Part time employment, total in South Africa

South Africa: Part time employment, total was 17.4% in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
17.4%
Change on year
up 0.7%
World rank
68th
of 111 countries
All-time high
17.6%
in 2021
All-time low
12.2%
in 2007
Years of data
25
2000–2024

Part time employment, total in South Africa, 2000–2024

051015202000201220242000: 15.8 % of total employment2001: 15.1 % of total employment2002: 13.6 % of total employment2003: 14.1 % of total employment2004: 13.4 % of total employment2005: 13.8 % of total employment2006: 13.9 % of total employment2007: 12.2 % of total employment2008: 15.6 % of total employment2009: 15.5 % of total employment2010: 15.3 % of total employment2011: 14.6 % of total employment2012: 14.8 % of total employment2013: 15.4 % of total employment2014: 15.2 % of total employment2015: 15.5 % of total employment2016: 15.9 % of total employment2017: 15.9 % of total employment2018: 16 % of total employment2019: 16.1 % of total employment2020: 17.5 % of total employment2021: 17.6 % of total employment2022: 17.6 % of total employment2023: 17.3 % of total employment2024: 17.4 % of total employment

Source: Wages and Working Time Statistics database (COND), International Labour Organization (ILO). Measured in % of total employment.

Analysis

South Africa recorded 17.4% for part time employment, total in 2024.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.7% on the previous year and up 15.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, part time employment, total in South Africa peaked at 17.6% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 12.2%, in 2007.

South Africa ranks 68th of 111 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.

Part time employment, total in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Part time employment, total (% of total employment) in South Africa, 2000 to 2024.
Year % of total employment Change
2000 15.8%
2001 15.1% -4.3%
2002 13.6% -10.4%
2003 14.1% +4.0%
2004 13.4% -4.7%
2005 13.8% +3.0%
2006 13.9% +0.7%
2007 12.2% -12.2%
2008 15.6% +27.2%
2009 15.5% -0.1%
2010 15.3% -1.9%
2011 14.6% -4.2%
2012 14.8% +1.5%
2013 15.4% +3.6%
2014 15.2% -1.3%
2015 15.5% +2.1%
2016 15.9% +2.9%
2017 15.9% -0.1%
2018 16.0% +0.7%
2019 16.1% +0.7%
2020 17.5% +8.1%
2021 17.6% +0.7%
2022 17.6% -0.1%
2023 17.3% -1.3%
2024 17.4% +0.7%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 14.3% 12.2% 15.8% 10
2010s 15.5% 14.6% 16.1% 10
2020s 17.5% 17.3% 17.6% 5

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 65 France 17.6% compare
  2. 66 United States of America 17.5% compare
  3. 67 Bangladesh 17.5% compare
  4. 69 Italy 17.1% compare
  5. 70 Estonia 15.6% compare
  6. 71 Bhutan 15.1% compare

See the full ranking of 123 places →

More work & labour data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is part time employment, total in South Africa?
Part time employment, total in South Africa was 17.4% in 2024, according to Wages and Working Time Statistics database (COND), International Labour Organization (ILO).
What is the highest part time employment, total recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 17.6% in 2021.
What is the lowest part time employment, total recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 12.2% in 2007.
How does South Africa rank for part time employment, total?
South Africa ranks 68th out of 111 countries with data for 2024.
Is part time employment, total rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 15.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from Wages and Working Time Statistics database (COND), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Part time employment, total (% of total employment). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Part time employment, total in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on Wages and Working Time Statistics database (COND), International Labour Organization (ILO). Retrieved 10 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/part-time-employment-total-percent-of-total-employment/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Part time employment, total (% of total employment)
Unit
% of total employment
Source
Wages and Working Time Statistics database (COND), International Labour Organization (ILO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
123 places, 2,531 data points, 1976–2025
Last refreshed

Part-time employment rate represents the percentage of employment that is part time. Part time employment in this series is based on a common definition of less than 35 actual weekly hours worked.