Temporary agency work and private life: Effects of a flexible employment form on couples' relationships and the family

In the course of the general trend of economic flexibilization, temporary agency work (TAW) has become an increasingly important form of employment in Germany and is often associated with precariousness. Previous research has not yet regarded TAW in connection with private life. The article investigates the influence of TAW on young adults' relationships and fertility decisions. For this purpose, 13 qualitative problem-centered interviews were conducted with German male and female temporary agency workers, aged 21-35 years. Results indicate that the characteristics of TAW are preponderantly estimated negatively, but effects on relationship quality differed according to the position in the social strata: Interviewees with higher educational degrees appraise TAW as largely beneficial to their partnerships, whereas low-skilled workers' relationships are influenced detrimentally by a lack of recognition at the workplace and material deprivation. Both groups evaluate job insecurity, low remuneration, and geographical mobility as obstacles to parenthood.