15. Involuntary part-time employment by gender in AIRMULP countries - Chart 15

This graph displays the level of involuntary part-time work in 2014 in AIRMULP countries. People who work part-time but would prefer to work full-time, or "part-time workers for economic reasons", make up a small but important portion of the labour force. As data show, the incidence of involuntary part-time work is higher among men, yet it registers significant values among women too. The majority of workers who report that they would like a full-time job but cannot find one can be found in Italy and Spain, where more than 60% of total part-time employment is involuntary. This is due to constraints on the employer side of the labour market, such as a cutback in hours at their current job or a lack of available full-time jobs. As such, involuntary part-time work primarily reflects labour demand. 

The structure of the economy and the business cycle explain some of the differences among AIRMULP countries, but also institutional factors and the quality of part-time jobs on offer are of great importance in understanding workers' attitudes.