Just over half (58%) of all part-time employees in the UK have workplace pensions, compared to 86% of full-time workers, according to new data from the Office of National Statistics (ONS).
Men who work part-time in the private sector are particularly under-represented in employer pension schemes, with only 41% in one. In comparison, 51% of females were found to be in a scheme according to the figures for 2020, which were published on 1 April.
However, part-time private sector female workers still fell behind their equivalents in the public sector, where 84% were enrolled in schemes last year.
Overall part-time private sector employees lag behind public sector workers in belonging to a workplace pension, with just 48% in a scheme compared to 83% of public sector workers.
The division is less stark among full-time workers, with 84% of private sector employees enrolled in a scheme, compared to 94% of public sector staff.
Public sector workers are also much more likely to belong to defined benefit schemes. Of the 35% of workers in such a scheme, just 11% were private sector workers, compared to 89% of public sector employees.
Likewise of the 37% enrolled in a defined contribution scheme, just 7% of public sector workers, compared to 50% of private sector employees.
