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werkleven

Werkleven is a Dutch term that denotes the total set of work-related experiences in a person’s life. It covers paid employment, self-employment, career development, working conditions, and the social and personal consequences of work. The concept is used to analyze how work patterns accumulate over time and how they interact with education, family responsibilities, health, and retirement planning.

Etymology and usage: The word combines werk (work) and leven (life). In Dutch-language sociology, economics, and

Context and contemporary relevance: In modern labor markets, the werkleven is shaped by factors such as long-term

See also: loopbaan, arbeidsparticipatie, werk-privébalans, pensioen.

policy
discourse,
werkleven
is
used
to
discuss
the
life
course
of
workers,
the
timing
of
transitions
between
jobs
or
between
study
and
work,
and
the
overall
influence
of
occupation
on
well-being
and
social
participation.
It
is
related
to,
but
distinct
from,
loopbaan
(career
path)
and
from
werk-privébalans
(work–life
balance).
unemployment
risk,
part-time
or
flexible
work,
caregiving
responsibilities,
migration,
aging
populations,
and
lifelong
learning.
Debates
focus
on
how
to
sustain
employability,
manage
work
during
aging,
and
ensure
adequate
pensions
and
social
protection
across
the
working
life.
Digitalization
and
automation
also
affect
the
structure
and
duration
of
the
werkleven
by
changing
tasks
and
demand
for
skills.