WOMENS TRANSITIONS IN THE LABOR-MARKET - A COMPETING RISKS ANALYSIS ON GERMAN PANEL-DATA

This paper analyses the transitions between the three states of nonemp loyment, part-time and full-time work of a sample of married women liv ing in West Germany. The questions addressed concern the dynamics of w omen's labour market transitions and the association of the probabilit y of transition with household and individual characteristics. A non-p arametric duration analysis shows that women have a similar attachment to full-time and part-time work in terms of survival, and that surviv al in non-employment is shorter than in the other two states. Estimate s of a parametric discrete-time competing risks duration model show th at wives of retired husbands go into full-time work, children under 3 years have a disincentive effect on part-time work and that part-time work is a state that German women prefer to stay in and not a first st ep to full-time employment, whereas foreign women living in West Germa ny prefer full-time jobs.