Unequal electoral participation: The negative effects of long work hours and unsociable work schedules in Europe

Authors: 

Jianghong Li*^a,b,c, Heiko Giebler^a,d, Rebecca Wetter^a  Hannah Kenyon Lair^a & Julia Ellingwood^a

a WZB Berlin Social Science Center, Berlin, Germany

b Telethon KIDS Institute, Perth, Western Australia 

c Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia

d Free University, Berlin, Germany 

Abstract: Situated within gender inequality in time as a resource for political participation, this study examined 1) the relationship between long working hours and unsociable work schedules and participation in national elections in Europe before or in 2010; 2) factors that may mediate this association; 3) gender differences in this relationship and occupation-specific patterns, using wave 5 of the European Social Survey data on 24 European countries. The findings show that working > 45 hours per week and working in evenings, nights or weekends is associated with lower national electoral participation in women with both high and low occupational status. Among men with the lowest occupational status, working long hours is also linked to lower participation. These findings are robust against controlling for important confounders. Political interest seems to partially mediate the negative effect of unsociable work schedulers on voting in women. Neither health nor social engagement played a mediation role.

Key words: long work hours, unsociable work schedules, electoral participation, gender, occupational status, Europe