Flexibilization of the Youth Labor Market in Chile: Trends of the Decade 2010-2019

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to describe and analyze the main features and trends of the private-wage Youth Labour Market (YLM) in Chile between 2010-2019. The study uses a quantitative method research design to examine, in the first place, salary trends and socio-demographic and occupational characteristics of the YLM; and second, to analyze the numerical flexibility in terms of contracts, working hours, and outsourcing. The results suggest that the wage process of young people has stopped in the private sector. Furthermore, young workers have higher levels of numerical flexibility, lower wages, and are inserted in unskilled service occupations, despite having higher credentials than adults. The latter could be explained by labour segmentation mechanisms and the role that the youth labour market plays in the neoliberal economic order.