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    The forgotten labour force: Characteristics and trends for older female part-time workers in Ireland.


    O'Sullivan, Maeve, Cross, Christine and Lavelle, Jonathan (2020) The forgotten labour force: Characteristics and trends for older female part-time workers in Ireland. Irish Journal of Management, 38 (2): 4. pp. 47-60. ISSN 1649-248X

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    Abstract

    Changing labour markets, educational attainment, work experience, constraints and preferences have all been proposed to explain the features of contemporary female labour force participation. This engagement has been characterised as part-time and segregated in low status, poorly paid jobs. Despite the fact that almost half of all older female workers are employed part-time, there is a dearth of information on who these workers are (the forgotten labour force) and what, if anything has changed over time for this cohort. For the first time, key variables are drawn from three labour force datasets over a 16-year period to provide a likely profile of the older female part-time worker, highlight where they work and in what capacity, as well as shedding light on what has changed over this period. This trend analysis highlights significant changes for this worker cohort, the implications of which are discussed from individual, organisational and societal perspectives.
    Item Type: Article
    Keywords: Part-time; older females; job characteristics; precarious employment;
    Academic Unit: Faculty of Social Sciences > School of Business
    Item ID: 20461
    Identification Number: 10.2478/ijm-2010-0006
    Depositing User: IAM School of Business
    Date Deposited: 15 Aug 2025 12:56
    Journal or Publication Title: Irish Journal of Management
    Publisher: Irish Academy of Management
    Refereed: Yes
    URI: https://mural.maynoothuniversity.ie/id/eprint/20461
    Use Licence: This item is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Licence (CC BY-NC-SA). Details of this licence are available here

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