2 March 2001 - An in-house report for the Department of
Social Security identifies characteristics of clients leaving
Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) for part-time work (defined as work of
under 16 hours per week) between 1996 and 1998, comparing them with
characteristics of people leaving JSA for full-time work (over
16 hours per week).
The authors are Karl Ashworth and Rachel Youngs from the Centre for Research
in Social Policy at Loughborough University. Based on secondary analysis of the second cohort of the
JSA claimant survey their study has the following main findings:
* A majority of part-time workers were qualified - many with
professional, managerial or technical backgrounds. There was no predominant type
or sector of work undertaken but professional jobs were over-represented.
* People taking uo work of under 16 hours were 'well attached to
the labour market', reporting high levels of satisfaction with
the return-to-work jobs and stating that these jobs made use of their
skills.
* Clients moving into part-time work tended to be older and were more
likely to have a partner than people entering full-time work. Partners
were likely to be in full-time work of 30 or more hours a week.
* Having considered a range of variables the authors conclude that part-time workers
did not seem any more disadvantaged than full-time workers. However - as in the case
of people working 16 hours or over - a fifth of part-time
workers were unqualified, one-fifth reported health problems and one
quarter were unskilled.
Part-time Jobs
