Britain’s employers are forcing workers out of full-time and into part-time employment, according to official figures from the Office of National Statistics.
In the past 12 months 600,000 people have left full-time employment and Britain now has 7.7 million part-time workers.
Even with the recession apparently in retreat, economists are predicting that globalisation and increasing technology will push the proportion of part-time workers even higher.
The TUC described these people as ‘the masked tragedies of the recession’.
Figures released by the Office for National Statistics reveal that the average part-time worker earns under £8,000 (compared to the average full-time salary of over £25,000) and that the number of part-time employees is the highest since the ONS started collating data in 1992.
One company eager to offer part-time workers a nugget of comfort is Gold Party organizers Ounces2Pounds.
Mark Nicholson, Director of UK Operations of Ounces2Pounds, said: “We launched Gold Parties in Britain in March last year and have bought £1.75 million worth of precious metals since then.
"However, the gold party idea has only reached the early-adopters. We’ve only just scratched the surface of the UK market.
“We have plenty of part-time work for people wanting host parties or as Ounces2Pounds representatives. Rather than taking an hourly rate our part-timers are opting to take a percentage from each party they attend,” said Mr Nicholson.
As well the growth in part-time jobs many employers like British Airways are asking staff to work part-time or take unpaid leave. Employers such as Standard Chartered Bank, Nationwide Building Society and H and M Fashion are developing a flexible approach to working hours.
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