Number of Part-Time Employees Has Increased in the Last Five Years (3rd Quarter)
Part-time working is also often associated with the shortage of labor and skilled workers and cited as one of the causes of the problem. In this context, the question is frequently raised of how employees can be brought back into full-time employment. In addition to general surveys on part-time working in companies, this issue was a particular focus this quarter. On average, one quarter of women in the companies surveyed work part-time. In the retail sector, one in three women works reduced hours, compared to a quarter of women in the service sector and only one in five in industry. The proportion of men working part-time in the companies surveyed is significantly lower than that of women. On average, 7% of men work part-time. Here too, the proportion is highest in the service sector at 9%, followed by retail at 7%, and industry at 6%.
Only Few Part-Time Employees in Management Positions
Around 5% of women who work part-time hold management positions. They account for fairly equal proportions across the individual economic sectors, with the service sector (5%) showing the highest percentage by a slight margin. There are more significant differences between the various size categories. While in small companies with up to 49 employees just under 7% of women working part-time are in management positions, in companies with 50-249 employees their share is 4%, and in companies with 250 or more employees it is around 3%. Of the men in part-time employment, only 3% work in management positions. This percentage fluctuates between 2% and 3% in the individual economic sectors and size categories.
To get a better understanding of the latest figures on part-time workers, it is worth comparing them to the situation in 2021, when the question was previously raised. At that time, 14% of women and 3% of men were working part-time, and there were relatively small differences in the proportions of part-time employees for the different size categories: In large companies (500 employees or more), 14% of women worked part-time, while in small companies (up to 49 employees) the figure was just under 16%. The percentages for men ranged between 3% and 4%. Differences were, however, evident in the various economic sectors: While 19% of women in retail worked part-time, the figure was 15% in the service sector and 8% in industry. The share in retail was therefore already higher in 2021. Among men, part-time working accounted for 4% in the retail and service sectors and for just under 2% in industry.
Of the 14% of women working part-time, 6% were in management positions. Here, the proportion was slightly higher than the current 5%. It is interesting to note that, in 2021, 7% of men working reduced hours held management positions (currently: 3%). This means that more men than women had part-time management positions in 2021, while currently there are more women than men as a result of the significant reduction in the overall proportion of men. In a comparison of economic sectors, the proportion was lowest in industry for both women and men.
Part-Time Working by Age Group
Looking at the different age groups, there are also differences in the proportion of employees with reduced working hours. Among people younger than 30, 8% work part-time. The figure is 11% in large companies with 500 or more employees, and 6% in companies with between 50 and 249 employees. In the next age group of employees, those aged between 30 and 40, the proportion of part-time employees doubles to 16%. While the share is 18% in retail and 17% in the service sector, it is lower in industry at 14%. Compared to the other age groups, the proportion of part-time workers is highest in the 41-50 age group, accounting for 17%. Here too, retail has the highest share (18%), ahead of the service sector (17%) and industry (15%). While almost a fifth of employees in small companies work part-time (up to 49 employees: 18%, 50-249 employees: 20%), in large companies it is around one in ten (250-499 employees: 14%, 500 employees or more: 10%). In the 51-60 age group, companies reported a 16% share of part-time employees. The retail sector stands out here with 23% part-time employees, compared to 14% in services and 13% in industry. In small businesses, the proportion is 18%, in large companies 10%. In the last age group, the over-60s, 13% of employees work a reduced number of hours. Here too, the proportion in retail is significantly higher, at 17%, than in services (12%) and industry (11%). The differences between the various size categories are relatively minor here.
Proportion of Part-Time Employees Has Increased in the Last Five Years
When asked about the trend in the proportion of part-time employees in the company over the last five years, the majority responded that this had increased (54%). A further 38% stated that the proportion of part-time employees in the company had remained roughly the same. Just under 5% said that there were now fewer employees with reduced hours. 3% have no part-time positions at all. There are hardly any differences between the various economic sectors. A comparison of size categories shows that the proportion has increased more frequently in large companies (250-499 employees: 75%, 500+ employees: 60%) than in small companies (up to 49 employees: 42%, 50-249 employees: 56%).
Part-time Positions Beneficial for Companies
Just over three quarters of participants believe that part-time positions are or would be beneficial for their company. In particular large companies with 500 or more employees hope to benefit from this. Of the businesses that expect improvements from having part-time employees, 56% hope to be able to increase employee satisfaction and 51% believe it will improve how they meet their staffing needs. 18% of companies expect an increase in productivity. A comparison of size categories shows that especially companies with 250 employees or more expect increased employee satisfaction as a result of more part-time positions.
Small Majority of Companies Do Not Want to Create New Part-Time Jobs in the Next Five Years
A small majority of participants (54%) said that they did not intend to create any new part-time positions for the time being, while 5% of companies are even planning to cut the number of part-time staff. In contrast, 41% of companies want to create such jobs. Companies with 500 employees or more were more frequently considering increasing the number of part-time jobs (49%), around the same number of participants want to keep the number of jobs con-stant (48%), while 3% want to reduce the number of part-time jobs. Only 34% of small companies with up to 49 employees intend to increase the number of part-time employees, 7% are considering a reduction in the number of part-time jobs. A comparison of size categories shows that, at 59%, most companies in this group stated that they did not intend to create any new part-time jobs.
Working from Home Has No Significant Impact on the Number of Part-Time Employees
Only 7% of participants said that the number of part-time employees had changed due to working from home. In this context, 6% of business reported an increase in the number of part-time employees, while only 1% reported a reduction. For the majority of participants (67%), the introduction of working from home had no effect on part-time positions. Working from home is not possible for 26% of companies. In companies with 250 to 499 employees (82%) and 500 or more employees (88%), an even larger proportion of participants reported that working from home had no impact on part-time positions. In small companies with up to 49 employees, working from home is not possible in 46% of cases, which explains why fewer of them (49%) reported that the number of part-time positions was constant than in other size categories.
Over Three Quarters of Companies Do Not Provide Incentives to Encourage More Em-ployees to Work Full-Time
79% of companies state that they do not provide any incentives to encourage employees to switch from part-time to full-time employment. In retail, the figure is as high as 84%. Companies that want to bring employees back to full-time working most frequently attempt to do so by making working hours more flexible (16%) and by offering a company pension plan (10%). This is followed by childcare (8%) and making the place of work more flexible (6%). In terms of economic sectors, service providers rely more heavily than the overall average on flexible working hours (19%) and company pension plans (11%). Industrial companies, on the other hand, are more likely than the overall average to make the place of work more flexible (8%).
Only Just Under One in Ten Companies Offer Job-Sharing Models
The majority of companies (80%) do not have job-sharing models, only 9% of companies use them. There are plans for such models at 3% of participants, while they are being discussed by 8%. However, there are significant differences between the individual size categories. While just over a quarter of large companies with 500 or more employees offer job-sharing models, only 2% of small companies with up to 49 employees do so. This indicates that job-sharing models are probably easier to implement in large companies. 64% of large companies state that they do not use job sharing; this compares to 73% of businesses with 250 to 499 employees, 81% of companies with 50 to 249 employees and 89% of small companies.
Source: ifo Institute
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