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Job Tasks, Computer Use, and the Decreasing Part-Time Pay Penalty for Women in the UK

Author

Listed:
  • Elsayed, Ahmed

    (American University in Cairo)

  • de Grip, Andries

    (ROA, Maastricht University)

  • Fouarge, Didier

    (ROA, Maastricht University)

Abstract

Using data from the UK Skills Surveys, we show that the part-time pay penalty for female workers within low- and medium-skilled occupations decreased significantly over the period 1997-2006. The convergence in computer use between part-time and full-time workers within these occupations explains a large share of the decrease in the part-time pay penalty. However, the lower part-time pay penalty is also related to lower wage returns to reading and writing which are performed more intensively by full-time workers. Conversely, the increasing returns to influencing has increased the part-time pay penalty despite the convergence in the influencing task input between part-time and full-time workers. The relative changes in the input and prices of computer use and job tasks together explain more than 50 percent of the decrease in the part-time pay penalty.

Suggested Citation

  • Elsayed, Ahmed & de Grip, Andries & Fouarge, Didier, 2014. "Job Tasks, Computer Use, and the Decreasing Part-Time Pay Penalty for Women in the UK," IZA Discussion Papers 8069, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
  • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp8069
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Sabien Dobbelaere & Mark Vancauteren, 2014. "Market imperfections, skills and total factor productivity : Firm-level evidence on Belgium and the Netherlands," Working Paper Research 267, National Bank of Belgium.
    2. Rita Pető & Balázs Reizer, 2021. "Gender differences in the skill content of jobs," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 34(3), pages 825-864, July.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    pay penalty; part-time work; computer use; job tasks;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials

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