Overview
- IAB data for the second quarter of 2026 show the part‑time share rose to 40.3 percent while full‑time employment fell by about 0.9 percent, a loss of roughly 239,000 full‑time positions.
- The change is driven by growing employment in health, social services and education, sectors with high part‑time incidence, while manufacturing accounts for the largest drop in full‑time jobs.
- Destatis’s Mikrozensus 2025 found 3.8 million workers wanted to reduce hours versus 1.5 million who wanted more, and if those wishes were realized average weekly hours would fall by about 0.6 hours per worker.
- The shift has a clear gender angle: part‑time work remains concentrated among women and, as Austria’s Statistik Austria shows, female part‑time rates are at record levels, with implications for lifetime earnings and pension entitlements.
- Secondary jobs rose year‑on‑year and the long‑term trend since 1991 shows part‑time headcount more than doubled, prompting policy debate over expanding care infrastructure, incentives for full‑time work, and how to measure the nation’s falling aggregate working hours.