The bar chart illustrates the proportions of part-time and full-time employees in five European nations, namely Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and the Netherlands, over two distinct years: 1998 and 2018.
Overall, full-time employment consistently represented a significantly larger percentage of the workforce compared to part-time employment in all countries during both periods. While part-time work generally saw slight increases, full-time work experienced minor decreases or remained relatively stable.
Regarding part-time workers, the Netherlands had the highest percentages, rising from 24% in 1998 to 29% in 2018. Germany also showed an increase, from 18% to 22%. France, Italy, and Spain recorded lower figures but also saw modest growth, with France increasing from 12% to 15%, Italy from 9% to 11%, and Spain from 14% to 17% over the two decades.
Conversely, full-time employment generally declined. Italy maintained the highest proportion of full-time workers, with 74% in 1998 and 73% in 2018. France also remained high, at 72% then 70%. Germany and Spain experienced more noticeable drops, with Germany falling from 70% to 66% and Spain from 68% to 65%. The Netherlands had the lowest full-time figures, decreasing from 62% to 58%.