Weekend Employment in High-Income Countries: A Comparative Analysis

Harriet B. Presser, University of Maryland and Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences
Janet Gornick, City University of New York at Baruch

This paper examines the prevalence and correlates of weekend employment in the United States and 17 European countries. We show that there is considerable variation among these countries. For example, employment on Saturdays ranges from about 5% to 30% of all those employed. (Generally, much smaller percentages are employed on Sundays). Variations among countries are explained in part by taking into account contextual differences, such as the size of the service sector and work regulations. The micro-analyses of correlates of weekend employment within countries show that women are generally more likely to work Saturdays than men, and parents and nonparents within a similar age range generally do not differ much in their prevalence of weekend employment. We argue that even in countries with relatively generous social policies, we need to pay more attention to how weekend employment may impose constraints on parents and children.