Being Employed Just Can’t Get Enough: A Cross-National Study on Vulnerable Employment and Homicide

• In Event: Socioeconomic Status and Inequality Effects on Crime

Abstract

When it comes to labor market conditions or socioeconomic status, unemployment is one of the well-known factors in criminology. However, not only unemployment but also insecure status of employment is also problematic because it also affects individual living conditions and socioeconomic status. Therefore, the present study uses fixed-effects regression for the relationship between vulnerable employment and homicide rates of 128 countries from 2000 to 2021. First, vulnerable employment has a significant and positive effect on homicide rates. Second, vulnerable employment has an interactive effect on the relationship between the Gini and homicide rates and between infant mortality rates and homicide rates. This study concludes with a discussion of employment status and homicides in relation to inequality and poverty.

Author

• Junghi Ha, University of Erfurt