Job shortage: part-timers on rise in Britain

London, May 16 (IANS) The number of men taking up part-time work due to being unable to find a full-time job in Britain has more than doubled in the last four years, says a new study.

Nearly 600,000 men were working part-time in December while looking for full-time positions, compared to 293,000 at the end of 2007, reported the Daily Mail citing the Trade Union Congress (TUC), a federation of trade unions in Britain.

Latest official figures tell that as many as 1.4 million workers and self-employed people work part-time because they cannot find full-time employment, the highest figure since records began in 1992.

According to TUC, people living in the east Britain have been hit by the biggest increase in under-employment over the past four years, with the number of men "trapped" in part-time jobs more than trebling to almost 60,000.

Its analysis of official figures showed that the North East, Northern Ireland and London also experienced sharp rises in involuntary part-time work.

The report, published ahead of the latest unemployment figures Monday, also revealed that the number of women working in involuntary part-time jobs has more than doubled in London and Northern Ireland over the past four years.

TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said: "Last month's fall in unemployment was a welcome surprise. No-one should be under any illusion however that the jobs crisis is over.

"Virtually all employment growth is coming from part-time and temporary jobs but most of the people taking them want and need permanent, full-time work.

Areas in Britain with the most people doing part-time work for not being able to find full-time jobs include London (198,000), the North West (152,000), the South East (141,000) and the West Midlands (132,000), said the TUC.