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Journal of Labor Economics Vol. 38 No. 1 2020

Cyclical and Market Determinants of Involuntary Part-Time Employment

Robert G. Valletta1; Leila Bengali2; Catherine van der List

1 Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco · 2 University of California, Los Angeles

Abstract

The fraction of the US workforce identified as involuntary part-time workers rose to new highs during the US Great Recession and came down only slowly in its aftermath. We assess the determinants of involuntary part-time work using an empirical framework that accounts for business cycle effects and persistent structural features of the labor market. We conduct regression analyses using state-level panel data for the years 2003–16. The results indicate that structural factors, notably shifts in the industry composition of employment, have held the incidence of involuntary part-time work slightly more than 1 percentage point above its prerecession level.

DOI
10.1086/704496
Volume
38
Issue
1
Pages
67-93
Language
en
Sources
openalex crossref

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