Computer Use, Job Tasks and the Part-Time Pay Penalty

Using data from the uk skills surveys 1997–2012, we show that the part-time pay penalty (ptpp) for women within low- and medium-skilled occupations has decreased significantly. The convergence in computer use and non-routine job tasks between part-time and full-time workers explains a large share of the decrease in the ptpp. This convergence took place mainly within occupations, and was not driven by changes in occupational segregation between the two groups of workers. The lower ptpp is also related to changes in the returns to job tasks. Relative changes in the importance of and returns to computer use and job tasks together explain more than 50 per cent of the decrease in the ptpp.