This article discusses students taking part-time work whilst studying higher education (HE). It suggests that cross-national trends can be observed in the purposes, types, benefits, negative aspects and outcomes of part-time work by HE students. The paper reviews literature on HE students working part-time in the UK and the US, and UNESCO studies of many nations, which raise questions of the benefits and negative aspects of students taking part-time work. The paper reports two sets of empirical data from Macau, an emerging economy in a territory that typifies global trends in HE in the provision of diversified public and private education and cross-border student populations. Many similarities found between practices in Macau and other countries suggest that cross-national trends might exist in the issues and practices of HE students working part-time. Data are provided from Macau to indicate how undergraduate student employment is an ironical interpretation of calls to integrate the worlds of HE and work, and is a widespread phenomenon. A research agenda is suggested for future study. (Contains 1 figure, 4 tables and 3 notes.)