Recent studies have suggested that Australians are working harder than ever, but new research suggests that with the rise in part-time and casual employment, we’re in fact spending more time away from work.

Forecaster IBISWorld has found the average Australian has 78.1 hours each week for ‘leisure’ activities, compared to 76.4 hours in 2001.

The statistic is an indication of how many Australians are seeking ‘non-traditional’ working arrangements that may reduce their working hours, and also reflects the beginning of the transition of the ‘Baby Boomers’ into retirement or semi-retirement.

IBISWorld analyst Naren Sivasailam told the Herald Sun that workers now had more capacity to free up some time so they could spend it looking after their health or caring for children, and he believed the trend would continue in the future.

The forecast is backed up by figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics in October 2010. It found that while the number of hours worked by full-time and part-time workers had increased in the past 30 years, the average number of hours worked had declined from about 35.5 to 33, due to a greater emphasis on part-time work. The ABS found the trend was generally consistent across industries and levels of experience – managers’ hours dropped from 47.6 hours in 1996 to 43.3 in 2010.

From an employer perspective, the statistics show how more employees are seeking and obtaining arrangements to boost their leisure time and balance work and personal commitments. However, other recent data suggests the number of hours worked rose in December 2011 due to the current job slowdown, meaning these arrangements could be harder to source at the moment.

Have you increased or decreased your working hours in the last few years, and if so, what have been the reasons for it? We'd like to hear about it on the VECCI Blog.