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

Posted: 17 May 2005

See all articles by Barry T. Hirsch

Barry T. Hirsch

IZA Institute of Labor Economics; Georgia State University

Abstract

Part-time workers receive considerably lower wages than do full-time workers. Using Current Population Survey earnings files for September 1995 through December 2002, the author finds that measurable worker and job characteristics, including occupational skill requirements, account for much of the part-time penalty. Longitudinal analysis of the data 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 full-time 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 less than one-third of total part-time employment.

Keywords: part-time workers, skills and earnings

JEL Classification: J24, J31

Suggested Citation

Hirsch, Barry T. and Hirsch, Barry T., Why Do Part-Time Workers Earn Less? the Role of Worker and Job Skills.. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=721962

Barry T. Hirsch (Contact Author)

Georgia State University ( email )

Department of Economics
Andrew Young School of Policy Studies
Atlanta, GA 30302-3992
United States
404-413-0880 (Phone)
404-413-0145 (Fax)

HOME PAGE: http://unionstats.gsu.edu/bhirsch

IZA Institute of Labor Economics

P.O. Box 7240
Bonn, D-53072
Germany

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Abstract Views
271
PlumX Metrics