Part-time work is not only increasing in Austria. Other atypical forms of employment, such as temporary jobs and employment contracts, are also on the rise, according to a current report from the Public Employment Service (AMS). In the previous year, more than every third employee did not have a so-called normal employment contract.
This means a dependent full-time employment with an employment contract for an indefinite period. This includes part-time work. Last year, 42 percent of all working women worked part-time, compared to only 8 percent among men. According to the AMS, not only a duty of care is cited as a reason, but also increasingly a lack of interest in full-time work.
Fixed-term contracts, small employment contracts and temporary workers play a role in the other atypical forms of employment. This also includes freelance service contracts. Last year, for example, 126,200 women and 108,200 men had a fixed-term contract, an increase of 37 percent. The growth of employees in temporary employment agencies was particularly large. On the other hand, there was a decrease in the number of freelancers compared to 2009.
More new self-employed people
Other atypical workers are so-called new self-employed persons such as artists, teachers or self-employed persons in health care professions who work under employment contracts. In the previous year, this was about 29,500 women and 31,100 men. Unlike traditional self-employed persons, their activity is not regulated by commercial law. “Atypical work is the result of structural changes in the world of work. An important factor is increasing globalization and the associated competitive pressures on companies,” says the AMS report.
Businesses strive to reduce costs and increase flexibility to remain competitive. “One way to achieve this is by using atypical employment relationships, as these are often cheaper and more flexible than full-time employment,” AMS representatives explain. Another reason for the increase in these work forms is the increasingly digital and automated work processes.
Source: Krone
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
