Up to a quarter of part-time workers were either fired or had their working hours shortened after the government announced a drastic minimum wage hike last year.

In a survey by part-time job portal Alba published Tuesday of 1,458 part-time workers, 16.9 percent said their work hours were cut after the government announced the hike last July.

Nine percent said they were fired on the spot.

Some 33.3 percent fear they will have a hard time finding more part-time work, while 20.2 percent are afraid of shortened work hours and 16.9 percent are bracing themselves for more work to be done in less time.

Respondents also expressed concerns that employers will face tougher financial conditions due to the minimum wage hike (9.9 percent), while others fear deteriorating relations with employers (8.7 percent) and wages being paid late (7.9 percent).

