Job insecurity and globalisation: what factors shape public opinion in Asia and Europe?

Abstract

Although evidence varies, the process of globalisation has produced concern among the public in terms of its possible effects on job security. Our objective is to discover some of the determinants of the variation in public opinion on this issue. We analyse public opinion about the effects of globalisation on job security [using a multi-response item] based on the Asia-Europe Study (ASES) study of 18,000 respondents in nine Asian and nine European countries, which studies regions and globalisation. We use multinomial logistic regression techniques to determine the factors that are significant in explaining variation in responses on job security including: demographics, economic situation, value orientations, national political and policy attitudes, and selected economic and migration data. Regression models are specified for the respective regions. Important findings from the results for Europe are that measures of economic insecurity, worries about immigration, dissatisfaction with national government performance and political values are positively associated with ‘bad effect’ responses. In Asia, there is strong support for the good effects of globalisation on job security, especially among younger respondents. Importantly, this support appears to be more widespread and is not predicted by 'winner status' (education and living standards) as is the case for Europe. Our conclusions are: negative attitudes to the job effects of globalisation in Europe are in part values-driven and that national government performance on unemployment - which has been generally dismal - matters in determining opinion about this issue. Combined with evidence from the survey, which suggests that the public prefers national solutions to unemployment, and global solutions to other problems, we suggest that national institutions have a significant role in mediating both real effects and opinion about this issue.