the subsequent scarring effect on career prospects.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	206-225
Number of pages	20
Journal	Work, Employment and Society
Volume	38
Issue number	1
Early online date	2 Nov 2022
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1177/09500170221112221
Publication status	Published - Feb 2024

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2022.

Funding

The authors disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: The research is funded by the Early Career Scheme (27604821) from the Hong Kong Research Grants Council (RGC) to Duoduo Xu. The data collection of the Hong Kong Panel Study of Social Dynamics (HKPSSD) was funded by the RGC-Central Policy Unit Strategic Public Policy Research Scheme (HKUST6001-SPPR-08), the European Research Council Start-up Grant (ERC StG 716837), and the Collaborative Research Fund (C6011-16GF) from the Hong Kong RGC to Xiaogang Wu, who was previoulsy affiliated with Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. Xiaogang Wu also ackowleges funding support from a Key Program Grant of the China’s National Office for Philosophy and Social Sciences (22AZD101) and the Center for Applied Social and Economic Research at NYU Shanghai. Ngai Pun acknowledges funding support from Global China Social Research Cluster, Faculty of Social Sciences, HKU.

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth

Keywords

economic crisis
first job
Hong Kong
labour market outcomes
precarious employment
scarring effect

Access to Document

10.1177/09500170221112221

Cite this

@article{c3c78e094f944091a4fd1cd2d928dabd,

title = "The Scarring Effect of First Job Precarity: New Evidence from a Panel Study in Hong Kong",

abstract = "Does entering the labour market via precarious employment have a long-term scarring effect on one{\textquoteright}s career? Prior research proposes diverse arguments, but firm conclusions remain elusive. Using panel data from Hong Kong, this study rekindles this debate by revealing the long-lasting effect of first job precarity on workers{\textquoteright} subsequent career prospects. A comprehensive measure of precarious employment is constructed to simultaneously account for employment status, contractual status and occupational status, and random effects models are used to test the scarring effect of first job precarity on subsequent monthly income, job satisfaction and fringe benefits. It is also observed that macroeconomic situations, particularly periods of economic crisis, have a detrimental effect on entry into precarious employment. Importantly, the results show the substantial negative consequences of initial precarious employment, highlighting the adverse impact of economic crises on first job precarity and the subsequent scarring effect on career prospects.",

keywords = "economic crisis, first job, Hong Kong, labour market outcomes, precarious employment, scarring effect",

author = "Duoduo XU and Shuheng JIN and Ngai PUN and Jiao GUO and Xiaogang WU",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} The Author(s) 2022.",

year = "2024",

month = feb,

doi = "10.1177/09500170221112221",

language = "English",

volume = "38",

pages = "206--225",

journal = "Work, Employment and Society",

issn = "0950-0170",

publisher = "SAGE Publications Ltd",

number = "1",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - The Scarring Effect of First Job Precarity: New Evidence from a Panel Study in Hong Kong

AU - XU, Duoduo

AU - JIN, Shuheng

AU - PUN, Ngai

AU - GUO, Jiao

AU - WU, Xiaogang

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s) 2022.

PY - 2024/2

Y1 - 2024/2

N2 - Does entering the labour market via precarious employment have a long-term scarring effect on one’s career? Prior research proposes diverse arguments, but firm conclusions remain elusive. Using panel data from Hong Kong, this study rekindles this debate by revealing the long-lasting effect of first job precarity on workers’ subsequent career prospects. A comprehensive measure of precarious employment is constructed to simultaneously account for employment status, contractual status and occupational status, and random effects models are used to test the scarring effect of first job precarity on subsequent monthly income, job satisfaction and fringe benefits. It is also observed that macroeconomic situations, particularly periods of economic crisis, have a detrimental effect on entry into precarious employment. Importantly, the results show the substantial negative consequences of initial precarious employment, highlighting the adverse impact of economic crises on first job precarity and the subsequent scarring effect on career prospects.

AB - Does entering the labour market via precarious employment have a long-term scarring effect on one’s career? Prior research proposes diverse arguments, but firm conclusions remain elusive. Using panel data from Hong Kong, this study rekindles this debate by revealing the long-lasting effect of first job precarity on workers’ subsequent career prospects. A comprehensive measure of precarious employment is constructed to simultaneously account for employment status, contractual status and occupational status, and random effects models are used to test the scarring effect of first job precarity on subsequent monthly income, job satisfaction and fringe benefits. It is also observed that macroeconomic situations, particularly periods of economic crisis, have a detrimental effect on entry into precarious employment. Importantly, the results show the substantial negative consequences of initial precarious employment, highlighting the adverse impact of economic crises on first job precarity and the subsequent scarring effect on career prospects.

KW - economic crisis

KW - first job

KW - Hong Kong

KW - labour market outcomes

KW - precarious employment

KW - scarring effect

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85141365779

U2 - 10.1177/09500170221112221

DO - 10.1177/09500170221112221

M3 - Journal Article (refereed)

AN - SCOPUS:85141365779

SN - 0950-0170

VL - 38

SP - 206

EP - 225

JO - Work, Employment and Society

JF - Work, Employment and Society

IS - 1

ER -

The Scarring Effect of First Job Precarity: New Evidence from a Panel Study in Hong Kong

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

UN SDGs

Keywords

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this