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Working Time Distribution and Preferences Across the Life Course: A European Perspective

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  • Dominique Anxo
  • Christine Franz
  • Angelika Kümmerling

Abstract

The main objective of this paper is to identify andexplain cross-country gender disparities in workingtime distribution and working time preferences inseven EU-member states (France, Germany, Italy, theNetherlands, Poland and the UK). The selection ofthese countries has been essentially guided by thefact that they differ considerably in terms of welfarestate regime, employment and industrial relationsystems, family policies, and gender contract. Ourselected European countries still display a highgender polarization of working time and the currentgendered working time distribution reflects theresilience of a traditional gender contract. Regardingworking time preferences a majority of wage earnersseem to be satisfied with their current workingtime. However, around 45 per cent of dependentemployees indicate that they would like to changetheir current working time, and most of them expressa preference for a reduction of working time. Ourresults also show that male and female employees inour selected countries aspire to some convergenceof working time, female employees expressing onaverage a wish of increasing their working time andmen a wish of decreasing working time. Beyondmeasures favouring a more balanced gender divisionof labour, our study tends also to show the need ofimplementing family-friendly, flexible and reversibleworking time options across the life course. Finally,our results show that the current EU working timedirective is not always successful in limiting excessiveworking time.

Suggested Citation

  • Dominique Anxo & Christine Franz & Angelika Kümmerling, 2013. "Working Time Distribution and Preferences Across the Life Course: A European Perspective," Economia & lavoro, Carocci editore, issue 2, pages 77-106.
  • Handle: RePEc:caq:j950ix:doi:10.7384/75271:y:2013:i:2:p:77-106
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    Cited by:

    1. Huemer, Ulrike & Bock-Schappelwein, Julia & Famira-Mühlberger, Ulrike & Lutz, Hedwig & Mayrhuber, Christine, 2017. "Österreich 2025: Arbeitszeitverteilung in Österreich. Analyse und Optionen aus Sicht der Arbeitnehmerinnen und Arbeitnehmer," Sozialpolitische Studienreihe, Government of Austria, Federal Ministry of Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection, Vienna, volume 23, number 23.
    2. Lott, Yvonne, 2014. "Flexibilität und Autonomie in der Arbeitszeit: Gut für die Work-Life Balance? Analysen zum Zusammenhang von Arbeitszeitarrangements und Work-Life Balance in Europa," WSI Reports 18, The Institute of Economic and Social Research (WSI), Hans Böckler Foundation.
    3. Renate Ortlieb & Julian Winterheller, 2020. "Behind Migrant and Non‐Migrant Worktime Inequality in Europe: Institutional and Cultural Factors Explaining Differences," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 58(4), pages 785-815, December.
    4. Gerold, Stefanie & Nocker, Matthias, 2018. "More Leisure or Higher Pay? A Mixed-methods Study on Reducing Working Time in Austria," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 143(C), pages 27-36.
    5. Lott, Yvonne, 2014. "Working time flexibility and autonomy: Facilitating time adequacy? A European perspective," WSI Working Papers 190, The Institute of Economic and Social Research (WSI), Hans Böckler Foundation.
    6. Peter Berg & Gerhard Bosch & Jean Charest, 2014. "Working-Time Configurations," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 67(3), pages 805-837, July.

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