New forms of work among young people: Implications for the working environment 2.1 Gaming: a professional work 1 New forms of work among young people Implications for the working environment Nord 2019:025 ISBN 978-92-893-6202-3 (PRINT) ISBN 978-92-893-6203-0 (PDF) ISBN 978-92-893-6204-7 (EPUB) http://dx.doi.org/10.6027/Nord2019-025 © Nordic Council of Ministers 2019 This publication was funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers. However, the content does not necessarily reflect the Nordic Council of Ministers’ views, opinions, attitudes or recommendations. This publication uses model photos not depicting the interviewees. Layout: Trine Larsen Cover Photo: Andrew Neel / Unsplash Print: Lasertryk.dk Printed in Denmark Nordic co-operation Nordic co-operation is one of the world’s most extensive forms of regional collaboration, involving Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, the Faroe Islands, Greenland, and Åland. Nordic co-operation has firm traditions in politics, the economy, and culture. It plays an important role in European and international collaboration, and aims at creating a strong Nordic community in a strong Europe. Nordic co-operation seeks to safeguard Nordic and regional interests and principles in the global community. Shared Nordic values help the region solidify its position as one of the world’s most innovative and competitive. Nordic Council of Ministers Nordens Hus Ved Stranden 18 DK-1061 Copenhagen www.norden.org Download and order Nordic publications from www.norden.org/nordpub 2 New forms of work among young people New forms of work among young people: Implications for the working environment July 2019 Authors: Mette Lykke Nielsen, Centre for Youth Studies (CeFU), Aalborg University, Denmark. Louise Yung Nielsen, Communication and Arts, Roskilde University, Denmark. Kari Anne Holte, NORCE, Norwegian Research Centre, Bergen, Norway. Åsa Andersson, Department of Cultural Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Sweden. Gestur Gudmundsson, School of Education, University of Iceland, Iceland. Thamar Melanie Heijstra, School of Social Sciences, Faculty of Sociology. Anthropology and Folkloristics, University of Iceland, Iceland. Johnny Dyreborg, National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Denmark. 4 Photo: Arunas Naujokas / Unsplash New forms of work among young people Table of contents 8 Preface 10 Executive summary 16 Dansk resumé 23 1. Background 24 What is atypical employment? 26 New labour markets and new forms of work 27 Young people and atypical employment forms 28 Presentation of the included young people 33 2. Young people in new and atypical employment forms 34 2.1 Gaming: a professional work 35 Eirik: professional e-sport gamer (starcraft) 43 Nicolai: professional e-sport gamer (counter-strike) 52 Working as an e-sport gamer 54 2.2 Work via digital platforms (offline and online work) 55 Stefan: self-employed and paid per translated word 65 Stefan ‘the carpenter’: self-employed carpenter with profiles on three digital platforms 74 Working via digital platforms 76 2.3 Workers with different kinds of flexible work arrangements 77 Brynja: temporary employed as a waiter in the tourist industry 84 Devran: involuntary part-time employment in a supermarket chain 92 Anders: precarious employment at a supermarket 99 Working in flexible work arrangements 100 2.4 Unskilled temp agency work 101 Lars: unskilled temporary jobs 110 Julia: work as a receptionist through a temp agency 117 Working in temporary jobs 119 2.5 Working on social digital platforms 120 Sara Jin Smidt: chief editor, blogger and fitness instructor 128 Paula: beauty blogger, art agent and influencer 136 Anette: influencer and freelance consultant 145 Working on social media platforms 147 2.6 Young men in the creative industry (Iceland) 148 Dagur: best boy, gaffer, grip and assistant camera operator 156 Viðar: composer, dj and contractor as a sound engineer 164 Working in creative industries 165 3. Working environment and risks among young people with atypical work 167 3.1 Results of interview data (portraits) 170 3.2 Results of analysis of labour force survey data 173 4. Discussion and conclusions 187 5. Recommendations 190 Reference list 194 Appendix 1: Method 197 Appendix 2: Nordic Workshop 6 New forms of work among young people ndrew Buchanan/ Unsplash ndrew A Photo: Photo: 2.1 Gaming: a professional work 7 Preface Changes in the labour market globally with children. They are included in this and in the Nordic countries entail new book because each of them represents forms of work and atypical employment a different type of employment and for young workers. The young people work ing life experience that reflects a portrayed in the present report are labour market undergoing major change. between 21 and 30 years old, and they represent a wide variety of working lives. Furthermore, the focus on young workers They live and work in Iceland, Norway, is also important because young workers Sweden and Denmark. Most of them have a higher risk of occupational acci- are in a period of their lives when they dents, and they are more likely to report are establishing themselves in the labour skin contact with chemicals, wet work, market; only one of them has a daily life and handling of heavy loads at work, Photo: Priscilla du Preez/ Unsplash Priscilla du Preez/ Photo: 8 New forms of work among young people compared with older workers. A signifi- Denmark: cant proportion of young workers are in Senior Researcher Johnny Dyreborg, Ph.D. temporary positions, working irregular (project leader), the National Research working hours, and part-time work is in- Centre for the Working Environment. creasing among young workers. In order Associate Professor Mette Lykke Nielsen, to prevent and reduce working-environ- M.A., Ph.D., Centre for Youth Studies ment problems among young workers, (CeFU), Aalborg University. it is important to know more about new Assistant Professor, Louise Yung Nielsen, Ph.D., employment forms, and these are de- Communication and Arts, Roskilde University. scribed in this report. Some of these new employment forms, such as working on Norway: online platforms as gamers, YouTubers Senior Researcher, Kari Anne Holte, or influencers, move into the border- Dr.Ing. and Senior Researcher, Merete land of the meanings we usually ascribe Jonvik, PhD, NORCE, Norwegian to the categories ‘work’ and ‘working Research Centre, Bergen. environment’. This development also applies to traditional professions, such Sweden: as carpentry or service work, but the Associate Professor, Åsa Andersson, new aspect is that the work is mediated Ph.D., University of Gothenburg. through online platforms, and this seems to affect the working environment for Iceland: these young workers. Professor Gestur Gudmundsson, M.Sc., Ph.D., School of Education and Associ- We can see from these cases that the ate Professor, Thamar Melanie Heijstra, young workers face many of the same PhD, School of Social Sciences, Faculty of challenges across the Nordic countries Sociology, Anthropology and Folkloristics, regarding new and atypical types of University of Iceland. employment. Related dynamics on the labour market in the Nordic countries We also thank the young people that we provide a common basis for fruitful dis- interviewed, who shared valuable infor- cussions and exchange of knowledge on mation and insights about working in this pertinent problem. New and more new and atypical forms of employment. effective initiatives might be needed in In addition, we arranged a national work- order to counter the global changes in shop in Copenhagen in April 2018 with economies and the labour market, and the participation of researchers, work- new ideas are needed in order to reach ing-environment authorities, and social young people where they work and to partners from the Nordic countries to ensure a sustainable working life for all present preliminary results of the project, young workers in the Nordic countries. and to exchange knowledge about young workers in atypical work and possible The project group consisted of the measures to better reach this group. We following participants from four Nordic would like to thank the participants for countries: their engaged contributions. Preface 9 Executive summary This report presents fourteen portraits tual employer (if they have one) really is, of young people working in new and and some of them are both workers and atypical forms of work in the Nordic employers at the same time. This applies, countries. Most of the young people por- for example, to the entrepreneur Stefan, trayed in this report have several jobs or who offers his own labour on a digital incomes at the same time or a number platform, and finds the cheapest labour of different jobs/incomes for short peri- for the software development that he ods. Exactly how many jobs/incomes is needs for his own business on another often difficult to ascertain. Some find it digital platform. The employee/employer difficult to explain exactly how their work relationship is a grey zone that challeng- is actually organised and paid, because es our usual way of thinking about how there are many different types of em- work is organised and who is responsible. ployment and payroll benefits systems involved. Several of the young people have at times worked without For some of the young people included in pay to build up a CV, create the report, these terms are involuntary and they struggle daily to manage their networks, or just gain some situation, while for others this lack of work experience. None of the clarity is a positive option that they enjoy. young people included in the While some of the young people have study have a single permanent insecure employment associated with workplace with regular financial and social insecurity, others colleagues. Moreover, it is have very privileged and highly paid work often unclear who the actual that is not connected with financial insecurity. Some talk about financially employer (if they have one) insecure work that nevertheless consti- really is, and some of them are tutes an opportunity to get a foothold in both workers and employers the labour market.