The aim of this study was to analyze the determinants of job satisfaction among young people engaged in informal employment in the Republic of Congo. Statistical and econometric analyses were conducted using data taken from the Transition to Working Life Survey (ETVA-2022). Using these data, we proceeded from conducted the econometric analysis to estimating a job satisfaction model using the “cmp” technique presented by Roodman (2011) . The results reveal that salary is a determinant that exerts a positive effect on job satisfaction. On the other hand, living with a partner, not enjoying job benefits (maternity/paternity leave) and working more than 48 hours are factors that exert a negative impact on job satisfaction. In light of these results, we recommend that policy-makers continue developing policies to improve wages, increase young people’s access to job benefits and enhance their remuneration over time.
KeywordsSatisfactionYoung PeoplecmpRepublic of Congo
Adams, J. S. (1965). Inequity in Social Exchange. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 2, 267-297. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0065-2601(08)60108-2
Assioro, O. L., Obouna, E. N. B., & Ndinga, M. M. A. (2022). Effects of Downgrading on Wages: The Case of Young Graduates in the Republic of Congo. Modern Economy, 13, 1292-1311. https://doi.org/10.4236/me.2022.1310069
Bessière, C. (2003). Les Hommes sont-ils plus heureux au travail que les femmes? EcoFlash, n° 182.
Beuran, M., & Kalugina, E. (2005). Subjective Welfare and the Informal Sector: The Case of Russia. Working Paper, ROSES Paris I, TEAM CNRS.
Blanchflower, D. G., & Oswald, A. J. (1998). What Makes an Entrepreneur? Journal of Labor Economics, 16, 26-60. https://doi.org/10.1086/209881
Blanchflower, D. G., Oswald, A. J., & Warr, P. B. (1993). Well-Being over Time in Britain and USA. In Economics of Happiness Conference. London School of Economics.
Bruno, G. S. F., Caroleo, F. E., & Dessy, O. (2013). Temporary Contracts and Young Workers’ Job Satisfaction in Italy. IZA Discussion Paper No. 7716, IZA. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2363203
Clark, A. E. (1998). Les indicateurs de la satisfaction au travail: Quelles sont les caractéristiques d’un bon emploi? Observations recueillies dans certains pays de l’OCDE. OCDE. https://doi.org/10.1787/135007820512
Clark, A. E. (2001). What Really Matters in a Job? Hedonic Measurement Using Quit Data. Labour Economics, 8, 223-242. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0927-5371(01)00031-8
Clark, A. E., & Oswald, A. J. (1996). Satisfaction and Comparison Income. Journal of Public Economics, 61, 359-381. https://doi.org/10.1016/0047-2727(95)01564-7
Danzer, N. (2019). Job Satisfaction and Self-Selection into the Public or Private Sector: Evidence from a Natural Experiment. Labour Economics, 57, 46-62. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.labeco.2019.01.002
Davoine, L. (2007). La qualité de l’emploi: Une perspective européenne. Université Panthéon-Sorbonne-Paris I.
Doeringer, P., & Piore, M. (1971). Internal Labor Markets and Manpower Analysis. Lexington (Mass).
Easterlin, R. (1974). Does Economic Growth Improve the Human Lot? Some Empirical Evidence. In P. A. David, & M. W. Reder (Eds.), Nations and Households in Economic Growth (pp. 88-125). Academic Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-205050-3.50008-7
Falco, P., Maloney, W. F., & Rijkers, B. (2011). Self-Employment and Informality in Africa: Panel Evidence from Satisfaction Data. CSAE/World Bank.
Freeman, R. (1978). Job Satisfaction as an Economic Variable. The American Economic Review, 68, 135-141.
Gazioglu, S., & Tansel, A. (2006). Job Satisfaction in Britain: Individual and Job Related Factors. Applied Economics, 38, 1163-1171. https://doi.org/10.1080/00036840500392987
Goerke, L. (2020). Unions and Workers’ Well-Being. IAAEU Discussion Paper Series in Economics No. 08/2020.
Heckman, J. J. (1979). Sample Selection Bias as a Specification Error. Econometrica, 47, 153-161. https://doi.org/10.2307/1912352
Herzberg, F. (1966). Work and the Nature of Man. World Pub. Co, Cleveland.
Huang, G., Yang, Y., Lei, Y., & Yang, J. (2023). Differences in Subjective Well-Being between Formal and Informal Workers in Urban China. International Journal of Environmental Research and Publish Health, 20, Article 149. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20010149
Idson, T. L. (1990). Establishment Size, Job Satisfaction and the Structure of Work. Applied Economics, 22, 1007-1018. https://doi.org/10.1080/00036849000000130
International Labor Organization (ILO) (2022). Global Employment Trends for Youth. Geneva: International Labor Office.
International Labor Organization (ILO) (2000). Employment and Social Protection in the Informal Sector. Geneva: International Labor Office.
Kahneman, D., Wakker, P. P., & Sarin, R. (1997). Back to Bentham? Explorations of Experienced Utility. The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 112, 375-405. https://doi.org/10.1162/003355397555235
Lévy-Garboua, L., Montmarquette, C., & Simonnet, V. (2007). Job Satisfaction and Quits. Labour Economics, 14, 251-268. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.labeco.2005.08.003
Lillo-Bañuls, A., & Casado-Diaz, J.-M. (2015). Exploring the Relationship between Educational Mismatch, Earnings and Job Satisfaction in Tourism Industry during the Global Economic Crisis. Current Issues in Tourism, 18, 361-375. https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2014.915796
Maloney, W. F. (2004). Informality Revisited. World Development, 32, 1159-1178. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2004.01.008
Martin, J. K., & Shehan, C. L. (1989). Education and Job Satisfaction: The Influences of Gender, Wage-Earnings Status and Job Values. Work and Occupation, 16, 184-199. https://doi.org/10.1177/0730888489016002005
Mckay, A., Newell, A. T., & Cinzia, R. (2018). Job Satisfaction among Workers in Eastern and Southern Africa: A Comparative Analysis. IZA Discussion Papers, n°11380, Institute of Labor Economics. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3153344
Mora, J.-G., García-Aracil, A., & Vila, L. E. (2007). Job Satisfaction among Young European Higher Education Graduates. Higher Education, 53, 29-59. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-005-2377-4
Mulinge, M., & Mueller, C. W. (1998). Employee Job Satisfaction in Developing Countries: The Case of Kenya. World Development, 26, 2181-2199. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0305-750X(98)00089-8
Ngassa, T. C. (2018a). Effets du capital social sur l’accès à l’emploi au Congo. Thèse de doctorat non publié, Université Marien Ngouabi.
Ngassa, T. C. (2018b). Effets du déclassement sur le salaire chez les jeunes au Congo. Annales de l’université Marien NGOUABI, 2, 32-44.
Ngassa, T. C., & Ndinga, M. M. A. (2019). Les déterminants de la satisfaction au travail des jeunes au Congo, rôle du mode d’accès à l’emploi. La REVUE CEDRES-ETUDES, 8, 188-220.
Nielsen, I., & Smyth, R. (2008). Job Satisfaction and Response to Incentives among China’s Urban Workforce. The Journal of Socio-Economics, 37, 1921-1936. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socec.2008.02.008
Okiemy, M., & Etsiba, S. (2021). Employment Access and Job Search Channels for Young People in Congo. Theoretical Economics Letters, 11, 302-319. https://doi.org/10.4236/tel.2021.112021
Pagés, C., & Madrigal, L. (2008). Is Informality a Good Measure of Job Quality? Evidence from Job Satisfaction Data. Working Paper, No. 654, Inter-American Development Bank, Research Department. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1821902
Perrot, A. (1992). Les nouvelles théories du marché du travail. La découverte.
Rakotomanana, F. (2011). Les travailleurs du secteur informel sont-ils plus heureux: Le cas de l’agglomération d’Antananarivo. In Secteur informel urbain, marché du travail et pauvreté. Essais d’analyse sur le cas de Madagascar, Thèse de Doctorat Publié, Université Bordeaux IV.
Raquel Bernal, S. (2009). The Informal Labor Market in Colombia: Identification and Characterization. Revista Desarrollo y Sociedad, 1, 145-208. https://doi.org/10.13043/dys.63.4
Razafindrakoto, M., & Roubaud, F. (2013). La satisfaction dans l’emploi une mesure de la qualité de l’insertion professionnelle en regard des aspirations. In P. De Vreyer, & F. Roubaud (Eds.), les marchés urbains du travail en Afrique subsaharienne (pp. 125-149). IRD/AFD. https://doi.org/10.4000/books.irdeditions.9661
Razafindrakoto, M., Roubaud, F., & Wachsberger, J.-M. (2012). Nature et fonction du secteur informel: Une analyse de la satisfaction dans l’emploi au Vietnam, 2012. Document de Travail DT/2012-10.
Redmond, P., & McGuinness, S. (2019). Explaining the Gender Gap in Job Satisfaction. Applied Economics Letters, 27, 1415-1418. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504851.2019.1686111
Roodman, D. (2011). Fitting Fully Observed Recursive Mixed-Process Models with CMP. Stata Journal, 11, 159-206. https://doi.org/10.1177/1536867X1101100202
Rosen, S. (1986). The Theory of Equalizing Difference. In O. Ashenfelteret, & D. Card (Eds.), Handbook of Labor Economics (pp. 641-692). Amsterdam. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1573-4463(86)01015-5
Sam, V. (2018). Education-Job Mismatches and Their Impacts on Job Satisfaction: An Analysis among University Graduates in Cambodia. Munich Personal RePEc Archive.
Simon, H. (1972). Theories of Bounded Rationality. In C. McGuire, & R. Radner (Eds.), Decision and Organization (pp. 161-176). Elsevier.
Souza-Poza, A., & Souza-Poza, A. A. (2000). Well-Being at Work: A Cross-National Analysis of the Levels and Determinants of Job Satisfaction. Journal of Socio-Economics, 29, 571-538. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1053-5357(00)00085-8
World Bank (WB) (2017). Report on Poverty Analysis Education, Jobs and Social Protection for Sustainable Poverty Reduction, Republic of Congo.
Yin, L. (2015). Educational Mismatch, Skill Mismatch and Job Satisfaction. University of Sheffield.
Yin, L. (2016). Overeducation in the Chinese Labor Market (p. 289). Thesis, University of Sheffield.