The rapidly expanding part-time segment of the UK workforce is increasingly turning to the home party to raise extra cash. 

Cosmetics giants Avon and Body Shop and gold party organisers Ounces2Pounds are all reporting a huge up take the numbers of stay-at-home mums who are offering the services as party organisers 

The recession has forced record numbers of workers into part-time jobs according to the Office for National Statistics. 

There are now 7.8 million part-time workers in the UK – the largest figure since records began 25 years ago – and future job losses will exacerbate the situation. 

Over the last twelve months 468,000 less workers are employed in full-time work but 255,000 have become part-time. The situation is expected to deteriorate considerably as public sector job losses increase. 

Krista Waddell, the CEO of Ounces2Pounds, speaking from Las Vegas said: “We have never experienced such a gold-rush as this. We’ve had enquiries from 243 new gold-party hostesses in the UK over the last two months. But I’m convinced that we have only scratched the surface of the market in Britain.” 

Ounces2Pounds introduced the American phenomenon of gold parties to Britain over a year ago and Mark Nicholson is convinced that they have only scratched the surface of the UK market. 

“The deeper the recession bites and the higher the spot price of gold rises the more popular our parties become,” he said.