Non-standard forms of employment in Germany. Development, patterns and regulation in a comparative perspective

In recent decades there has been a significant increase in non-standard forms of employment in Germany, and the significance of this development for the employment system needs to be examined. This paper looks at the development, extent and patterns of this type of employment and also at regulation problems. It starts by differentiating between standard and atypical employment and then examines the development of the various forms during the relatively long period since German reunification in 1990. On the basis of explicitly indicated social criteria it then compares the differences between atypical and standard employment. The paper ends by drawing a number of conclusions on regulation problems regarding atypical employment including the question of improving various dimensions of social security. Inasmuch as the available data allows, developments in Germany are compared with those of other EU member states.