Many juggle work and family commitments, making part-time jobs a desirable option. A recent IZA discussion paper by Daniel Kopp delves into this topic, exploring how readily men and women find part-time work in Switzerland.
Using large-scale data from an online recruitment platform and an online job board, Kopp’s analysis exposes a concerning trend: recruiters favor full-time applicants over part-time ones. Interestingly, this “part-time penalty” is harsher for men than women.
Even when accounting for job and workplace characteristics, the bias persists. The study suggests gender stereotypes as a significant factor behind this disparity. Men seeking part-time work face greater resistance compared to women, potentially hindering a more balanced division of paid and unpaid labor between genders.