An empirical analysis on the incidence of part-time work among women with disabilities

To analyse the determinants of part-time employment and examine the impact of having a disability on the probability of working part-time. Our dataset allows us to take into account the heterogeneity within the disabled collective and identify the incidence of part-time work, for example, by type of disability and compare the results obtained.

Using data from the ad hoc module on disability of the Spanish Labour Force Survey 2002 (which contains detailed information on key characteristics of disabled population), we used a bivariate probit model to estimate the probability of disabled women working part-time and of being employed.

The results show that disabled women have a higher probability of working part-time as compared to non-disabled women, especially those with progressive illnesses, digestive and stomach disorders and chest or breathing problems. In addition, there is a positive relationship between longer disability durations and levels of part-time employment.

Part-time employment can be used as a means to increase the levels of employment of disabled women, especially for those who face important barriers and difficulties as they try to enter into the labour market (e.g., those with epilepsy, mental, emotional conditions and other progressive illnesses or having long-term disabilities).