1 May, Labour Day - Evolution of part-time work between 1983 and 2020
In the last few decades, more and more women have entered the workforce. In 2020, 61% of women between the ages of 15 and 64 were in work. In 1983, this was only 36% of women. More than a million female employees entered the labour market between 1983 and 2020. During the same period, the number of women of working age (15-64) increased by just under 400,000 people.
In addition to the rise in the number of working women, a second notable rise has emerged: the number of people working part-time. In 2020, 1.1 million employees worked part-time. More than three quarters of them are women (77%). Although men are increasingly working part-time and the proportions are therefore shifting, to this day, part-time work remains primarily a women's business.
If we further compare 2020 with 1983, we see almost 865.000 more part-time employees, or 4.7 times more. For women, the evolution is almost the same: 4.3 times more part-time employees than in 1983. As far as men are concerned, there are 6.9 times more part-time employees, but in absolute numbers they represent less than a quarter of the total, even in 2020.
Table 1: Employment rate and full-time/part-time employment among employees by gender (1983 and 2020)
| Important labour market evolutions 1983-2020 | 1983 | 2020 | % evolution 1983-2020 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Employment rate of people aged 15-64 - men + women | 52.6% | 64.7% | +23.0% |
| Employment rate of people aged 15-64 - men | 68.8% | 68.4% | -0.6% |
| Employment rate of people aged 15-64 - women | 36.3% | 61.0% | +68.0% |
| Number of employees men + women | 2,819,074 | 4,095,480 | +45.3% |
| Number of male employees | 1,858,653 | 2,095,410 | +12.7% |
| Number of female employees | 960,421 | 2,000,071 | +108.2% |
| Number of full-time employees - men + women | 2,587,186 | 2,997,375 | +15.9% |
| Number of full-time employees - men | 1,823,441 | 1,847,401 | +1.3% |
| Number of full-time employees - women | 763,745 | 1,149,974 | +50.6% |
| Number of part-time employees - men + women | 233,249 | 1,098,105 | 371% (x 4.7) |
| Number of part-time employees - men | 35,969 | 248,008 | 590% (x 6.9) |
| Number of part-time employees - women | 197,280 | 850,097 | 331% (x 4.3) |
| Percentage of women in the total number of part-time employees | 84.6% | 77.4% | -8.5% |
26.8% of all employees worked part-time in 2020, compared to 8.3% in 1983
In 2020, 26.8% of all employees worked part-time. This concerns almost 1.1 million people out of a total of 4.1 million employees. At the start of the records, in 1983, 8.3% of the employees were working part-time. At that time, 233.000 part-time workers were employed out of a total of 2.8 million employees. The percentage of part-time employees rose sharply between 1983 and 2020, although the last 10 years we have seen a stabilisation (graph 1). Between 2019 and 2020, the share of part-time work decreases in the total number of employees. After all, in 2020, the Covid-19 crisis initially affected part-time jobs while the number of full-time jobs remained stable.
26.8% of all employees worked part-time in 2020, compared to 8.3% in 1983
In 2020, 26.8% of all employees worked part-time. This concerns almost 1.1 million people out of a total of 4.1 million employees. At the start of the records, in 1983, 8.3% of the employees were working part-time. At that time, 233.000 part-time workers were employed out of a total of 2.8 million employees. The percentage of part-time employees rose sharply between 1983 and 2020, although the last 10 years we have seen a stabilisation (graph 1). Between 2019 and 2020, the share of part-time work decreases in the total number of employees. After all, in 2020, the Covid-19 crisis initially affected part-time jobs while the number of full-time jobs remained stable.
Chart 1: Percentage of part-time employees by gender (1983-2020)
Percentage of part-time work evolves between 1983 and 2020 from 1.9% to 11.8% for men and from 20.5% to 42.5% for women
The percentage of part-time work is much higher among women than among men (chart 1). In 1983, 20.5% of female employees worked part-time compared to 1.9% of their male colleagues. In 2020, the percentages for women and men are 42.5% and 11.8% respectively.
Highest percentage of part-time work in 2012 among women (46.0%) and in 2020 among men (11.8%)
While the share of men working part-time increases almost continuously to a highest rate of 11.8% in both 2019 and 2020, the share of women working part-time reached a record level in 2012 (46.0%) before falling to 42.5% in 2020.
Working 4/5th is the most common part-time working arrangement, both for men and women.
The arrangement of half-time (50%) work used to be the most common, both for women and men, for a long time. Meanwhile, working 4/5th is the most common arrangement. This has been the case for men since 2005 and for women since 2014. In 2020, 43.7% of part-time employees worked four-fifth and 34.1% worked half-time. Among their female colleagues, the percentages are 46.7% and 37.5% respectively. Other arrangements of part-time work have also gained popularity in recent years.
Chart 2: Part-time employment arrangement for part-time employees by gender (1983-2020)
Men have different motives than women for working part-time
The reasons for working part-time are very diverse and differ strongly between women and men (table 2). The most important motive for working part-time among female employees aged 15 and over is the care for children or other dependent people (24.0%), followed by other personal or family reasons (20.2%). In third place is the fact that the desired job is only offered part-time (17.2%). This reason ranks first among men (21.0%), followed by other reasons (14.1%) and other personal or family reasons (11.3%).
Motivation of employees to work part-time, according to gender (2020)
| Men | Women | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 100% | 100% | 100,0% |
| Care for children or dependent people | 7.6% | 24.0% | 20.2% |
| Other personal or family reasons | 11.3% | 20.2% | 18.1% |
| The desired job is offered on a part-time basis only | 21.0% | 17.2% | 18.1% |
| Does not wish a full-time job | 6.5% | 9.4% | 8.7% |
| Other reasons | 14.1% | 6.8% | 8.5% |
| Health reasons (incapacity for work) | 10.0% | 7.5% | 8.1% |
| Combination with studies | 8.9% | 4.7% | 5.7% |
| Cannot find full-time work | 6.5% | 4.3% | 4.8% |
| Another (part-time) job complements the main activity | 6.6% | 3.2% | 4.0% |
| (Early) retirement | 4.6% | 1.1% | 1.9% |
| Switched from full-time to part-time employment due to business economic reasons | 1.9% | 0.7% | 1.0% |
| Professional reasons (working atmosphere or conditions, stress, harassment, ...) | 1.1% | 0.8% | 0.9% |
The percentage of part-time working women increases with the number of children, not so for men
We find that women work part-time more often the more children they have. Of the 25 to 49-year-old women without children, 25.4% work part-time. For every additional child under the age of 17, the percentage of women working part-time increases. 38.5% of female employees with one child under the age of 17 do not work full-time, this percentage is 42.6% for women with two children. Half of the women with three or more children under 17 work part-time.
The percentage of male employees aged 25-49 working part-time is highest among men without children (8.8%). Men with children are more likely to work full-time than men without children. Of all employed men with one child, 7.5% work part-time. Among their male colleagues with two and three children, the percentages are 7.1% and 8.2% respectively.
Percentage of part-time employees aged 25-49 by gender and number of children
| % part-time | Men | Women | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 children | 8.8% | 25.4% | 16.2% |
| 1 child | 7.5% | 38.5% | 24.3% |
| 2 children | 7.1% | 42.6% | 26.4% |
| 3 children or more | 8.2% | 49.9% | 29.8% |
| Total | 8.2% | 37.8% | 22.8% |
Almost half of the employees in the sector of human health and social work activities work part-time
The highest rates of part-time work are observed among both women and men in the ‘horeca’ sector (accommodation and food service activities). In this sector, 37.4% of male employees and 58.9% of female employees work part-time. However, the overall rate of part-time work of women and men combined (47.9%) is below that of the sector of human health and social work activities (49.4%) because the latter sector employs far more women than men, which raises the overall percentage. Overall, part-time work is most common in the sector of human health and social work activities, followed by the sector of accommodation and food service activities.
Part-time employment is also frequent in the following sectors: administrative and support services (39.3%), arts, entertainment and recreation (35.9%), other services (32.4%), wholesale and retail trade and repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles (30.0%) and in the education sector (29.2%).
Part-time work is least common in the construction industry (8.5%), followed by the sectors information and communication (13.2%), industry (13.9%), transportation and storage (14.4%) and financial and insurance activities (18.5%).
Part-time employees (percentage with respect to all employees) according to the section of the NACE-BEL 2008** and gender
| Percentage part-time employment | Men | Women | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| C Manufacturing | 8.2% | 31.7% | 13.9% |
| F Construction | 5.2% | 34.4% | 8.5% |
| G Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles | 14.4% | 48.0% | 30.0% |
| H Transportation and storage | 9.7% | 31.9% | 14.4% |
| I Accommodation and food service activities | 37.4% | 58.9% | 47.9% |
| J Information and communication | 8.2% | 26.1% | 13.2% |
| K Financial and insurance activities | 6.1% | 31.7% | 18.5% |
| L Real estate activities | * | * | 20.4% |
| M Professional, scientific and technical activities | 9.8% | 28.4% | 19.9% |
| N Administrative and support service activities | 13.0% | 56.3% | 39.3% |
| O Public administration and defence; compulsory social security | 9.2% | 31.5% | 20.0% |
| P Education | 18.9% | 33.5% | 29.2% |
| Q Human health and social work activities | 22.6% | 55.7% | 49.4% |
| R Arts, entertainment and recreation | 22.0% | 49.6% | 35.9% |
| S Other service activities | * | 42.4% | 32.4% |
| Total | 11.8% | 42.5% | 26.8% |
| * too detailed classification ** Only the large sectors were taken into account |
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More than half of the Dutch with a job work part-time, in Bulgaria it is 2.1%.
The percentage of part-time workers varies greatly between the EU member states. Chart 3 shows the percentage of part-time work in relation to the total working population (both employees and non-employees) in 2020. This percentage amounts to 24.9% for Belgium.
The Netherlands is the EU country with the highest percentage of part-time workers. More than half (51.6%) of Dutch people with a job work part-time. Germany and Austria follow at a considerable distance with percentages of 29.5% and 27.9% respectively. Belgium comes in fourth (24.9%) and Denmark occupies the fifth place (24.4%). In Bulgaria, on the other hand, only 2.1% of all employed people do not work full time. The top five EU member states with the lowest share of part-time workers are Slovakia (5%), Croatia (5.4%), Hungary (5.7%) and Poland (6.7%). The EU average amounts to 19.1%.
In the EU, 9.5% of men work part-time
The part-time employment rates of the Netherlands surpass those of other member states for both men and women. In the Netherlands, more than 30% of men work part-time (30.3%). Denmark follows in second place with a percentage of 16.3%, followed by Sweden (13.2%), Finland and Germany (both 12.3%). In sixth place is Belgium with 11.3%. In Bulgaria, 1.7% of men work part-time. This is followed by Slovakia with a rate of 3.1%. In both the Czech Republic and Hungary, the percentages are 3.5%. The EU average for men is 9.5%.
3/4th of Dutch women with a job work part-time
For women, the differences between countries are even more pronounced. In the Netherlands, 3/4th (75.8%) of women work part-time. Germany, Austria and Belgium follow at a far distance with percentages of 49.2%, 47.3% and 40.4% respectively. At the other end of the spectrum we find Bulgaria, where 2.5% of working women do not work full-time. The EU average for women is 30.4%. Also in Croatia (6.8%), Romania (7.2%) Slovakia (7.3%), Hungary (8.2%), Lithuania (8.8%) and Poland (9.9%) less than 10% of working women work part-time.
Chart 3: percentage of part-time employment (compared to all employed people (employees + non-employees)) according to gender - European comparison (2020)
Source: Eurostat
Technical note:
The data above come from the Labour Force Survey (LFS). In this survey, people with a job are asked whether they work full-time or part-time in their main job. In addition, part-time employees are asked about the extent of their part-time job, expressed as a percentage of full-time employment. In chart 2, all percentages from 40% to 60% inclusive were considered half-time (50%) and all percentages from 70% to 90% inclusive were considered 4/5th (80%). The category 'part-time - other' includes percentages lower than 40%, percentages between 60% and 70% and percentages higher than 90%.
All the figures presented refer to the employed population, except the European comparison, where figures related to the total of employees and non-employees are shown.