Part-time employment is an arrangement in which an employee is paid by the hour and works on average fewer than 4 hours per day and fewer than 24 hours per week for the same employer.
Differences Between Part-Time and Full-Time Employment
In past years, the use of part-time employment has grown rapidly, most often through hourly positions. The China Employment Contracts Act provides specific rules for part-time employment that differ from those for full-time employment:
It defines part-time employment as work paid on an hourly basis that averages less than 4 hours per day and less than 24 hours per week for the same employer.
Part-time employees may enter into employment contracts with more than one employer, provided that any later contract does not interfere with the performance of an earlier contract. Full-time employees, by contrast, may only enter into an employment contract with a single employer. For example, Reuters reported in 2025 that Chinese government officials were authorized to work part time on the side, so long as it does not interfere with their duties or create conflicts of interest.
Part-time employment can be based on an oral agreement, while full-time employment must be documented in a written employment contract.
The Act also prohibits employers from imposing a probationary period on part-time employees. Probationary periods are permitted for full-time employees, except for project-based contracts or contracts with terms of less than three months.
Significance of Part-time Employment in China
Part-time work is an important form of contingent labor. In China, part-time employment has been increasing rapidly especially in food service, retail, and community services, and employers are increasingly using a wider range of part-time arrangements to meet staffing needs. Part-time employment plays several important roles in China’s labor market:
It allows employers to match staffing levels with changing business needs while controlling labor costs, since labor demands in a market economy are driven by business needs and employers are constantly seeking to minimize labor costs to maximize profits. Labor costs for part-time roles are generally lower than those for full-time employees. As a result, more businesses are using contingent work arrangements to meet their needs.
Part-time employment also helps non-employed individuals and unemployed workers to return to work. Part-time employment provides an increasingly important pathway back into employment for non-employed individuals or unemployed workers, especially in a labor market with significant imbalances and strong competition for full-time jobs.
Some industries in China specifically take advantage of the cost savings of not having to pay benefits or severance for part time workers. Sixth Tone reports that about 90% of the one million AI data labeling jobs in China are filled as part time roles, usually by persons desiring a full-time job.
Lastly, Chinese policy thinking sees the at-will employment rules for part-time workers as being a strategy for preventing potential widespread unemployment in the economy. In a labor market characterized by imbalanced supply and demand and limited job opportunities, part-time employment allows employers to meet staffing needs more flexibly without adding as many full-time positions, thus creating more job opportunities for workers..
Contracts and Termination
Although oral agreements are sufficient to form a part-time employment contract under Chinese law, some local governments impose stricter requirements. In Beijing, China, for example, part-time employees may work for two or more employers concurrently, but each employer must enter into a written part-time employment contract from the start of employment, with both the employer and employee keeping a signed copy.
Further Reading
Learn more about different working arrangements in China here.