Part-time Happiness Sandwiched between Work and Care Jan C. van Ours Gender Unlimited Tilburg University 13 March 2014 Gender Unlimited Tilburg University Part-time Happiness 1 / 24
Introduction Part-time happiness in the Netherlands 1 Part-time work stimulated labor force participation 2 Part-time work is what (most) women want 3 Family policies not so important 4 Men are men 5 Part-time work is here to stay Gender Unlimited Tilburg University Part-time Happiness 2 / 24
Introduction Set-up of my presentation 1 What is the story? 2 Part-time work a Dutch treat 3 How to appreciate part-time jobs? 4 Children & family policies 5 Women & men 6 Social norms Gender Unlimited Tilburg University Part-time Happiness 3 / 24
What is the story? What is the story? Employment Rates 35-44 years; 1987-2012 Gender Unlimited Tilburg University Part-time Happiness 4 / 24
Part-time work a Dutch treat Part-time work a Dutch treat Employment Rates 35-44 years; 2012; PT FT Gender Unlimited Tilburg University Part-time Happiness 5 / 24
Part-time work a Dutch treat Part-time work a Dutch treat Employment Rates 35-44 years; 2012; PT Overall Gender Unlimited Tilburg University Part-time Happiness 6 / 24
How to appreciate part-time jobs? How to appreciate part-time jobs? 1 Negative view: trap leading to marginalization of women Bad pay Instable job Glass ceiling 2 Positive view: provide opportunity for continuous employment for those women for whom fulltime work is not an option Gender Unlimited Tilburg University Part-time Happiness 7 / 24
How to appreciate part-time jobs? Part-time jobs (% of total employment; age 15+) Part-time Involuntary PT Men Women Men Women Denmark 14.3 25.4 10.4 12.8 France 5.7 22.4 26.6 28.4 Germany 8.1 38.3 20.8 12.9 Italy 6.2 32.6 44.8 39.6 Netherlands 17.1 61.6 6.7 5.0 Spain 5.6 22.6 67.5 54.9 UK 10.5 38.1 27.0 12.2 US 8.4 17.1 13.7 10.3 Information from 2011; involuntary PT = percentage of part-time workers who stat that they are working part-time because they could not find a full-time job. Gender Unlimited Tilburg University Part-time Happiness 8 / 24
How to appreciate part-time jobs? Involuntary part-time work among women 2011 Gender Unlimited Tilburg University Part-time Happiness 9 / 24
How to appreciate part-time jobs? Life satisfaction By hours of work: Australia, UK, Netherlands Different scales 1 Australia: 0-10 2 UK: 1-7 3 Netherlands: 1-5 Normalize: average = 1 Gender Unlimited Tilburg University Part-time Happiness 10 / 24
How to appreciate part-time jobs? Australia Gender Unlimited Tilburg University Part-time Happiness 11 / 24
How to appreciate part-time jobs? Australia, UK Gender Unlimited Tilburg University Part-time Happiness 12 / 24
How to appreciate part-time jobs? Australia, UK & the Netherlands Gender Unlimited Tilburg University Part-time Happiness 13 / 24
How to appreciate part-time jobs? Work more/less men Blue line: wants to work less red line: wants to work more Gender Unlimited Tilburg University Part-time Happiness 14 / 24
How to appreciate part-time jobs? Work more/less women Blue line: wants to work less red line: wants to work more Gender Unlimited Tilburg University Part-time Happiness 15 / 24
Children & family policies Employment rates women aged 25-54 years by presence of children (2008-2010) extensive margin By presence of children under 6 0 1 2 3+ Total Denmark 79.8 85.2 84.3 88.1 83.0 France 80.0 78.5 78.4 58.2 76.7 Germany 82.9 74.7 69.1 50.1 76.3 Italy 63.8 58.8 54.3 40.4 58.7 Netherlands 81.4 78.4 81.6 69.7 79.5 Spain 76.6 63.3 60.1 47.8 63.2 UK 81.7 75.4 71.1 49.2 74.3 US 78.6 75.6 64.7 74.1 Gender Unlimited Tilburg University Part-time Happiness 16 / 24
Children & family policies Parttime employment of women aged 25-54 years (% of total employment; mostly 2010) intensive margin By presence of children under 6 0 1 2 3+ Total Denmark 24.4 23.9 24.7 26.6 24.3 France 20.9 26.7 36.9 47.5 29.0 Germany 31.8 59.5 74.3 78.3 47.6 Italy 22.6 32.7 37.1 40.2 29.4 Netherlands 55.3 82.4 89.2 91.1 74.0 Spain 17.1 24.2 29.7 30.2 22.9 UK 21.5 45.4 60.1 65.5 39.0 US 10.1 15.8 23.6 14.6 Gender Unlimited Tilburg University Part-time Happiness 17 / 24
Children & family policies Childcare and maternity leave (2007-2008) Young children Duration of Base Total duration Childcare using formal base mater- maternity of leave spending child care % nity leave benfits (base+opt) (% GDP) < 3 3 (weeks) (%) (weeks) Denmark 1.32 66 92 18 50 46 France 1.01 42 100 16 100 159 Germany 0.39 18 93 14 100 162 Italy 0.62 29 97 20 80 26 Netherlands 0.72 56 67 16 100 26 Spain 0.45 37 99 16 100 162 United Kingdom 1.09 41 93 52 25 52 United States 0.38 31 56 12 0 12 Gender Unlimited Tilburg University Part-time Happiness 18 / 24
Children & family policies Childcare coverage and employment rates of women with at least one child (2010) Gender Unlimited Tilburg University Part-time Happiness 19 / 24
Women & men Market hours and housework men I Australia Gender Unlimited Tilburg University Part-time Happiness 20 / 24
Women & men Market hours and housework men II Australia Gender Unlimited Tilburg University Part-time Happiness 21 / 24
Women & men Market hours women housework men II Household work (hours per week) 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 0 1-8 9-11 12-18 19-24 25-30 31-35 35+ Paid work women (hours per week) Men 2000 Men 2005 Women 2000 Women 2005 Netherlands Couples with men who work full-time Gender Unlimited Tilburg University Part-time Happiness 22 / 24
Social norms Social norms about mothers working & employment rate of prime-aged women; 1990 Gender Unlimited Tilburg University Part-time Happiness 23 / 24
Conclusions/statements Part-time happiness 1 Part-time work stimulated labor force participation 2 Part-time work is what (most) women want 3 Family policies not so important 4 Men are men 5 Part-time work is here to stay Gender Unlimited Tilburg University Part-time Happiness 24 / 24