Part-Time Job Rate Is Up

Aug. 2, 2008 — -- The new July job numbers from the U.S. Department of Labor are a mixed bag. Unemployment is now at 5.7 percent, the highest level in four years. But the losses are not as great as expected.

"We continue to see a trend in job losses in construction and manufacturing, we also saw some retail job losses," said Tig Gilliam, an executive at Adecco USA, a human resources services company. "But there's some areas of strength in the jobs market for professional skills despite today's numbers."

The new report also showed an increase in the underemployed. The number of Americans working part-time jobs has hit an all-time high, 3.7 million, up 3 percent from the same time a year ago.

Many current part-timers were full-time workers who had their hours scaled back, or lost their jobs completely.

Shawn McCulloch had his own property management firm until it went under last year. He has been unable to get a full-time job since.

"People are having difficulty just surviving, just making it from today to tomorrow," said McCulloch, who is hoping to settle on a part-time job as a personal trainer to help pay the bills.

"Today I'm pretty much looking for anything I can find," he said.

McCulloch is not alone. As companies and governments seek to slash costs, part-time employees are an attractive option.

"An employer would prefer to keep the talent they have," said Gilliam, "and so, if they have to reduce cost on the employee side, a move to make people part time is better than letting them go."

For those out of work, a part-time job can be a necessary -- if imperfect -- step on the road to full employment.

"[I'm] looking for a little part-time job just to keep the utilities going," McCulloch said, adding, "I know I'll be fine someday."