The line graph provides a comparative analysis of involuntary part-time employment as a share of total employment across various OECD member states from 1990 to 2021.
Overall, the data is characterized by significant divergence. While a majority of nations experienced a peak in underemployment following the 2008 financial crisis, the trajectories vary from relative stability at low levels to dramatic surges. By 2021, most countries showed a downward trend, though levels remained higher than in the early 1990s.
The most striking upward movements were observed in Southern European nations, specifically Italy and Spain. These countries saw a moderate start (around 2-6%) but underwent an exponential increase after 2008. Italy’s figures nearly doubled, peaking at approximately 12% in 2014, making it the highest on the chart. Although Spain followed a similar path, it showed a more pronounced decline towards the end of the period, finishing near 7.5%.
A significant number of countries, including France, Australia, and Canada, maintained mid-range positions. Their incidence rates generally climbed from roughly 3% in the 1990s to peaks of 6-9% between 2010 and 2015. Notably, countries like Germany and Sweden reached their maximums earlier (mid-2000s) before entering a period of steady decline, eventually converging towards the OECD average.
In contrast, a cluster of nations demonstrated remarkable resilience. The USA, Czechia, Norway, and Austria consistently remained at the bottom of the scale, with involuntary part-time work rarely exceeding 2%. Their lines characterized by minor oscillations rather than steep trends.