A quarter of British employees now work part-time, according to new findings – and that could actually benefit individuals and the economy.
According to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), this works out at a whopping 8 million part-time workers, up from 5.8 million people back in 2018.
And in November, social enterprise Timewise said the volume of people wanting part-time work is even outstripping the number of available part-time jobs, 4:1.
So what’s behind this uptick in people wanting more part-time work? After all, it can often mean lower salaries and less career progression.
Well, with the cost of living crisis and double-digit inflation, a day’s salary now does not go as far as it used to, meaning many parents are opting to look after their children themselves where possible rather than pay rising childcare costs.
Some workplaces have tried to encourage people back to the office too, but after years of remote working due to Covid and a flurry of commuting issues (see: train and bus strikes), workers aren’t so keen.
And that’s before we even look at the housing market.
House prices increased by £39,000 between July 2021 and July 2022, while the average full-time workers’ wage in the UK is £33,000 – so there’s little incentive for people to go into full-time work when everything seems so out of reach in terms of pricing.
Meanwhile, the government is trying to push people back into work full-time, with chancellor Jeremy Hunt launching an inquiry into why so many have left the workforce since Covid (otherwise known as the Great Resignation).
As the Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS) has pointed out, stricter benefits rules mean more people are being forced to look for work, and so they are opting for part-time employment instead.
The government’s worries about the workforce come amid fears about the UK’s economy.
The UK is the only major economy to shrink in 2023 according to the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) predictions for the upcoming year. It flatlined at the end of 2022 – meaning we just managed to avoid falling into recession.
But offering more part-time work could actually benefit companies as well as individuals.
And although the government is trying to push people back into work full-time, UK research shows part-time work might help boost economic growth – and so more flexible roles should be introduced.
Findings published in January by Cranfield University’s School of Management suggested that companies should see the benefits of part-time work after flexible furlough during the pandemic.
Professor Clare Kelliher, who authored the research summary, explained: “Investigating part-time working and encouraging its widespread use where appropriate could bring many millions of people currently excluded from work back into the workforce and boost the economy at a time when it is desperately needed.”
As Jo Swinson – former Lib Dem leader and previous business minister under David Cameron – told Forbes: “Employees and employers alike can see that workplace practice and culture is rapidly changing in the wake of the pandemic experience.
“One-size-fits-all working patterns no longer make sense.”