Quarter-million young workers stuck in contracts with too few hours, study finds

Nearly a quarter of a million young people want to work more hours than they are currently contracted to work. More than two-thirds of employees under the age of 30 would prefer to work full-time, while just over half actually do so, according to research agency Intelligence Group. As a result, an annual labor potential equivalent to nearly 120,000 full-time jobs among young people remains untapped.

The agency says that many young people are systematically stuck in employment contracts that offer too few hours. This underutilization is particularly pronounced in healthcare, education, and social services occupations. In healthcare, the unused capacity amounts to more than 20,500 full-time equivalent positions, compared with over 9,300 FTEs in education and nearly 9,700 FTEs in social services.

"One of the biggest misconceptions about young people in the labor market is that they want to work fewer hours or have no ambition to hold a full-time job. The opposite is true. They would rather work more hours and preferably full-time, but in certain sectors and occupations, they are stuck with small part-time contracts," said Geert-Jan Waasdorp, chief executive of Intelligence Group.

Other sectors with large amounts of untapped young labor potential include logistics, hospitality, retail, and paramedical services, according to the researchers. "This underutilization of talent not only contributes to unnecessary labor shortages in sectors facing staffing bottlenecks, but also puts the development of an entire generation under pressure. Rigid staffing structures, the inability to combine contracts, tax-related obstacles, and flexible employment contracts are among the causes of this underutilization," Waasdorp said.

Intelligence Group estimates that the nationwide untapped labor potential among people who are already employed amounts to 164,000 additional full-time equivalent positions. Healthcare, including nursing, caregiving, and social welfare services, accounts for the largest share, with 36,100 unfilled full-time equivalents, followed by education, hospitality, social services, and paramedical professions.