ABSTRACT
An outstanding feature of the Belgian labour market is its enduring low employment rate, especially pronounced when compared to the European average: except for Italy, Belgium is the only country with an employment rate below 60 per cent. In international literature, the concept of volition distinguishes between voluntary and involuntary temporary employees, based on whether or not they prefer their employment arrangement. A small minority, ranging from 5 per cent to 14 per cent across studies, prefers temporary to permanent employment. The search for a permanent contract stands out as the dominant motive for accepting temporary employment, with percentages fluctuating around 50 per cent. Belgian research did not yet succeed in sorting out the relationship between the employment and the psychological contract. The relationship between contract permanency and organizational outcomes is not as straightforward as generally assumed: most research does not find contract-based differences when organizational commitment or performance are concerned.
