A grouped hazard approach for analysing multiple-spell durations subject to censoring is applied to spells of absence from the workplace. We follow Barmby, Orme and Treble's (1991) procedure for dealing with unobserved heterogeneity, but argue that their treatment of the observed discrete data,...

Few skilled workers in the UK have flexible working time - GPs are the exception - most can only choose between unemployment, or full-time work, which has changed little in recent years, while part time work is mainly unskilled. This market rigidity imposes major welfare losses, in contrast to...