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Why Do Part-Time Workers Earn Less? The Role of Worker and Job Skills

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Author Info
Hirsch, Barry T. () (Trinity University and IZA Bonn)

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Abstract

The wages of part-time workers are considerably lower than are those of full-time workers. Measurable worker and job characteristics, including occupational skill requirements, account for much of the part-time penalty. Longitudinal analysis indicates that much of the remaining gap reflects worker heterogeneity, evidenced by small wage gains and losses among workers switching between part-time and full-time jobs. The lower skills of part-time than fulltime workers result primarily from limited work experience and accumulation of human capital. Little evidence can be found of a large wage gap between part-time and full-time women. A part-time wage penalty is found for men, but men account for a small proportion of total part-time employment.

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Publisher Info
Paper provided by Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) in its series IZA Discussion Papers with number 1261.

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Length: 35 pages
Date of creation: Aug 2004
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Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp1261

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Related research
Keywords: part-time; wages; job characteristics; worker heterogeneity;

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Find related papers by JEL classification:
J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials
J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
J22 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Time Allocation and Labor Supply

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References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
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    Other versions:
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    Other versions:
  7. Bruce C. Fallick, 1998. "Part-time work and industry growth," Finance and Economics Discussion Series 1998-16, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.). [Downloadable!]
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  14. Daniel Aaronson & Eric French, 2004. "The Effect of Part-Time Work on Wages: Evidence from the Social Security Rules," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 22(2), pages 329-352, April. [Downloadable!]
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    Other versions:
  18. Card, David, 1996. "The Effect of Unions on the Structure of Wages: A Longitudinal Analysis," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 64(4), pages 957-79, July. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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    Other versions:
Full references

Cited by:
(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. Raaum, Oddbjørn & Bratsberg, Bernt & Røed, Knut & Österbacka , Eva & Eriksson, Tor & Jäntti, Markus & Naylor, Robin, 2007. "Marital Sorting, Household Labor Supply, and Intergenerational Earnings Mobility across Countries," Memorandum 17/2007, Oslo University, Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  2. B. Cockx & C. Goebel & S. Robin, 2009. "Is income support for part-time workers a steppingstone to regular jobs? An application to young long-term unemployed women," Working Papers of Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Ghent University, Belgium 09/561, Ghent University, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration. [Downloadable!]
  3. Daniel Aaronson & Eric French, 2001. "The effect of part-time work on wages: evidence from the Social Security rules," Working Paper Series WP-01-20, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. [Downloadable!]
  4. Mark Wooden & Diana Warren & Robert Drago, 2007. "Working Time Mismatch and Subjective Well-Being," Melbourne Institute Working Paper Series wp2007n29, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, The University of Melbourne. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  5. John T. Addison & Christopher J. Surfield, 2005. "‘Atypical Work’ and Compensation," GEMF Working Papers 2005-14, GEMF - Faculdade de Economia, Universidade de Coimbra. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  6. repec:ese:iserwp: is not listed on IDEAS
  7. Síle O’Dorchai & Robert Plasman & François Rycx, 2007. "The Part-Time Wage Penalty in European Countries: How Large Is It for Men?," IZA Discussion Papers 2591, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  8. Booth, A.L. & Ours, J.C. van, 2007. "Job Satisfaction And Family Happiness: The Part-Time Work Problem," Discussion Paper 2007-69, Tilburg University, Center for Economic Research. [Downloadable!]
  9. Giovanni Russo & Wolter Hassink, 2008. "The Part-Time Wage Gap: a Career Perspective," De Economist, Springer, vol. 156(2), pages 145-174, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  10. Karen Mumford & Peter N. Smith, 2007. "Assessing the Importance of Male and Female Part-Time Work for the Gender Earnings Gap in Britain," IZA Discussion Papers 2981, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
  11. Alison L. Booth & Jan C. van Ours, 2007. "Job Satisfaction and Family Happiness: The Part-time Work Puzzle," Department of Economics - Working Papers Series 1000, The University of Melbourne. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  12. Christopher R. Bollinger & Barry T. Hirsch, 2005. "Match Bias from Earnings Imputation in the Current Population Survey: The Case of Imperfect Matching," IZA Discussion Papers 1846, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  13. Lixin Cai, 2007. "Effects of Health on Wages of Australian Men," Melbourne Institute Working Paper Series wp2007n02, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, The University of Melbourne. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  14. Alison Booth & Margi Wood, 2004. "Back-to-front Down-under? Part-time/Full-time Wage Differentials in Australia," CEPR Discussion Papers 482, Centre for Economic Policy Research, Research School of Social Sciences, Australian National University. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  15. William Even & David Macpherson, 2004. "Do Pensions Impede Phased Retirement?," Labor and Demography 0407001, EconWPA. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  16. Alison Booth & Margi Wood, 2006. "Back-to-front Down-under? Estimating the Part-time/Full-time Wage Differential over the Period 2001-2003," CEPR Discussion Papers 525, Centre for Economic Policy Research, Research School of Social Sciences, Australian National University. [Downloadable!]
  17. Alexander Muravyev, 2007. "Firm Size, Wages and Unobserved Skills: Evidence from Dual Job Holdings in the UK," Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin 681, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research. [Downloadable!]
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