Part-time Work in Sweden and its Implications for Gender Equality

Following the steep rise in female labour force participation over the last 20 years, part-time employment has increased in most Western countries.1 This paper compares Sweden and the EC countries with respect to the trends in female part-time work and the extent of job security and social benefits for part-time workers. For Sweden I report my findings and explanations for the trends and discuss the effects on women’s economic position. This comparison is of interest since Sweden has had, for a long time, a high proportion of part-time workers who work rather long hours and enjoy full social benefits, and because Sweden aspires to a closer association to the EC.