More Austrians are choosing part-time work. Here is the situation in Croatia

Austria has returned to a record level of part-time employment, even though its overall employment figure appears stable. Nearly one in three workers no longer works a full 40-hour week.

Statistics Austria said the number of part-time employees increased by 57,200 in the second quarter, while full-time employment declined by 57,400. Total employment remained practically unchanged from the previous year, at just under 4.5 million people. The agency's director general, Manuela Lenk, called the shift an "dangerous trap" hidden behind the stable headline figure.

Nearly 1.45 million people in Austria now work fewer than 40 hours a week, compared with about 3.05 million full-time workers. The part-time rate rose by 1.3 percentage points to 32.1%, and agreed standard working hours fell by 0.2 hours compared with the second quarter of 2025.

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While the number of part-time workers increased by 57,200, the number of full-time employees fell by 57,400. This means the trend toward part-time work is continuing, after a decline in 2025.

Austria ranks second in the European Union for part-time employment, behind the Netherlands at 44.1%. Germany stands at 31.6%, Denmark at 28.2% and Belgium at 26.3%, while the EU-wide average is 18.9%. At the bottom of the ranking are Bulgaria at 2.1%, Romania at 2.5% and Croatia at 4.3%.

Women account for 51.1% of Austria's part-time workers, up from just under 41% two decades ago. Ines Stilling of the Vienna Chamber of Labour said limited childcare and eldercare services remain a particular obstacle for women.

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The insufficient expansion of childcare and eldercare services is a particular obstacle for women.