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Is There Evidence Of A Wage Penalty To Female Part‐Time Employment In South Africa?

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  • Dorrit Posel
  • Colette Muller

Abstract

In this paper, we investigate female part‐time employment in South Africa. Using household survey data for South Africa from 1995 to 2004, we show that women are over‐represented in part‐time employment, and that the growth in part‐time work has been an important feature of the feminisation of the labour force. In contrast to many studies of part‐time work in other countries, however, we find evidence of a significant wage premium to female part‐time employment. The premium is also robust to fixed effects estimations using Labour Force Survey panel data from 2001 to 2004, where controlling for unobservable differences increases its size. The premium persists with different hourly thresholds defining part‐time employment and when we account for possible reporting errors in hours worked.

Suggested Citation

  • Dorrit Posel & Colette Muller, 2008. "Is There Evidence Of A Wage Penalty To Female Part‐Time Employment In South Africa?," South African Journal of Economics, Economic Society of South Africa, vol. 76(3), pages 466-479, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:sajeco:v:76:y:2008:i:3:p:466-479
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1813-6982.2008.00197.x
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Daniela Casale, 2004. "What has the Feminisation of the Labour Market ‘Bought’ Women in South Africa? Trends in Labour Force Participation, Employment and Earnings, 1995–2001," Journal of Interdisciplinary Economics, , vol. 15(3-4), pages 251-275, July.
    2. Joan R. Rodgers, 2004. "Hourly Wages of full-time and part-time employees in Australia," Australian Journal of Labour Economics (AJLE), Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre (BCEC), Curtin Business School, vol. 7(2), pages 231-254, June.
    3. Wayne Simpson, 1986. "Analysis of Part-Time Pay in Canada," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 19(4), pages 798-807, November.
    4. James E. Long & Ethel B. Jones, 1981. "Married Women in Part-Time Employment," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 34(3), pages 413-425, April.
    5. John F. Ermisch & Robert E. Wright, 1993. "Wage Offers and Full-Time and Part-Time Employment by British Women," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 28(1), pages 111-133.
    6. Daniela Casale, 2004. "What has the Feminisation of the Labour Market ‘Bought’ Women in South Africa? Trends in Labour Force Participation, Employment and Earnings, 1995-2001," Working Papers 04084, University of Cape Town, Development Policy Research Unit.
    7. Barry T. Hirsch, 2005. "Why Do Part-Time Workers Earn Less? The Role of Worker and Job Skills," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 58(4), pages 525-551, July.
    8. Alan Manning & Helen Robinson, 2004. "Something in the way she moves: a fresh look at an old gap," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 56(2), pages 169-188, April.
    9. Tom Hertz, 2005. "The Effect of Minimum Wages on the Employment and Earnings of South Africa's Domestic Service Workers," Upjohn Working Papers 05-120, W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research.
    10. Inés Hardoy & Pål Schøne, 2006. "The Part‐Time Wage Gap in Norway: How Large is It Really?," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 44(2), pages 263-282, June.
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    Cited by:

    1. Dorrit Posel & Janet Bruce-Brand, 2021. "‘Only a Housewife?’ Subjective Well-Being and Homemaking in South Africa," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 22(1), pages 323-342, January.
    2. Haroon Bhorat & Morné Oosthuizen & Kezia Lilenstein & François Steenkamp, 2017. "Firm-level determinants of earnings in the formal sector of the South African labour market," WIDER Working Paper Series 025, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    3. Haroon Bhorat & Morné Oosthuizen & Kezia Lilenstein & François Steenkamp, 2017. "Firm-level determinants of earnings in the formal sector of the South African labour market," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2017-25, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    4. Jacqueline Mosomi, 2019. "Distributional changes in the gender wage gap in the post-apartheid South African labour market," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2019-17, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    5. Jacqueline Mosomi & Mrtin Wittenberg, 2020. "The labor market in South Africa, 2000–2017," World of Labour, LISER, pages 475-475, April.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • J21 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Force and Employment, Size, and Structure
    • J22 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Time Allocation and Labor Supply
    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials

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