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Moving Down: Women's Part‐Time Work and Occupational Change in Britain 1991–2001

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  • Sara Connolly
  • Mary Gregory

Abstract

We give a quantitative analysis of the nature of occupational change – based on the utilisation of skills – as women make the transition between full‐time and part‐time work. We show that one‐quarter of women moving from full‐ to part‐time work experience downgrading. Women remaining with their current employer are less vulnerable and the availability of part‐time opportunities is far more important than the presence of a pre‐school child in determining whether a woman moves to a lower‐skilled occupation. These findings indicate a loss of economic efficiency through the underutilisation of the skills of many of the women who work part‐time.

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  • Sara Connolly & Mary Gregory, 2008. "Moving Down: Women's Part‐Time Work and Occupational Change in Britain 1991–2001," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 118(526), pages 52-76, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:econjl:v:118:y:2008:i:526:p:f52-f76
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-0297.2007.02116.x
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • C23 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Models with Panel Data; Spatio-temporal Models
    • C25 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Discrete Regression and Qualitative Choice Models; Discrete Regressors; Proportions; Probabilities
    • C33 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - Models with Panel Data; Spatio-temporal Models
    • C35 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - Discrete Regression and Qualitative Choice Models; Discrete Regressors; Proportions
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J22 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Time Allocation and Labor Supply
    • J62 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Job, Occupational and Intergenerational Mobility; Promotion

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