Almost a quarter of Irish workers are employed on a part-time basis, according to a new study that finds that many would like to work more hours.

The Eurostat Labour Force survey reveals that 23.4 per cent of Irish employees are working part-time, compared to an EU average of 20.3 per cent.

The Netherlands recorded the highest proportion of part-time employees at 50.5 per cent, followed by Austria at 27.7 per cent.

The study shows that 54 per cent of those classified as part-time workers in Ireland are women, below the EU average of 67 per cent.

As many as 28.7 per cent of part-time workers and 6.7 per cent of the total Irish workforce, classified themselves as underemployed last year.

The survey shows that across the EU, 44.1 million people are working part-time, of which 9.8 million said they were underemployed in 2014. This is equivalent to 22 per cent of all part time workers and to 4.5 per cent of total employees across the European Union.

Some 67 per cent of all part-time workers underemployed in the EU last year were women.

Underemployed part-time workers were predominantly women in every EU Member State except Romania and Slovakia.

The study reveals that 11.6 million people could be considered as potential employees, of which 9.5 million are available to work, but are not looking. Approximately 57 per cent of the total potential additional labour force were women.

Women made up the largest part of the total potential additional labour force in all EU Member States except Ireland and Finland. The largest proportion of possible additional labour was recorded in Italy at 13.6 per cent, followed by Croatia, Bulgaria and Finland.