Employment Dualism in Crisis: Labour Market and Welfare State Reforms Before and During COVID-19.

Dual labour markets have been a specific feature of employment systems in Continental Europe after an initial wave of deregulation that started in the 1980s in a situation of high and persistent unemployment. Since then, the institutional dualisation of employment by type of contract has had massive implications on the quality and quantity of jobs. However, while dualisms were conceived as inevitable and stable, the perception has become more nuanced and dynamic, accounting for partial dedualising steps observable over the last decade in particular. This paper gives an overview of the history of dualisation and dual labour markets before addressing current challenges arising from the digital transition and the COVID-19 pandemic. It concludes with a discussion about potential policies to overcome labour market dualisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]