Quarterly Review of Employment and Social Developments in Europe (ESDE) - April 2025

ESDE quarterly reviews periodically provide an overview of recent social and labour market developments in the EU, accompanied by specific thematic analyses.

The thematic part of this review focuses on underemployment among part-time workers in the EU as well as the possible reasons why these workers work less hours than they want to. This is relevant because addressing underemployment can generate additional labour supply in tight EU labour markets and improve the living conditions of the underemployed.

Every fifth part-time worker in the EU is underemployed, a proportion that varies considerably across countries, sectors of economic activity, and population groups. This reflects a complex range of factors that affect underemployment, including national differences in prevalence and acceptability of part-time work, sectoral demands for part-time work that do not suit workers’ preferences, workers’ vulnerability in the labour market that limits employment opportunities available to them, and working time constraints some workers face due to family responsibilities.   

Finally, it highlights that designing policies to address underemployment is a challenging effort that requires a careful reflection on the specific aspects of national, sectoral and individual settings these interventions need to address.

Download data and charts:

Statistical annex

Recurrent analysis - latest update (Excel)