WORKING HOURS ADJUSTMENT AND GENDER PROFILES DURING THE CRISES: THE CASE OF TURKEY

Abstract

This paper explores the relationship between working hours and gender in two different recessionary episodes in Turkey and examines the profiles of employees working shorter or longer than usual. The study explores the existence of short-term responses in working hours in two crises (during the global economic slowdown of 2008 and 2018-2019) and attempts to identify the characteristics of adaptation to economic shocks through working hours. More importantly, analysis of working hours over the two periods includes gender as the key dimension, spanning time and categorical variables. The data source is the individual data from Household Labor Force Surveys (HLFS, 2009 and 2019) produced by the Turkish Statistical Institute. The study finds significant changes in working hours in the two crises in reduced or increased hours and differences in distributions of female and male employees. Comparatively, more adjustments took place in increased hours in 2019, accompanied by an expansion of women's share in this segment. Concerning employee profiles, findings suggest that the labor force subject to work hour changes was older, more educated, and experienced in Turkey's recent stagnation. These changes were more so for women employees.