Reflecting the increasingly austere business climate, part-time and temporary employees now make up roughly a quarter of the workforce, according to government figures released Tuesday.
The number of nonregular employees -- part-time, temporary or contract workers -- reached a record 14.5 million in 2002, according to a labor ministry report on labor economics.
The report puts the total size of the workforce at 63.2 million, including 34.9 million regular, full-time employees. It says the number of nonregular employees was nearly twice the corresponding figure for 1987, when there were 7.4 million.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.