New EU Figures on Part-Time Work Highlight Persistence of Strong Gender
Imbalance
4 February 2011
Eurofound, the European
Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, has published
fresh figures about part time work in Europe in a report
entitled ’Partime Work in Europe – European Company Survey 2009’.
Here are some of the key
findings:
- In
2009 the part-time rate for women (32%) is four times the part-time rate
for men (8%). Part-time work is increasing in Europe:
between 1999 and 2009. The proportion of women working part-time increased
from 28.5% to 32.0%, while the male part-time rate increased from 6.4% to
8.3%. While male part-time is most common in the youngest and the oldest
age groups, the female part-time rate increases with age, reflecting
gender inequalities in transitions from part-time to full time.
- The
difference between the part-time rates of males and females is highest in
the Netherlands
– where over two thirds of working women and about a quarter of working
men work part-time. It is followed by Germany
and Austria, while in Bulgaria,
Romania, Slovakia
and Lithuania
the part-time rate for men is nearly the same as for women. There is a
link between women’s part-time work and lack of access to childcare.
- Although
women according to the study work often part-time voluntary to balance
work and family life and although it is seen as a way to increase women’s
labor market participation one should bear in mind that the conditions of
part-time workers are worse than those working fulltime, resulting in
further gender inequalities in terms of income.
- There
are hardly any positions for highly qualified people who want to work
part-time: Three quarters of European companies have no part-time workers
in managing positions or in positions requiring high qualifications.