Trapped in Precariousness? Risks and Opportunities of Female Immigrants and Natives Transitioning from Part-Time Jobs in Spain
Jacobo Muñoz Comet, Stephanie Steinmetz
Abstract
Using panel data from the Spanish Labour Force Survey (2008–2016), we explore the risks and opportunities of job transitions (to unemployment, inactivity, full-time work and promotion) of female immigrants and natives in part-time work. This is the first study examining the two possible functions of part-time employment (stepping stone or trap) for different types of women across different working time categories. It contributes to the ongoing discussion about the function of non-standard work by applying an intersectional lens. Our results confirm that the signalling of different types of part-time job works positively, although the signal is weaker for immigrant women, particularly for those working in marginal and substantial part-time employment. The main sociodemographic and structural drivers of labour transitions explain only partially the gross migrant–native differences. As female immigrants experience a stronger outsider position, additional determinants of signalling beyond human capital and labour market segmentation factors might be at work.