Part-time Employment Can Be a Life-Time Setback for Earnings: A Study of British Women 1975-2001

30 Pages Posted: 7 Nov 2007

See all articles by Sara Connolly

Sara Connolly

University of East Anglia (UEA) - School of Economic and Social Studies

Mary Gregory

University of Oxford - Department of Economics

Date Written: October 2007

Abstract

Two particular features of the position of women in the British labour market are the extensive role of part-time work and the large part-time pay penalty. Part-time work features most prominently when women are in their 30s, the peak childcare years and, particularly for more educated women, a crucial period for career building. This makes it essential to understand its impact on women's subsequent earnings trajectories. We find that the wage return to part-time experience is low - negligible in lower skill occupations. Even more important channels contributing to the pay disadvantage of women working part-time are job changing, particularly when this involves occupational downgrading. Downgrading can lead to a permanent pay disadvantage for women following a spell in part-time work.

Keywords: female employment, part-time work, occupation, earnings trajectories, life-cycle, downgrade, over-qualification

JEL Classification: C23, C25, C33, C35, J16, J22, J62

Suggested Citation

Connolly, Sara and Gregory, Mary, Part-time Employment Can Be a Life-Time Setback for Earnings: A Study of British Women 1975-2001 (October 2007). IZA Discussion Paper No. 3101, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1028220 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1028220

Sara Connolly

University of East Anglia (UEA) - School of Economic and Social Studies ( email )

Norwich, Norfolk NR4 7TJ
United Kingdom

Mary Gregory (Contact Author)

University of Oxford - Department of Economics ( email )

Manor Road Building
Manor Road
Oxford, OX1 3BJ
United Kingdom
44 1865 271 951 (Phone)
44 1865 271 094 (Fax)

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