Definition

Part-time employment refers to persons who usually work less than 30 hours per week in their main job. This definition has the advantage of being comparable across countries as national definitions of part-time employment vary greatly from one country to another. Part-time workers include both employees and the self-employed.

Employment is generally measured through household labour force surveys. According to the ILO Guidelines, employed persons are those aged 15 or over who report that they have worked in gainful employment for at least one hour in the previous week. The rates shown here refer to the number of persons who usually work less than 30 hours per week as a percentage of the total number of those in employment.

For more statistics on economic, environmental and social issues visit online the OECD Factbook 2010.