PART-TIME WORKERS

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28450, 3 December 1957, Page 10

PART-TIME WORKERS

Increase In 10 Years

In the last 10 years, there has been a marked expansion in the number of persons engaged in part-time work in surveyed industries, says an article in the November issue of the ‘‘Labour and Employment Gazette.” Parttime workers in these industries in April, 1957, were more than 150 per cent, higher than in April, 1947. In the same period, the number of full-time employees rose by only 28 per cent. Although more women than men are engaged in part-time employment, as would be expected, the male rate of increase in parttime employment is actually slightly higher than the female rates, says the article. In all, more than 16.000 additional persons are now engaged in part-time work—most of them in servicing industries, the article says. Numbers of persons engaged part-time in the following servicing industries are given in the article:— Domestic and personal services: 4185 females. 3221 males, total 7416; administration and professional: 4202 females. 2532 males. I total 6731; distribution and finance: 3505 females, 2526 males, total 16031; transport and communication: 364 females, 788 males, total .1152. Manufacturing I! Number of persons engaged part-time in the following manuI; factoring industries are also given:— 'I Textiles, clothing, and leather: I 1260 females. 179 males, total 1439: i engineering and metal working: ‘ [406 females, 696 males, total 1102;

food, drink and tobacco: 688 females, 402 males, total 1090; building materials and furnishings: 134 females, 359 males, total 493; miscellaneous: 567 females, 420 males, total 987. In most of these industries, ‘‘part-time workers” are those who work less than 30 hours a week. The main form of employment omitted from the article’s survey is that of part-time employment in farming, and in household domestic service. Part-time workers make a significant contribution to the labour force in laundry and cleaning work, in work associated with sport, and the provision of food and lodging. In these fields, parttime workers comprise 24. 38.9, and 17.4 per cent, respectively of the total labour force of the industries.