Commodified care work in European Labour Markets

This paper considers the reasons why a form of commodified care work identified as 'routed wages' has developed in many European countries over the past decade. These systems, which are often argued for within an empowerment discourse for the care users, are not often considered in terms o...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:European societies 2003-01, Vol.5 (4), p.377-396
Main Author: Ungerson, Clare
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Austria
care
care work
Caregivers
cash for care
Child care
direct payments
Europe
France
Health care
Italy
Labor Market
Migrant workers
Money
Netherlands
Payments
Regional studies
Social work
Sociology
United Kingdom
Welfare
Welfare State
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Summary:This paper considers the reasons why a form of commodified care work identified as 'routed wages' has developed in many European countries over the past decade. These systems, which are often argued for within an empowerment discourse for the care users, are not often considered in terms of their labour market impact. The paper uses empirical data generated in a cross-national qualitative study of care users and their care givers in five European countries (Austria, France, Italy, The Netherlands and the UK) to outline the different ways in which different types of commodified care schemes impact on the labour market. It is suggested that the schemes differ in their labour market impact, depending on whether or not the scheme is regulated, and on the geographic, social and economic contexts within which the scheme is implemented.
ISSN:1461-6696
1469-8307
DOI:10.1080/1461669032000127651