Brussels, 19/04/2013 (Agence Europe) - Some 9 million people employed part-time in Europe would like to work more hours. This figure has been rising constantly since the beginning of the crisis and reflects the critical situation on the employment market, the EU statistical office, Eurostat, stated on Friday 19 April.
The proportion of part-time workers in a situation of under-employment (i.e. available to work more) has risen from 18.5% in 2008 to 20.5% in 2011 and to 21.4% in 2012, out of the 43 million part-time workers in the European Union. The situation is blatant in countries where part-time work is not common, such as in Greece (where 66% of part-time workers would like to work more), in Spain (55%), Latvia (53%) and Cyprus (50%). On the other hand, the smallest proportion was noted in the Netherlands (3%), Estonia (8%) and the Czech Republic (10%).
Furthermore, Eurostat considers that, in Europe, 11 million people make up a potentially additional labour force. Among those are 8.8 million people aged between 15 and 74 years of age available to work but who are not seeking employment, and 2.3 million who are seeking employment but who are not immediately available. Eurostat states that, although not part of the economically active population, those two groups of people show a certain attachment to the labour market. (LC/transl.jl)