How much of a “lifestyle” choice is part-time work? A fact check on part-time work

In Germany, the proportion of part-time workers has continued to rise in recent years, recently reaching a record high ₁. Against this backdrop, there is currently a debate about potentially restricting the right to part-time work, with the political goal of boosting economic growth by increasing the number of working hours. Demographic change and the shortage of skilled workers are also cited as arguments in this context. Since the topic of part-time work is closely linked to the employment realities of people with caregiving responsibilities — who are particularly reliant on flexible and modern work models — we would like to address this debate in this newsletter and take a look at key arguments and data.

 

The numbers & developments in Germany

The right to reduced working hours is currently regulated by the Part-Time and Fixed-Term Employment Act: All employees in German companies with more than 15 employees can reduce their working hours, provided there are no operational reasons to the contrary. According to the Institute for Employment Research (IAB), nearly 40% of the workforce was working part-time in 2025 ₂. Women in particular often work part-time: by the end of 2024, this applied to over half of working women and only about 14% of men ₃.

 

Do fewer individual working hours due to part-time work pose a threat to the economy?

An article published last year by the Institute for Economic and Social Research at the Hans Böckler Foundation noted that while the average number of hours worked per person has declined in recent decades, the total volume of work in the economy has risen sharply since 1991. To explain this apparent contradiction, the author cites, among other things, the fact that the number of employed persons has risen, which is attributable in particular to the increase in part-time employment (primarily among women).

According to a recent IAB press release, however, the volume of work has been stagnating for several years. Nevertheless, part-time work has not been “a losing proposition” from an economic standpoint so far, according to Prof. Dr. Enzo Weber of the IAB. One reason cited is that while the part-time employment rate rose (again) between 2024 and 2025, part-time workers in 2025 worked longer hours on average than was the case in 2024.

An IAB Forum report points out that, in principle, increasing working hours is essential to securing prosperity. However, restricting the right to part-time work is the wrong approach, particularly since this could result in the loss of workers for whom a full-time position is not feasible.  

 

So how much of a “lifestyle choice” is part-time work?

There are many reasons for working part-time, and it is not always a voluntary choice: Part-time workers cite, for example, caring for family members (28.8% of women, 6.8% of men) and continuing education (8.4% of women and 21.5% of men) as reasons. About 5% each cite a lack of full-time positions or their own illness/disability as reasons. Just under 28% work part-time because they expressly choose to do so. Among those who cite caring for relatives as a reason, 11.1% point to a lack of care services, 5.2% to excessive care costs, and just under 3% to a lack of services near their place of residence ₄. These figures from the Federal Statistical Office already point to the unequal distribution of unpaid care work between the genders — the so-called gender care gap. Furthermore, the results on time use in Germany in 2022 show that women perform nearly nine hours more unpaid work per week and, on average, work over an hour more than men overall (i.e., when both paid and unpaid work are taken into account). In addition, according to the survey, one in four mothers would like more time for paid work.

 

The debate over “lifestyle part-time work” could exacerbate existing discrimination

So far, part-time work has generally had a positive impact on the volume of work and allows for flexibility on an individual level, but it is not always chosen voluntarily. At the same time, part-time work carries financial risks that primarily affect women, as outlined in a report by the Federal Agency for Civic Education (bpb).

The term “lifestyle part-time” can also exacerbate certain forms of discrimination, such as microaggressions. This refers to subtle and often unintentional forms of discrimination based on stereotypical assumptions. These can further disadvantage women working part-time who have caregiving responsibilities — even though it has been clarified in political discourse that part-time work for caregiving reasons, among other things, does not fall under “lifestyle part-time.” A remark such as: “Can we have the meeting tomorrow at 3 p.m.? Oh, wait, you’ll already be off work by then” fails to recognize care work and indirectly labels part-time work as an obstacle. You can read more in-depth information about microaggressions in our latest blog post. Furthermore, stereotypes —such as the notion that part-time work is associated with a “domestic orientation” or lower career ambitions — and institutional norms, such as the expectation of physical presence in the workplace, can limit career development opportunities. We explore this in greater detail in our blog article on the impact of part-time work on the realization of career ambitions.

 

Incentives and Adapted Framework Conditions Instead of Restrictions

Instead of restricting the right to work part-time, we agree with the authors of an article in the IAB Forum that it makes more sense to create incentives and fair framework conditions to increase labor force participation. It is also important to eliminate perverse incentives, such as the spousal income splitting mentioned in the debate, which has long been discussed as a structural perverse incentive.

Most recently, Federal Minister for Family Affairs Karin Prien spoke out in favor of reforming the spousal income splitting system. She also advocated for the abolition of tax brackets three and five in order to create incentives for expanding labor force participation, particularly among women. There is even current discussion about abolishing spousal income splitting for newly married couples. The position on reforming spousal income splitting is supported by a recently published study from the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW), which is often cited in this context: The study assumes that separate taxation is likely to significantly increase the hours worked by women employed part-time. A more equitable division of care work and better working conditions are cited as additional factors that are likely to promote an increase in working hours.

We at FLD are also convinced that organizations and individuals do not benefit from restrictions, but rather from structural solutions. These include opportunities for part-time leadership, shared leadership models, a gender-sensitive leadership culture, and targeted skills development at all levels. The role of male allies is also crucial in this regard: Especially in male-dominated fields, they can play a significant role in embedding gender-sensitive structures, for example, by thoughtfully addressing unconscious biases, raising awareness of gender equity issues, and ensuring that recruiting, selection, and feedback processes at the leadership level are designed to be gender-equitable. Combined with flexible work models, this approach can effectively strengthen gender equity in the long term.

Learn more on our website about how we support organizations on their journey toward gender-sensitive structures and greater gender equity, from female empowerment and awareness initiatives to organizational development.

 

 

 

 

SOURCES:

₁ Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung. (03. März 2026). Ergebnisse der IAB-Arbeitszeitrechnung für das Jahr 2025: Teilzeitbeschäftigte arbeiteten 13,2 Millionen Stunden [Presseinformation] https://iab.de/presseinfo/ergebnisse-der-iab-arbeitszeitrechnung-fuer-das-jahr-2025-teilzeitbeschaeftigte-arbeiteten-132-millionen-stunden/

₂ Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung. (03. März 2026). IAB-Arbeitszeitrechnung. https://iab.de/daten/iab-arbeitszeitrechnung/

₃ Burkert, C., Matthes, B. & Schmitt, L. (04. März 2026). Ein blinder Fleck in der Teilzeitdebatte: Einschränkungen des Rechtsanspruchs auf Teilzeit würden Frauen stärker treffen als Männer. IAB-Forum. https://doi.org/10.48720/IAB.FOO.GA.20260304.01

₄ Statistisches Bundesamt. (30. Januar 2026). 28% der Teilzeitbeschäftigten arbeiten auf eigenen Wunsch reduziert [Pressemitteilung Nr. N007]. https://www.destatis.de/DE/Presse/Pressemitteilungen/2026/01/PD26_N007_13.html