This table presents statistics on part-time workers---i.e.
persons with jobs whose working hours total less than "full
time" (see definition below). The measures presented are
total part-time employment as a percentage of total employment,
calculated separately for women and for men, and the proportion
of women among all part-time workers. All but two countries derived
this information from labour force surveys; the remaining two
obtained their information from population censuses.
There is no internationally accepted standard
for the minimum number of hours worked per week that would constitute
full-time work. The framework 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. In an attempt to make statistics on
part-time work comparable across countries, the Organisation for
Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) applied a 30-hour
cut-off for distinguishing part-time from full-time workers. Thus,
in the OECD data set, one of the main sources of the KILM database,
persons who work 30 hours or more per week are considered "full-time
workers" and those who work less than 30 hours per week are
considered "part-time workers".
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