31.2 million women and 9.5 million men aged 20 to 64 worked part-time in the European Union in 2018. This represented 19% of total employment.
Respondents reported that the main reason for working part-time was “not finding a full- time job” (26%), followed closely by “looking after children or incapacitated adults” (24%).
Men (36%) reported that they worked part-time because of not finding a full-time job more frequently than women (23%). On the other hand, working part-time to look after children or incapacitated adults was reported more often by women (29%) than men (6%).
Figures may not add up to 100% due to rounding.
Part-time job due to lack of access to full-time work highest in Greece, lowest in Estonia
Across the EU Member States, the share of persons who worked part-time because they could not find a full-time job varied significantly. The highest proportion was reported in Greece (70%), followed by Italy (66%), Cyprus (65%) and Bulgaria (59%). The lowest shares were recorded in Estonia (6%), followed by Belgium, Czechia and Slovenia (7% each) and the Netherlands (8%).
For more information:
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Eurostat Statistics Explained articles on employment statistics
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The source data can be found in Eurostat dataset lfsi_pt_a and lfsa_eppga (both part-time employment) and lfsa_epgar (main reason for part-time employment).
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