Part‐Time Employment of Married Women in the U.S.A

Abstract

Abstract. The rapid growth since 1970, and especially in the 1980s, of part‐time and temporary employment was attributed to the transition of the economy from manufacturing to service production and to labor demand side factors. Since part‐timers are predominantly women and the majority of the female labor force are married women, the association between the female labor force participation rate and the part‐time employment of married women across the 48 continental states of America in 1980 are explored. The empirical study supports the positive association between the two variables, but fails to support the role of the service sector in explaining part‐time employment of married women across the states of America.

Beyond 9 to 5: The Diversity of Employment Among 1992-93 College Graduates in 1997

“…Part-time workers in professional jobs were more likely than those in a field profession to receive paid sick leave (43 vs. 23 percent) or retirement benefits (50 vs. 26 percent) and were more likely than clerical workers to receive family-related benefits (35 vs. 16 percent). These findings are consistent with those cited in the literature on this topic (Lester 1996).…”

“…Workers were more likely to have multiple jobs in 1997 than in 1994 (7 vs. 3 percent). This increase might relate to lifestyle changes such as marriage and children that create a greater need for additional income (Lester 1996). Alternatively, these workers might be making or investigating career transitions.…”

“…Studies suggest a number of reasons why a worker may not have a traditional job. For example, a worker may not be able to find full-time work, or he or she may choose alternative employment because of flexible hours, increased income potential, or opportunity to make a transition into a new job or field (Lester 1996;Rothstein 1996).…”

“…However, workers may also take an alternative position because they were unable to find full-time traditional work. These alternative jobs often have fewer benefits such as health insurance, opportunities for promotion, and job stability (Lester 1996).…”