Feature: The price of reconciliation: Part-time work, families and women's satisfaction

While the gender pay gap has been narrowing for women in full-time jobs the pay penalty for the 40% of women who work part-time has risen, reflecting the growing polarisation of part-time jobs in low-wage occupations. A further dimension is that women often experience downgrading from higher-skill full-time into lower-skill part-time occupations. As women reorganise their working lives around the presence of children their reported hours and job satisfaction are highest in part-time work, but life-satisfaction is scarcely affected by hours of work. This Feature explores these issues and their challenge for economic efficiency as well as gender equity.