Arbeitszeiten im sozialen Dienstleistungssektor im Länder- und Berufsvergleich

By analysing data from the 2014 European Labour Force Survey (EU LFS), the paper examines the incidence of part-time work and underemployment in the social service sector. The authors distinguish between high and low-skilled workers in education and child care on the one hand and in health care and care of the elderly on the other. In most of the 19 countries examined, the prevalence of part-time work among employees in personal and social service jobs is higher than among employees in other occupations. In addition, care workers work fewer hours per week than the average number of hours worked by employees in other occupations. While low-skilled workers in care jobs wish to increase their weekly hours of work, high-skilled care workers and those working in education do not. The authors discuss their findings in the light of the current challenges facing the welfare state, particularly to skills shortages and to the anticipated movement of labour away from care jobs. In order to avoid undesirable effects, new concepts of working time and payment are required which guarantee appropriate social standards.