The line graph illustrates the incidence of involuntary part-time employment as a percentage of total employment in OECD countries between 1990 and 2021.
Overall, the figures varied considerably across countries and over the period. While some nations experienced substantial increases, others recorded a downward trend. Sweden had one of the highest proportions towards the end of the period, whereas several countries remained below 3% for most of the years shown.
Looking first at the countries with relatively high figures, the UK started at approximately 11.2% in 1990 and subsequently declined to around 9.7% in 2013. It fluctuated between roughly 9% and 10% until 2019, before falling sharply to about 6% in 2021. Norway followed a somewhat similar pattern, rising from around 7% in the early 1990s to a peak of just over 10% in 2013, after which its figure fell steadily to approximately 5% by the end of the period. By contrast, Sweden saw a dramatic increase, reaching about 11.5% in 2014 and remaining above 11% for much of the following years.
Several other countries also showed notable growth. Spain rose from roughly 6.5% in the early 1990s to around 9% by 2015, before declining slightly to approximately 7.3% in 2021. France increased from about 5% in 1992 to a peak of nearly 8% in 2017, after which it dropped to around 5% at the end. Meanwhile, Canada fluctuated considerably but generally remained between 4% and 7%.
At the lower end of the chart, countries such as Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Slovenia generally recorded figures of below 3% for much of the period. Although some of these countries experienced temporary increases, their proportions eventually returned to relatively low levels by 2021.