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More Americans Are Working Part-Time
August 29, 2008 09:00 AM
Many American workers are being forced into part-time positions, and more mothers and retirees are seeking part-time work.
The Part-Time Predicament
Unable to find full-time positions, more Americans are turning to part-time work, with a resultant loss of income and health benefits.
While the unemployment rate rests at 5.5 percent, the number of workers who are “under-employed”—workers who have had their hours cut or have been relegated to part-time roles—neared 5.3 million in June, an increase of a million from the previous year. Susan Lambert of the University of Chicago calls the shift from full to part-time work “the canary in the coal mine.”
Construction accounts for 28 percent of this downshift, while retail and professional or business service comprise about half that percentage. According to the Department of Labor, 73 percent of those involuntarily shifted to part-time roles have been men, 35 percent of them Hispanic.
Concurrently, a growing number of Americans, particularly mothers, are seeking out higher-level part-time work. Liz Norwood, cofounder of 10 til 2, a part-time job placement service, said that the typical customer is a mother. “She wants to put her child on the bus in the morning, work several hours, and meet her child’s bus in the afternoon.” The problem the company struggles with is the sheer volume of job applicants. There are 16,000 people looking for work through the service. Norwood glumly acknowledges, “Unfortunately, we don’t have 16,000 jobs.”
Other employees, on the verge of retirement, see working part-time as an appealing alternative. For the employer, part-time workers planning to retire can smooth the transition to newcomers. According to the Journal Gazette, an Indiana newspaper, the Employee Benefit Research Institute reported that while 61 percent of workers would consider postponing retirement, less than half that number said they were asked to do so.
The Star Ledger notes that retail and supermarket jobs, which offer sizeable discounts at their stores, can help employees compensate for escalating gas prices. However, according to The New York Times, only 16 percent of retail workers have health benefits.
While the unemployment rate rests at 5.5 percent, the number of workers who are “under-employed”—workers who have had their hours cut or have been relegated to part-time roles—neared 5.3 million in June, an increase of a million from the previous year. Susan Lambert of the University of Chicago calls the shift from full to part-time work “the canary in the coal mine.”
Construction accounts for 28 percent of this downshift, while retail and professional or business service comprise about half that percentage. According to the Department of Labor, 73 percent of those involuntarily shifted to part-time roles have been men, 35 percent of them Hispanic.
Concurrently, a growing number of Americans, particularly mothers, are seeking out higher-level part-time work. Liz Norwood, cofounder of 10 til 2, a part-time job placement service, said that the typical customer is a mother. “She wants to put her child on the bus in the morning, work several hours, and meet her child’s bus in the afternoon.” The problem the company struggles with is the sheer volume of job applicants. There are 16,000 people looking for work through the service. Norwood glumly acknowledges, “Unfortunately, we don’t have 16,000 jobs.”
Other employees, on the verge of retirement, see working part-time as an appealing alternative. For the employer, part-time workers planning to retire can smooth the transition to newcomers. According to the Journal Gazette, an Indiana newspaper, the Employee Benefit Research Institute reported that while 61 percent of workers would consider postponing retirement, less than half that number said they were asked to do so.
The Star Ledger notes that retail and supermarket jobs, which offer sizeable discounts at their stores, can help employees compensate for escalating gas prices. However, according to The New York Times, only 16 percent of retail workers have health benefits.
Opinions & Analysis: Economic trends
Blogger and management professor Peter Cohan explains what the part-time trend means for the economy: “The thing about having 70% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) dependent on consumer spending is that economic growth in the U.S. can only happen if consumers keep spending more money. And with more people taking pay cuts, consumer spending has only one place to go.”
Source: Blogging Stocks
Related Topics: Advice for mothers; coping when “pushed to part-time”; choosing a part-time job
Shannon Davis of University Heights, Ohio, launched BeyondMotherhood.com because, as she explained, “I wanted to be able to look for jobs that fit my schedule. I had many conversations with friends and other amazing women who faced the same challenge.” The Web site received requests from 2,000 mothers and 450 employers within its first year.
Source: Seattle Times
The Wall Street Journal explains how women’s networks help stay-at-home moms maintain a stronghold in the work force. “SWAT” moms, or "smart women with available time,” are a growing trend. They offer a ready supply of work to employers who need qualified temporary help.
Source: findingDulcinea
Working part-time, employees can miss vital opportunities for job growth. Elizabeth Garone of the Wall Street Journal suggests part-time workers plan lunch dates with full-time co-workers. Marty Nemko, a career coach in Oakland, California, advises, “Build relationships with the organization’s ‘cognoscenti.’ These can be anyone from an administrative assistant to an executive to the rising stars, to the full-fledged stars.”
Source: Wall Street Journal
When looking for part-time work, it’s easy to get lost on job search Web sites that can’t help you with your part-time needs. Knowing where to start your Internet quest for job flexibility can save you a lot of time.
Source: findingDulcinea
© 2009 Dulcinea Media, Inc.
