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Subscribe to RSSAndrea Mulhearn Brobst wants a full-time job.
Despite having a four-year degree in business, she’s only been able to find a low-paying part-time retail job since she was laid off “from a real job at the beginning of this economic mess,” she said.
And Kathi Nguyen has been relying on temporary jobs since she lost her full-time corporate position in 2007. “It's just an extremely frustrating situation,” she said. “I want full-time.”
Unfortunately, finding a coveted full-time gig has gotten harder since the Great Recession hit, and last week’s May unemployment data showed the problem is getting worse.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported an uptick in the number of workers classified as “involuntary part time,” or those who’d rather be working a 40-hour plus week. The data shows the number of people working part time for economic reasons climbed above 8 million in May.
There are two types of employees that come under the involuntary part-time category: those who are working fewer hours because their present employer cut back hours due to business conditions, and those who just can’t find full-time jobs.
While the number of employees who saw their full-time work schedules cut by their existing employers stayed about even with last month, and declined 8.8 percent from last year; the number of workers who could only find part-time jobs rose about 12 percent to 2.6 million in May, and increased about the same percentage compared to the same month last year.
And since the recession began in 2008, the number of people who were part time because they couldn’t find a full-time position skyrocketed by 1.4 million individuals, or 117 percent, according to research by Heidi Shierholz, economist for the Economic Policy Institute.
“It’s probably more a story of job opportunities,” she said. “Desperate workers have to settle with what they can find.”
Companies are just not willing to take on many more workers in this economy, even though employers are starting to see signs of economic life.
“Employers are reluctant to add full-time, permanent employees and they’re looking for innovative ways to respond to business,” said Craig Rowley, vice president of human resource consulting company Hay Group.
The big question, he said, is how do they respond to an uptick in sales without adding fixed expenses such as permanent workers? “They look at temp workers and employing more part time employees,” he said.
While Rowley said companies will add more full-time workers as the economy continues to improve, the employment world is shifting to a more just-in-time model. “They are looking for a more flexible workforce,” he said, especially in retail and healthcare.
That flexibility, however, isn’t good news for workers who want full-time, permanent jobs.
“The constant fluctuation in hours from week to week means that workers face ongoing uncertainty about their earnings,” stated Nancy Kauthen, a sociologist and policy consultant in a 2011 report titled: “Scheduling Hourly Workers: How last minute, just-in-time scheduling practices are bad for workers, families and business.” “The financial instability alone can create tremendous stress for low- to moderate-income families who never know whether their wages will cover the monthly bills.”
What’s your take? Are you working part time but would rather have a full-time gig?
Leave a Comment:
I'm a 2008 grad of Boston U, varsity athlete and captain, trilingual... I work retail. Out of the 200K worth of school I have, I'd take rather 150K in cash to invest and get an online degree from some online B**S**t online institute. Kids, if you want a job, steer clear of liberal arts degrees..... and Southern California
We are simply over-populated and frankly, over-educated in fields that are no longer valued.
Things will not get better...ever.
In fact, they will get worse as more and more high school graduates and college seniors attempt to enter the workforce (they will never be counted as "unemployed" since they never had a job to begin with).
Excluding a few highly-technical, medical, and scientific fields, full-time, professional (or even blue collar) jobs are not out there.
We have entered a new phase in our economic history. I see a 15 to 30 year period of bleak economic conditions at best. At worst, the cycle will never end until a major war or world catastrophe "resets" things.
And I'm usually an "optimist."
josh you are very right ! if more people were so rational about all of this things really wouldn't be so bad . cus...
playing the blame game has gotten us all where ???
Boy,you boys can shure change monikers in a hurry and subject matter! Who;'s on your list tonight to rile up,the blacks! They are the only people dumb enough to fall all this phony tear jerking bs.I can't believe your handlers would send you out with such mediocre crap to try and shovel inot other people's brain!
MAS098,
You clearly need mental help along with basic grammar skills. Do the world a favor and stay away from PCs with wi-fi access. And spare us the "I'm fast-typing" excuses. Weirdo.
-- From a Fellow Conservative (who wishes you weren't)
According to the GOP that is capitalism. Trim the fat and make more profit and in the long run the rich get richer and you know the rest of the story. Romney was especially good at trimming the fat. He could send a thousand jobs overseas and cut millions in pensions at home and he'd save the company millions of dollars in labor costs. The workers on the other hand all got screwed. I've seen this movie already and I know how it ends.
g9 ding ding ding ! .. whoooo hooooo someone gets it !
Tell me genous,which communist o@!$%#ry or even socialist country has preformed better than capitalism? Italy,Greece,Spain,Venezuela,Argentina,Egypt,Lybia,Prougal,the UK? Which one ? None and they are all bankrupt! Thankcyour undeserving ass you live here you loser!
The obvious answer to your question is China. You will be the first person complaining about how "China owns us." I don't believe that they own us but I know your xenophobic mind does because Fox News and Rush Limburger told you so. I always wondered why you listen to Fox when they are owned by a foreigner You may recall a certain communist name Mao Tse Tung? Do you know where he is from?
mas098: were you home schooled or did your parents just pass you through? Frankly, I find it difficult to be persuaded by somebody who can't spell correctly and obviously wouldn't know how to use a dictionary even if you did own one, which I know you don't, and even if you somehow did own one, which I know you don't, you would not be inclined to use it or even begin to know how to use it. The words at the top of each page are called the "guide words."
It is not just immigration that is attacking US citizenship.
So called "Free Trade" is another culprit.
These agreements are negotiated in secret can you believe... it is not like classified information is at stake here.
Seated at the table are the corporate shill governments and huge corporations, sorry unemployed citizens and under trodden citizens are barred as are those who want the environment protected.
It is an utter shambles.
simply we have piss ed it all away for the glory of capitalism ... while the old saying goes :
That's the answer! Tell my you socialist/communist,which one of your countries are in better shape?
China. Frankly, your argument doesn't fly. China the largest communist country in the World is doing much better economically than the US or Europe. Venezuela is much better off than the US economically. Do you have any more asinine questions?
Of course this is Obamas fault, who else could put this country in a tail spin so fast? And besides, Obama likes to play the blame game and point his dirty little democRAT finger at Bush for everything, but it's not working! This mess is owned 100% by you Obama, YOU did this to our country and YOU alone! with your socialist thinking! ...HUmmmm you know what his policys sounds like? remember germany? and hilter? what did he want to do? And what happened to germany? read your history, where going down the same road.
If Romney gets elected do you think he'll say he inherited President Obama's recovery? As President is it better to inherit a recovery or a Great Depression? What did the GOP think was going to happen by electing W. Bush twice? He only bankrupted every single entity he was ever in charge of including the United States of America. Did you think he was just going to get it right? Now Romney is Bush. Same pedigree, same education, same experience as governor, same business background, same failed economic policies, same beating of the war drums, same failed neocon advisers tell the same failed BS to the same type of pampered putz who never worked a day in his life, yet he sleeps like a baby after sending a thousand jobs overseas and cutting the hard earned pensions of the American workers so he can "save" the company labor costs. On CNBC last week Romney said when he is elected he will fundamentally change the relationship between labor and management. I bet he doesn't mean he's going to give the laborers more pay or longer vacations or better benefits. I bet he will permit management to "renegotiate" the previously entered agreements with labor where the management no longer will be responsible for pensions, health insurance, higher pay. In Romney's World if he can lay-off 1000 workers and replace them with five hundred temps who don't receive any benefits, can be fired at the moments notice and receive about 60% of the pay of regular full time workers then he was a success as a business man. Henry Ford is rolling over in his grave at the likes of these charlatans.
Bush.
Blaming Obama for the bitter fruits borne by the previous Republican administrations, and from decades of offshoring and outsourcing.
Genius.
And I will stick to history. Someone needs to stay ahead of the ignorant.
Oh Yeah that's right. Everything was honkydory in September of 2008. Oh and November, I'll never forget how great it was in November. It wasn't until that bad Obama got in that we had a problem...oh wait...
For us things have only been going up since 2006. We chose not to participate in the recession. was it bad? Did you have a hard time finding a job? I found it easy to find a full time good paying job it takes just a few hours.
This is the universe trying to tell folks to chill out, relax, enjoy the view, stop being a slave to the corporate slave master controlled system and form neighborly sustainable communities....and yet people still want to be $laves.
And what be a slave to big unions who only give a fukk about thier members! Unions are inherently socialistic and temermentally,communistic! The only reason the union leaders don't pronounce themselves as communist,in America, is that it's against the law!
Unions also help to balance the power from power hungry en$laving corporations.
People whined back in the 1930's about doom and gloom, how the Rich, Fords and Rockefellers and wealthy others were controlling all and the poor man had no chance...
Every generation bitched and blamed some wealthy family or person for being evil and heartless, all causing life to be bad.. Life goes on... So stop the bitching, or your blood pressure will go up and you have a stroke and maybe die...............
I'm working at a large corporation where they are hiring by the hundreds..every last one of them foreign workers. No one wants to hire Americans, pay benefits, relocation, and a competitive wage. An obsession with cheap wages and expendable work force. A relentless drive to the bottom.
Read your comments,loser and you will understand why they don't want to hire the ilks o=like you!
Boy, did you ever nail it.
It's easy getting adjusted to making less at the moment but what happens when it's time to retire and your told because of it your not going to be able to live the life you have been accustom to for the last 20 years? Wake up people; while you live just to eat, your employer is eating dinner with Romney's friends. I would love to stay here and chat but it's late and I need to be at the local temporary job office to get out on a part time job that pays minimum wage. What really is nice about this type of work is before spending 90 days with one company I get to start all over again with a short hopefully vacation (unpaid of course). I keep getting told that if things pick up I can be a permanent employee after I'm there 90 days. I've been told that 8 times in the last 2 years. Employers are now starting to ask me why I can't keep a job longer than 3 months.
You are so full of crap,I hope you don't have to regeritate because your mouth is oging to smell horrible!More big union,liturd hyperbole!You are not even a good lier!
Loser had enough? You know you can't spread your bs anymore so your handlers pulled your plug! Off to another thread where no one is around to defend America!
Projection much mas098. You have a head full of worms.
mas098 who the fk are you talking to ??? cus i know damn well ya cant be telling me i live with my mommy ! ..
cus she is living in a glass jar in top of my china cabinet !
as for apple fk apple ..
i go pc and build some damn good ones too !
and yes even knowing how to do that with 3 kids i have a whole $1.86 to my fking name so yeah i know a bit about what being in america really is allll about !
waste of sperm ..... i mean mas098 ... you really need a life !
or a JOB !
You do know how to spell JOB .. Cus ya cant spell anything else !
This is the new norm. Anyone who does not understand that is living in lala land. I remember reading an article back in the 80's about Japan and how they could compete so well against the US. As I recall the article said they had a very small cadre of full time employees with benefits. They had a very large contingent of so called part time employees who had few benefits yet worked better than 40 hrs per week. Then they had a slew of what was called cottage workers. Mostly they were women who were no longer in the workforce because culturally it was expected they would stop working outside the home when they married and most assuredly when they had children. They did piece work which could be done from the home. They were the lowest payed employees.
Any of this sound familiar? It should because we have been heading in this direction since the 80's. Few major businesses are "American" but are owned by businesses from around the world. They (since "they" are considered people after all) and their executives think of workers truly as just cogs in the wheel of their fortune. American workers are not even consumers to them anymore. The "consumers" are their stock owners. They will get to the point where Japan was back in the 80's......very, very small cadre of full time employees with benefits (pretty much just the executives) and the rest will be part timers only.
The rest of the world does not get why we are upset since they have never had the work experience or the large middle-class that we had from post-WWII through the beginning of our decline in the early 80's.
What happened in Japan(i don't expect anyone with your intellect to know this) was not an employment or employee problem,it was a government spending problem and still is! Japan raised her national debt to GNP t o 130%1 She ,for your understaning,was on the verge of bankruptcy.She has drawn down that ratio a bit but has never been able to recover!
You are an idiot! Got take a nappy,Kelsy!
Really. If people haven't experienced how good the life of the working class can be it's easy for them to just blow it off. And that's what many have done. They are complicit in there own misery sometimes.
mswxyz,You are a loser,you will never get a job! You like socialism so much,move to the EU! I understand the socialist countries there are doing swell!If you don't like America ,leave! I love America,she has been my jewell! She protected me,gave me a cance and let me alone to do what I could do.All she asked for was a little loyalty,which I give her.When she asked me to defend her,I did that also.I worked hard and I did well! Go figure!
well yeah waste of sperm ..... you are an illegal !
ALL YOU WORTHLESS FKS HAVE DESTROYED IT FOR AL OF US REAL RED WHITE AND BLUE BLOOD AMERICANS
Lets just start over fresh with a new president. One we KNOW is an American. One who wants to go the other way. I don't care if you want Ron Paul or Rommey, lets just stop count or losses lick our wounds and go the other way. The road were on right now Obama's way is failing and failing big time. How many more jobs do we need to lose? How many more failed banks and companies do you really want to bail out with our money? Do you really want gay lifestyles to be tought in your child's school? I'm why don't we stright folks start demanding that gays hear our voice and give us some rights!? Do we really want big brother to watch our life's and tell us how to live? And correct me if I'm wrong but is the "seperatation of Church and State" in the Constitution? I mean what I remember is that the founding fathers wanted the Church to know that the state was not going to interfear with the Church? you know IN GOD WE TRUST. Not Obama. So lets just turn things around before all our rights are gone, and start at square #1 with our Constitution And this time lets not leave God out like Obama wants.
First, your command of English. Wow!
No wonder you have the opinions you do. Your level of education is showing - might want to cover that up with some ointment!
I want YOUR GOD out of my life, my government, and my schools.
And I'd rather live in a neighborhood full of gay people than one full of self-righteous, judgmental, ignorant Christians with poor reasoning skills.
You do understand that if Romney "turns the economy around" that means that instead of 26 consecutive months of job gains he will cause job losses? Romney is Bush. Bush is Romney. If you liked Bush then you will love Romney. They have the same pedigree, the same upbringing, the same education, the same experience as governor, the same business background, the same failed policy advisers and the same failed policies. Romney is Bush! The names have changed but the song remains the same.
Would you like to go back to the days before the amendments or after?
All of you folks struggling to find good jobs need to remember who is at the helm of the USA in November. Remember that is his policies that are helping to drag this whole mess out!!
I know what it is like to be struggling to find work and pay the bills. I feel for all of you. Please remember in November!!
Berry never has had a national "jobs" plan.He has only had a plan to bankrupt America hoping we will start over and have to,because of BerryCare,as a EU look alike! A democratic socilist country wiith an understanding between big corporations ,big labol and big government on how thing will be done! If anyone supports this novice,you should be ashame! I could run this country better and get 12 hours sleep a day!His chief economic advisors are all suplply side economist and never shall it be anyway else.Supply economic never worked.It only caused FDR to engage in more and more supply side programs which drove America deeper and deeper into a depression!Worthless,if he knew anything but himseof! Who writes an autobiography when they are 30 besides someone with a mesianic complex!
Janetbone! I love that name but can only imagine the comments whem you were young! Hell ,for all I know you may still be young! No offense meant!
Romney was excellent at trimming the fat off of business. If you are struggling to find work and Romney gets elected you either will have to move overseas or take temp jobs. That is what vulture capitalists do. They strip the costs that the company is legally required to pay by going to bankruptcy court and redoing the workers' pay and benefits downward. You know who still gets their golden parachute though? I bet you can guess.
What I'll remember in November is that the Republicans want a Democrat to fail no matter what it costs the country. I'll never forget that.
If you plan to vote for BO ... you are part of the problem ...
.
Amen,brother!
Boy am I ever confused. May unemployment shows a worrisome decline in new job openings; previous months employment figures were revised downwards; Europe, our biggest trading partner outside of Canada is ready to explode; businesses are sitting on $2 trillion in cash with no expectations of increasing investments to create jobs. Then I see Cramer yelling on Chris Matthews today that things have never been better - the housing market is great; job creation isn't all that bad, the Europeans are getting their stuff together (what???!!!), and housing prices in the Northwest have increased close to 5% over May of last year. Will someone smarter than me please explain what to belive and why. Thanks
Cramer is an idiot! If you listened to CRamer and invested in what he claimed was good,you owuld be homeless! The economy is not good.Businesses are still shedding jobs,Thet wont spend the money they have because of the uncertianty of BerrieCare.Remember,the unions,who whole heartedly supported BerrieCare were the first to opt out because they have "cadillac" healthcare policies and they don't want their special members to have to stand in line with us,the uncleamn masses.That money held will not be spent until business knows there is no loner a novise leader in the White House whose only council is himself and Moochelle! The Eu is in terrible shape.Greece will likely take its' ball and leave which they will regreat fro decades. There are 4-7 countries in the EU right behind Greece. The countries trying to get into the EU ahve suddenly stop wanting that to happen in the imeidate future.Germany,the only country in the EU that has shown some simblous of fiscal responsibilty cannot last being the bank to the EU.I expect that the EU might collapse! With it will be a worldwide depression.China has slowed down considerable and wont be making any more surges like in the past.The same is true with India.Want to know where we stand,watch the price of oil! If it continues to decrease,so will our economy.If it should start to rise,so will job out looks! This is from someone with a MBA in economics!
Most of the jobs being shedded are public sector jobs mas098 which is just you want. So quit whining about it.
Go find a job creator and ask for a job. After all, their tax cuts should mean that they can hire you!
Companies don't operate like that! Hiring an employee has a lot more ramifications now with BerryCare right aorund the corner.Companies are not going to go out of business because we have a egomanical,madman in the White House! I'm afraid what will happen to America if this idiot is relected!
What the Bureau of Labor and Statistics has hidden for the last three years is that there are now only 64% of the people over the age of 16 are working. Full time or part time. With Social Security claiming 15% of this population, the true unemployment rate is 21%. One in five adults is either unemployed or working in the gray market. In the state of California this number jumps to 29%.
Mexifornia if you please! We have officially become a province of Mexico and our provencial capital is Mexico City norte'(Los Angeles)!
Free Tocos for everyone,everyday!Viva Mexico nNorte'
Wrong. If you actually go to the Bureau of Labor Statistics web page you will see that these liars are trying to convince you of a lie. The employment rate is explained on the web page and it has nothing to do with dropping out of the work force or never being in the work force or any of that. I always get a laugh when I read a GOP person saying the people are dropping out of the work force and that is what is lowering the unemployment rate. First, it is not true because these people are still defined as unemployed. Second, the GOP will be the first people to call these people shiftless and lazy and that they should take any job even if it is less pay. Of course there is nobody who actually exists who claims to have dropped out, just anecdotal stories to paint the economy as all doom and gloom. Why is twenty-six consecutive months of job growth under President Obama worse than job losses under Bush/Romney policies? Why is 37 consecutive months of US GDP growth bad compared to the US GDP loss of 15% under the failed policies of Bush/Romney? Romney is Bush: same pedigree, same education, same upbringing, same governor experience, same business experience, the same failed policies and the same tired failed neocon advisers that Bush had whispering in his ear. War, war, war!
That's capitalism. If you are nice and give every benefit under the Sun to the wealthy they might, just might give you a temp job with no benefits and very little pay. TAX the fat cats out of existence and the World will be a better place for it. What do the fat cats contribute? The have not "created" even one net new job in over a decade. Why do we bestow such great wealth and benefit on the highest paid losers and failures in the history of the World? When I hear somebody say "job creator" I know immediately that person is full of excrement and is a liar.
Tell me please of a socialist country that has out proformed America,ever! Tell me one a curent socialist country not in bankruptcy or near bankruptcy today! Thank God,you were lucky enough to be born here and thank God, you will be able to stay here!,if you are lucky!Get a job,even a demeaning one! It WILL make you feel better!
china
Obama's illegal aliens are working full time plus some. I see what he is doing and what Bush did and I can't believe my eyes. They make us question what the law is. How do we convince our kids to respect the law when Obama ignores any and all law that he doesn't like? He is bankrupting legal employers by supporting illegal employers. They know what they are doing so I don't want to hear any carping when they get theirs.
Good night,Ladies!
Our friends overseas are benefit well from our technology. Funny how we can't seem to import gay rights, higher culture, the ability to think and be happy with less. We're exporting all of our best stuff for nothing and refusing to take on any new culture in return. This country is fast becoming a backwater. We pay for everyone else's drug research while denying our own citizens free care. We all need a job, but no one will pay what someone's worth. Our children are graduating with 100000 dollars of debt to pay off. And we're still talking about god and politics. In England, they hit you in the face with a pie if you say or do anything that resembles the idiotic and gladly go to jail for a few days. Here, they shoot you if you get too close to a candidate. Who's crazy eh? Us or them?