Australia’s Part-Time Work Hotspots

The majority of the top 10 part-time work hotspots in New South Wales are located along the Central and North Coast. Byron takes the top spot of the most common places to work part-time, followed by coastal council areas such as Nambucca Valley, Eurobodolla, and Coffs Harbour. What do these towns have in common? A chilled atmosphere and slow pace of life home to industries popular with part-time workers, such as hospitality and retail.

Mount Alexander is named Victoria’s part-time hotspot, with 43.2% of employees working part-time. The area is home to an ageing population who typically favour part-time work. Coastal towns Queenscliff and Bass Coast follow in second and third place, respectively. Alongside coastal locations, numerous areas in regional Victoria, such as Alpine, East Gippsland, and South Gippsland, rank in the top 10.

Noosa is home to the highest percentage of part-time workers in Queensland, with almost two in five (39.5%) employees working part-time. Noosa is well known for its peaceful and relaxed nature, perfect for those seeking a balance between work and life. Further up the coast, Douglas, a suburb of Townsville, ranks second place, while Gympie ranks third. Douglas also saw one of the highest increases in part-time worker percentage in the state, rising by 30% from 2006 to 2021.

While the Northern Territory has the lowest percentage of part-time workers overall, there are certain areas where part-time work is higher than average. Coomalie is one of these areas, with almost a third of workers (30%) working part-time. Meanwhile, the MacDonnell region, which covers Alice Springs, ranks second. MacDonnell is home to a higher-than-average population of young workers, while Coomalie has an above-average ageing population, which may explain their standings.

The region of Denmark, famously home to areas of stunning natural beauty such as Greens Pool and Elephant Rocks, is crowned the part-time hotspot of Western Australia. Just over 43% of the population here work part-time. This may be explained by the higher-than-average population of those under 20 and over 50 who typically favour part-time work. Perth suburb Peppermint Grove and popular tourist destination Augusta-Margaret River rank second and third, respectively.

Victor Harbor has the highest and second-highest percentage of part-time workers in Australia, with nearly half (46.3%) of the workforce in part-time employment. The median age in the area is 60, which explains why there is such a high percentage of part-time workers in the town. Farming town Yankalilla and nature hotspot Kangaroo Island rank second and third, respectively. Both farming and tourism, the industries these areas are known for, lend themselves to part-time work.

Tasmania has the highest percentage of part-time workers in Australia. Break O’Day ranks first in the state, with 44.6% of workers choosing part-time employment, followed closely by Tasman (44.5%). Both areas are home to a high percentage of hospitality jobs, which typically see more part-time workers. The capital, Hobart, ranks in fourth place. Despite not ranking in the top 10 part-time hotspots, King Island saw the highest increase in part-time worker percentage between 2006 and 2021, rising by almost 25%.

Over a quarter of Sydney’s workforce (27.3%) are part-time employees, the second-lowest percentage of all capital cities in Australia. Sydney has the highest cost of living in Australia, which likely restricts people’s ability to work part-time and address their financial needs. The Blue Mountains is the suburb with the highest percentage of part-time workers in the city, over a third (34%) of the workforce here has a part-time role. Sydney has the highest cost of living in the country which restricts people’s ability to work part-time.

 

The average part-time employment rate in Melbourne is 31.6%, compared to Sydney, which averages 29.7% of people working part-time. South of Melbourne CBD, the Mornington Peninsula has the highest percentage of part-time workers as a proportion of total workers at 36.9%. Whitehorse, in the Eastern Suburbs, follows closely behind with 34.8% of the workforce in part-time employment.

 

Redland, a coastal, semi-rural locality in Brisbane’s metropolitan area, has the highest percentage of part-time workers in Greater Brisbane at 30.5%, followed closely by Moreton Bay and Brisbane City.

 

Darwin has the lowest percentage of part-time workers out of all state capitals in Australia, with just less than a quarter (23.9%) of the workforce employed part-time. However, some areas of the wider metropolitan area have a much higher rate of part-time employment. Coomalie tops this list, with almost a third (31.9%) of workers taking on part-time roles.

 

Almost a third (32.5%) of all workers in Perth work part-time. Peppermint Grove is the area with the highest percentage of part-time employees, with two in five (41.4%) of workers in the area working part-time. Close by, Mosman Park and Nedlands follow in second and third place, respectively.

 

Adelaide has the second-highest proportion of part-time workers in a capital city, with 35.1% of its workforce engaged in part-time employment. In the adjacent suburbs of Mitcham and Burnside, part-time employment reigns supreme, with over 37% of the workforce opting for part-time roles, marking them as the top part-time hotspots within the city.

 

Among all state capitals, Hobart’s metropolitan region boasts the highest proportion of part-time workers, standing at 37%. Within the Greater Hobart area, the city itself records the highest percentage of part-time employment, with nearly 40% of its working residents engaged in part-time work.