Mehr oder weniger arbeiten? Es kommt darauf an, wie man fragt: Methodische Aspekte der Präferenzmessung gewünschter Arbeitszeiten

Abstract

Working time preferences of employees have been discussed in scientific and public debates more frequently. Yet, representative studies show controversial results regarding over- and underemployment for Germany. But these differences can only partially be explained by varying definitions of populations or sample selection. By means of data from the Socioeconomic Panel (SOEP) this article highlights the importance of wording and positioning of questions regarding working time preferences. The empirical findings suggest that further methodological research is essential.