More full-timers active on the labour market

The number of persons working on a full-time basis increased in 2006 for the first time in four years. Their number grew at the same rate as the number of part-time workers. The number of female full-time workers grew by 4 percent last year.

Same number of full-timers as in 1996

After several years of decline, employment improved in 2006. The employed labour force grew by 155 thousand to nearly 7.1 million. The number of full-timers (working 35 hours or more a week) also increased, after a four-year period of decline. With 4.5 million full-time workers in 2006, the number is back at the level of 1996.

Employed labour force by weekly working hours

Number of part-timers continues to grow

The number of part-timers also increased in 2006. Altogether, over 2.6 million people were working between 12 and 34 hours a week last week. Their number grew steadily over the past decade, also in the period 2002-2005, when employment was in decline.

More women working full-time

The number of full-time working women increased sharply. In 2006, the increase was more than 4 percent, relative to the previous year. The number of female part-timers increased by 3 percent. Working on a full-time basis is much more common among men. More than three-quarters of full-timers are men.

Full-timers by gender

Number of permanent contracts also growing

Nearly four in every five full-timers have permanent contracts. In 2006, the number of full-timers working on permanent contracts increased marginally for the first time in four years. The number of people working on flexible contracts already started to grow in 2004. The same applies to self-employed. The number of full-timers working on a flexible-contract basis increased significantly by 12 percent in 2006 to nearly 250 thousand, twice the increase of the two preceding years.

Full-timers by type of contract

Martijn Souren