Download data Table 5b. Part-time employment Latest update: July 2008 Percentage of adult employment that is part-time   Women's share of part-time employment Country or area Year Women Men   % Source Argentina 2003 c,p,m 43 19   62 HS Aruba 1994 c,d,w 11 3   71 HS Australia 2005 a,q,h 42 16   68 HS Austria 2005 l,i 30 5   84 MC Bahamas 2002 d 12 10   54 HS Barbados 1999 a,b,g 14 8   60 HS Belgium 2005 i 33 6   81 ELFS Belize 1999 b,e,i 26 12   49 HS Bolivia 2002 c,w 31 17   58 HS British Virgin Islands 1991 b,e,w 14 8   59 PC Bulgaria 1999 1 0   67 HS Canada 2005 a,r,i 27 11   69 HS Chile 1996 b,w 15 8   50 HS Costa Rica 2003 h,w 25 10   58 HS Czech Republic 2005 i 6 2   73 HS Denmark 2005 i 25 12   64 ELFS Dominica 1997 b,w 28 12   65 HS Dominican Republic 2003 m,j 23 12   50 HS Ecuador 2002 c,o 23 12   56 HS El Salvador 2003 b,j,w 20 15   49 HS Estonia 2000 k,x 9 4   68 HS Finland 2005 h 15 8   64 HS France 2005 i 23 5   79 ELFS Germany 2005 i 39 7   81 ELFS Greece 2005 i 11 3   70 ELFS Grenada 1998 b,d,w 36 30   46 HS Guatemala 2003 b,i,w 38 10   70 HS Honduras 2003 b,s,j,w 35 16   53 HS Hungary 2005 i 5 2   71 HS Iceland 2002 h 31 10   73 HS Ireland 2005 i 35 7   79 ELFS Italy 2005 i 29 5   78 ELFS Jamaica 2002 a,b,d 13 10   52 HS Japan 2005 b,f,h 42 14   68 HS Korea, Republic of 2005 a,b,n,h 13 7   58 HS Latvia 2000 x 12 10   55 HS Lithuania 2000 x 10 8   56 HS Luxembourg 2005 i 31 2   93 ELFS Mexico 2004 i 28 8   65 HS Netherlands 2005 i 61 15   76 ELFS Netherlands Antilles 1998 b,t,w 19 7   69 HS New Zealand 2005 a,u,h 35 10   75 HS Nicaragua 2003 b,j,w 20 10   56 HS Norway 2005 h,z 33 10   75 HS Panama 2003 a,b,m,j,w 22 16   42 HS Paraguay 2003 c 25 14   50 HS Poland 2005 i 17 7   67 HS Portugal 2005 i 14 6   68 ELFS Romania 2000 x 19 14   54 HS Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1991 b,d 34 30   37 PC Slovakia 2005 i 4 1   69 HS Slovenia 2000 k,x 8 5   58 HS South Africa 1999 13 6   59 HS Spain 2005 i 22 4   78 ELFS Suriname 1998 b,y 32 12   59 HS Sweden 2005 i 19 9   67 HS Switzerland 2005 i 46 8   83 HS The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 2000 x 8 7   44 HS Trinidad and Tobago 2002 b,d 10 7   45 HS Turkey 2005 a,h 13 3   59 HS United Kingdom 2005 i 39 10   77 ELFS United States 2005 a,v,h 18 8   68 HS Venezuela 2003 c,m 32 15   57 HS

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Sources:

International Labour Office, Table 5. Part-time workers, published in Key Indicators of the Labour Market (KILM) Fifth Edition, CD-ROM version (ISBN 978-92-2-020137-4). Also available at: http://www.ilo.org/public/english/employment/strat/kilm/ (accessed June 2008).

Footnotes:

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Technical notes:

This table presents statistics on part-time workers---i.e. employed person whose normal hours of work are less than those of comparable “full-time” workers (see definition below). The percentage of the female and male employment that is part-time refers, respectively, to the proportion of the total female and total male adult labour force comprised of part-time workers. Looking at part-time employment by sex is useful to see the extent to which the female labour force is more likely to work part-time than the male labour force.

The women’s share of part-time employment refers to the percentage of the total part-time employment that is comprised by women. This indicator is useful to monitor the concentration of women in part-time employment.

In using these indicators for international comparisons it should be noted that there is no internationally accepted standard for the minimum number of hours worked per week that would constitute full-time work. The distinction between “full-time” and “part-time” employment is therefore established on a country-by-country basis or in special regional compilations. Many countries have established demarcation points that lie between 30 and 40 hours per week. Other countries classify part-time and full-time workers on the basis of respondents' interpretations of their personal work situations---i.e. whether they view themselves as full-time or as part-time jobholders.