| dc.description.abstract | This thesis researches in a multi-method design how the crowding-out of younger workers by older workers is framed in the Dutch political discourse and whether there is empirical evidence to support the idea of crowding-out. The qualitative analysis finds that there are two dominant narratives concerning crowding-out between young and old. One group of parties, among which the Christian Democratic Appeal and the Democrats66, does not believe in structural crowding-out of the young by the old. The other group around the Labor Party, the Socialist Party and the pensioners’ interest party 50PLUS, defends this view. Parties mainly use two frames when talking about the old crowding-out the young: the dependency frame, expressing that crowding-out partially or fully depends on the economic cycle, and the economic frame, arguing their stance from an economic, detached point of view. Both defenders and critics use indicators and questioning credibility to rationalize their position. Additionally, critics rely on science & theory and defenders on logical reasoning. The quantitative analysis shows no effect of the employment of the old on outcome measures for the young when detrended. The qualitative analysis however identifies another form of age-related crowding out that is gaining importance in the Dutch political discourse: young workers crowding out old workers. In the narratives on this form of crowding-out, the responsibility and the personalization frame were used predominantly. The notion of crowding-out of the old was supported by most parties, which indicates a shift in political interest from youth unemployment to unemployment of the old. | |
