Austria's part-time divide: Why half of working women can't get the hours they want

Part-time work remains a defining feature of Austria's labour market, particularly for women. New data reveals that half of all working women aged 15 to 64 hold part-time jobs, compared to just one in eight men. Many of these workers want more hours but face barriers to increasing them.

A 2024 study by WIFO shows that around 170,000 part-time employees—mostly women—would like to work an average of 12 extra hours per week. The reasons for part-time work vary by age and gender. Among those under 30, education is the main driver, with 36.2% of women and 18.8% of men working reduced hours. For those aged 30 to 49, caregiving dominates: 52.4% of women and 10.1% of men work part-time, often due to childcare or looking after relatives.

When children are under 15, the gap widens further. Nearly 80% of women in this situation work part-time, compared to less than 8% of men. Many migrant women also find part-time roles as their only entry into the job market, even without caregiving duties.

The Austrian Chamber of Labor (AK) is pushing for stronger rights. They demand premium pay for overtime from the first extra minute, matching full-time staff compensation. They also propose a legal right to increase contracted hours after three months of regular additional work.

Other suggested measures include nationwide affordable childcare and care services, fairer career paths for part-timers, and tax improvements. These could involve overtime tax relief, better pension top-ups, and incentives to encourage full-time work. However, the Industriellenvereinigung (IV) opposes mandatory hour increases and work-time reductions, preferring targeted incentives for full-time roles instead.

The study highlights a clear mismatch between desired and available working hours. With 170,000 part-timers seeking more work, policy changes could help bridge this gap. The debate now centres on how best to support those who want to increase their hours while addressing structural barriers in the labour market.