Part time employment: the Australian experience

The rise of part time employment over the past forty years represents a fundamental change in the Australian labour market. Part time employment has become an important component of the range of working arrangements and represents an example of the labour market’s response to economic and social changes. It has been associated with increased diversity of the workforce and contributed to changes in workplace culture and attitudes towards work. There has been considerable debate about the reasons underlying the growth in part time work and whether it has been beneficial for individuals and the community as a whole. Indeed, some part time work is seen as a stop gap where full time employment is desired but cannot be achieved — these are the involuntary part time employed. But part time work also enables individuals to combine work with other activities such as undertaking studies or raising a family. More recently, it is being used increasingly to enable workers to transition more slowly to retirement.  This paper identifies who are part time workers; explores some suggested reasons why part time work has grown rapidly; examines the role it plays in response to changes in labour market conditions and individuals’ lives; identifies the nature and conditions of part time work and the contribution it makes to household income.&nbsp