Workplaces have become more unstable in recent decades, but how such instability shapes categorical inequalities remains little understood. This study explores how the rise of employment precarity, re-conceptualized as an attribute of workplaces, affects gender inequality. We argue that gender inequality increases in volatile workplaces where employee tenure is short and turnover is common. In such workplaces, gender stereotyping and opportunity hoarding by men may become prevalent, because members have little incentive to acquire individualized information about each other and those who are not satisfied with unequal distribution of rewards simply leave rather than raising their voice. To test our argument, we analyze the effect of workplace volatility on the gender-wage gap, using employer–employee linked data from two separate national contexts: South Korea and the Netherlands. Leveraging on the different institutional contexts of the two countries, we also examine the moderating roles of unionization and public sector employment. Our theory and empirical findings contribute to our understanding of the workplace-level mechanisms of inequality, especially in the context of recent structural changes in the labor market.

中文翻译：

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工作场所波动和性别不平等：荷兰和韩国的比较

近几十年来，工作场所变得更加不稳定，但这种不稳定如何塑造分类不平等仍然知之甚少。本研究探讨了就业不稳定的兴起，重新概念化为工作场所的一个属性，如何影响性别不平等。我们认为，在员工任期短且流动性普遍的动荡工作场所中，性别不平等会加剧。在这样的工作场所，男性的性别刻板印象和囤积机会可能会变得普遍，因为成员没有动力去获取关于彼此的个性化信息，而那些对奖励分配不均不满意的人只会离开而不是提高自己的声音。为了验证我们的论点，我们使用来自两个不同国家背景的雇主-雇员关联数据分析了工作场所波动对性别工资差距的影响：韩国和荷兰。利用两国不同的制度背景，我们还研究了工会化和公共部门就业的调节作用。我们的理论和实证结果有助于我们理解工作场所层面的不平等机制，尤其是在劳动力市场近期结构性变化的背景下。