CIN 42: Part-time employment in London

The latest GLA Economics Note analyses how part-time jobs in London have fared over the recent past:

• Since the financial crisis in 2008, the growth in the number of jobs in London has exceeded that of the UK overall, with a particularly strong increase in part-time jobs, reaching about 1.6 million in Q3 2014. Although the gap has narrowed somewhat in recent history, the share of jobs which are part-time in London is lower than in the UK.
• Differing industries and occupational mixes within the London and the UK economies are only part of the explanation for the lower share of part-time jobs in London, accounting for just over a third of the reason for the lower share. Other factors, such as “place effects” (i.e. London-specific factors, such as the structure of the economy) and “people effects” (i.e. individual-specific factors, such as gender and parental status) need to be taken into account.
• Historically, London’s employment rate has been below that of the rest of the UK, and, although this has narrowed in recent history it still remains true. This gap is driven by differences in employment rates amongst women, particularly those working part-time; and the gap is even starker when comparing women with dependent children.