Part-time jobs a dead end for some

HR Magazine, Nov, 1998 by Bill Leonard

Part-time workers who would like to have full-time jobs often lack the needed education and skills to achieve that goal, according to a recent report from the Congressional Research Service, a research arm of the U.S. Library of Congress.

The report, Part-time Job Growth and the Labor Effects of Policy Responses: An Overview, examines the problem some part-time employees face when attempting to move into full-time work. Statistics have shown that 80 percent of part-time workers prefer their situation, but the remaining 20 percent would like more hours. Yet many of these workers are forced to accept part-time jobs.

The report states, "Once the business-cycle effect is eliminated by focusing on peak years of economic activity, it becomes clear that involuntary part-time work has grown over the long term." According to statistics, involuntary part-time employment accounted for approximately 2.6 percent of total employment in 1969, while in 1997 it accounted for nearly 3.1 percent of total employment.

According to the report, the primary reason for the rise in "involuntary part-time" work is a lack of education and work skills among entry-level workers.

"Employers may have found that a growing share of workers do not possess the skill levels they are seeking in candidates for full-time long-term positions," the report states. "People involuntarily employed part-time might have been on the rise over the long term because of a mismatch between their qualifications and the requirements of many 'high-quality' job opportunities."

Copies of the report (reference number 98-695 E) are available from the Congressional Research Service by calling (202) 707-5700.