Who works part time and why?, 2017
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Released: 2018-11-06
Some people choose to work part time by personal preference, or to accommodate other priorities such as caring for children and attending school. Others work part time because full-time work is not available, often due to economic conditions. The article "Who works part time and why?" released today in the Labour Statistics at a Glance series, uses data from the Labour Force Survey to examine which groups of workers were more likely to be working part time in 2017, and the reasons they gave for doing so.
Youth aged 15 to 24 were the most likely to work part time, followed by workers aged 55 and older. People in the core working ages of 25 to 54 were the least likely to work part time.
The majority of young part-timers were in school, while the majority of older part-timers indicated that their work schedule was by personal preference. For core-aged workers, particularly men, economic reasons were a driving force for part-time work. Childcare was the most common reason given by female part timers with at least one child under the age of 6, particularly among part timers with a higher-earning spouse.
Nationally, Newfoundland and Labrador had the highest share of core-aged part timers citing economic reasons, while childcare was a more common reason in the Western provinces. In terms of work arrangements, the self-employed and temporary employees were more likely to work part time than permanent employees, but for different reasons. For the self-employed, part-time work was more likely to be by personal preference or to accommodate childcare, while workers in temporary employment were more likely to be part time for economic reasons or to accommodate their studies. Multiple job holders had diverse reasons for working part time in their main job.
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The article "Who works part time and why?" is now available online in the Labour Statistics at a Glance series (71-222-X).
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To enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact Martha Patterson (613-299-3942; martha.patterson@canada.ca) or Client Services (toll-free: 1-866-873-8788; statcan.labour-travail.statcan@canada.ca), Labour Statistics Division.
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