Deprived but not in the same way: the moderating effects of individual characteristics on the skills mismatch’s association with individual subjective well-being at work

This article explores the link between different types of skills/educational mismatch and individual subjective well-being at work and how this association is moderated by some individual socio-demographic characteristics. Relying on the capability approach, it goes beyond the widespread focus on instrumental and economic effects of skills mismatch and affirms the importance of subjective well-being and intrinsic values for people’s flourishing. Conceptually, we regard subjective well-being at work as a multidimensional phenomenon which refers to different dimensions of work, both instrumental (income benefits, working conditions, security, work-life balance) and intrinsic (interest in the work, opportunities for personal growth, social relations). Empirically, we analyse data from the second wave of the Cedefop European Skills and Jobs Survey (2021) for 27 countries via multilevel modelling and develop an index which captures different aspects of work. The results reveal that each of the types of skills mismatch studied – required education, vertical educational mismatch, horizontal educational mismatch, skills utilisation – matters for individual subjective well-being at work. The article provides evidence that the individual characteristics moderate the effect of skills mismatch on individual subjective well-being at work differently, which should be considered in both analyses and policy making.