RE‐ESTIMATING FEMALE DOMESTIC WORK: BASED ON THE BRITISH SURVEY EVIDENCE FROM 1986–7
| Published date | 01 August 2004 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1111/j.0036-9292.2004.00314.x |
| Date | 01 August 2004 |
| Author | Pròdromos‐Ioànnis Prodromídis |
RE-ESTIMATING FEMALE
DOMESTIC WORK:
BASEDONTHEBRITISHSURVEY
EVIDENCE FROM 1986–7
Pro
`dromos-Ioa
`nnis Prodromı´dis
n
Abstract
Jenkins and O’Leary (SJPE, 1997) estimated unpaid work using some of the
variables collected in the 1986–7 SCEL Initiative. However, the discovery of low
filial effects should be attributed to the specification of their model, especially to
the inclusion of proxies for contemporaneous paid work aiming to capture
population heterogeneity. It seems that the two researchers could have utilised
other data from people’s past work histories (which were also solicited in the
survey) to construct alternative paid-work proxies and avoid the simultaneity
problem altogether. The introduction of such proxies preserves the structureof the
Jenkins/O’Leary model, and yields both lower full-time and part-time employ-
ment effects on unpaid work, and higher children-effects. In fact the children-
effects remainpronounced even if one dropsall paid work regressors or introduces
a non-selection hazard from the probit on paid work participation, instead.
I Intro ductio n
The purpose of this note is to revisit the time-use econometric model provided
by Jenkins and O’Leary (1997) in this journal, and to re-estimate their
regressions by employing more appropriate data from the Social Change and
Economic Life Initiative [SCELI].
II The Datasetand the Model
The SCELI involved two surveys. The first survey (Gallie, 1991) was conducted
in 1986 in six travel-to-work areas in England and Scotland, among some 6,110
people aged 20–60, and solicited information on people’s background and
education, past work histories, work attitudes, salaries, family composition, and
non-labour income. The second survey was conducted between March and July
of 1987 and solicited information on the primary activities of one third of the
original respondents and other adult members (if any) in their households, for a
period of one week. This time-use information was then grouped into categories
n
National University of Ireland, University College, Cork
Scottish Journal of Political Economy, Vol. 51, No. 3, August 2004
rScottish Economic Society 2004, Published by Blackwell Publishing, 9600 Garsington Road, Oxford OX4 2DQ, UK
and 350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148, USA
443
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