Is There a South European Pattern of Post-Industrial Employment?

Today all European societies are experiencing far-reaching changes in work and employment as a result of global and technological transformations. The article aims at exploring the impact of these changes in South European employment patterns and structure. The evidence provided suggests that while Southern Europe follows the general trend towards service employment, employment growth is biased towards the lower end of services that are not very demanding in terms of skills and depend to a large extent on low pay and precarious job security. The paper argues that pre-existing institutional arrangements and economic structures typically found in the region shape the adjustment process and give rise to a South European pattern of employment growth.