Involuntary part-time workers in Britain: evidence from the labour force survey

摘要

Part-time employment is widely considered functional for the economy, with both benign and detrimental implications for employees. However, specific analyses of involuntary part-time work in Britain are surprisingly absent from the flexibility debate, and workers in such positions remain largely under-researched. This article explores involuntary part-time employment in relation to socio-economic circumstances. We analyse Labour Force Survey data, using logistic regression modelling to identify the segments of workers filling part-time jobs involuntarily. The results suggest that involuntariness for part-time jobs is affected by a range of demographic and work-related characteristics considered. Being a couple with dependent children, for example, reduces the likelihood of involuntariness among female part-time employees whereas lower educational and occupational levels imply a higher involuntariness across both sexes.