What happens after working part time? Integration, maintenance or exclusionary transitions in Britain and western Germany

We address the issues raised by Günther Schmid's proposal to develop transitional labour markets, by examining theoretical explanations and empirical evidence affecting transitions through part-time work. By analysing British and German Household Panel data, we outline the changing characteristics of part-time employment and employees in the early 1990s. We show that only a tiny number of women were able to use part-time work as a bridge back into a full-time job. A substantial proportion ends up dropping out of employment, especially in Germany. Having previous employment experience is more likely to hinder exclusionary transition patterns, whereas the presence of more than one child, especially in Germany, is associated with dropping out. We conclude by assessing the implication of these findings for both policy reform and theoretical developments.