Patterns of working time, Labour force survey, 2004

The number of employees working outside regular working hours was 640 000, or 30 per cent, in the second quarter of 2004, according to figures from the Labour Force Survey. The majority of employees working inconvenient hours have shift work. This applies to 22 per cent of all employees.

An individual may have multiple working time arrangements, e.g. both evening and Saturday work. In this article we look at employees with any of these working arrangements. Hence, we have counted the number of different working time arrangements for each employee, not the number of employees. As a result, the total number of employees with different working time arrangements is higher than the total number of employees.

Still most common in the hotel and restaurant industry

Since the second quarter of 2003, the share of employees working outside regular hours in the hotel and restaurant industry has fallen for all working time arrangements. Shift workers in the transport and communication industry had the highest decrease, at 5 per cent. The figures remained relatively stable in other industries.

Inconvenient hours are still most common in the hotel and restaurant industry, as well as in transport, health and social services and retail trade. In the hotel and restaurant industry, 61 per cent of employees work Saturdays on a regular basis, 42 per cent work on Sundays and evenings, and 21 per cent work night shifts. In the transport and communication industry and within health and social services shift work is the most common working time arrangement outside ordinary working hours. Saturday work is most common for employees in retail trade.

Most common among young employees

The share of young employees (16-24 years) who work evenings or nights has grown by 2 and 1 per cent respectively since the second quarter of 2003. The figures are more or less the same for the other working time arrangements.

In the second quarter of 2003, 262 000 employees were aged 16-24, and 44 per cent of them worked outside regular working hours. Saturday work was most common in this age group, as 42 per cent worked Saturdays. This is clearly above the average 20 per cent for all employees. In addition, evening work was very common, as 32 per cent worked evenings regularly.

Men work full-time, women work part-time

Shift work was more common among women than men, as 26 per cent of women worked shifts compared with 18 per cent for men. A higher share of women than men worked on Saturdays as well. The figures were more or less the same in the second quarter of 2003.

In general, it is more common among part-time employees to work inconvenient hours. 32 per cent of part-time employees work shifts, compared with 20 per cent for full-time workers. In particular, Saturday work, evening work and regular shift work are more common among part-time than full-time employees. Shift work was more common among women who worked part time than women who worked full-time, at 32 and 20 per cent respectively.

Among adult men (25 years and older), it is most common to work outside ordinary working hours in the manufacturing and transport industry and they mainly worked full-time. In health and social services and in retail trade, inconvenient hours were more common among women, who to a large extent worked part-time.

Evening work most common among temporary employees

The share of temporary employees who work outside regular working hours or work shifts, has fallen slightly from the second quarter of 2003 for all working time arrangements except Saturdays.

Inconvenient working hours is still more common among temporary employees than permanent staff. The difference is greatest when it comes to regular evening work (7 per cent), followed by Saturday and Sunday work (5 per cent).

Tables:

• Table 1 Employees who regulary work outside ordinary hours or shift work by sex and age. Second quarter 2004. Per cent
• Table 2 Employees who regulary work outside ordinary hours or shift work by sex and industry. Second quarter 2004. Per cent
• Table 3 Employees who regulary work outside ordinary hours or shift work by occupation. Second quarter 2004. Per cent
• Table 4 Employees who regulary work outside ordinary hours or shift work by sex and conditions of appointment. Second quarter 2004. Per cent
• Table 5 Employees who regulary work outside ordinary hours or shift work by age and working hours . Second quarter 2004. Per cent
• Table 6 Male employees who regulary work outside ordinary hours or shift work by age and working hours . Second quarter 2004. Per cent
• Table 7 Employees who regulary work outside ordinary hours or shift work by age and working hours . Second quarter 2004. Per cent