Home > Statistical snapshot > Part-time staff

PART-TIME STAFF

At June 2004, 10.2% of ongoing staff were working part-time. This represented a return to the growth trend after a small decline to 9.4% in 2003.

Figure 2.6: Proportion of ongoing staff working part-time by sex, 1995 to 2004

Source: APSED

Women are still much more likely to be employed part-time (16.6% of women employed as ongoing employees were working part-time compared with 2.9% of men), although there was a greater proportional increase in the number of men working part-time this year (up by 10.5% compared with 10.2% for women).

Female non-ongoing employees are more likely to work part-time than any other group, with over one-quarter (28.9%) of non-ongoing women working part-time. For non-ongoing men the proportion was 18.7%. Overall, a quarter of non-ongoing employees work part-time.

Part-time employment for all employees is concentrated at lower levels for both men and women, with 20.9% of women and 6.9% of men in APS 1—4 classifications working part-time. In contrast, only 2.6% of women and 0.9% of men in the SES work part-time.

Centrelink continues to be the largest employer of part-time staff in the APS, employing 33.8% of all part-time ongoing staff at June 2004. This group accounted for 16.8% of Centrelink’s ongoing staff. The National Museum of Australia (NMA) (27.4%), AIFS (26.3%) and the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) (25.5%) were the agencies with the highest proportion of their ongoing staff employed part-time.

PART-TIME WORK BY AGE

Part-time work for women is highest in the 30—44 age group, with 22.8% of ongoing women in this age group working part-time. The proportion is much lower for men in this age group (3.3%) but still higher than their overall average of 2.9%. Older workers are less likely to be working part-time, with only 2.5% of men aged 45 years and over working part-time, and 12.2% of women. Older workers, however, are more likely to work part-time as they get older (as shown in Figure 2.7).

Figure 2.7: Proportion of ongoing employees working part-time by age group and sex, 2004

Source: APSED

The trend towards part-time work is evident in all age groups, as shown in Figure 2.8, with the growth in parttime employment for older workers particularly evident. Between 1995 and 2004 the proportion of part-time workers aged over 60 years rose from 2.2% to 7.3%, suggesting a move towards phased retirement, and more flexible working arrangements for older workers.

Figure 2.8: Proportion of ongoing employees working part-time by age group, 1995 and 2004

Source: APSED