More Low-paying Part-time Jobs
An analysis of the March jobs report indicates that more people are working fewer hours at low-paying part-time jobs.
That will come as no shock to my daughter, who received her degree in elementary education in December. Since school districts don’t hire teachers until the end of the school year, she is substitute teaching and continuing to work part-time in retail. Many of her retail co-workers are working two to three part-time jobs because full-time employment isn’t available.
More and more companies, particularly in retail, exist primarily on part-time workers. Because most work 4-hour shifts, they remain part-time workers with no health care benefits, vacations, paid holidays,etc. Bridget has worked for several different retailers and 4-hour shifts have become the norm. Even if someone works all seven days, it’s only 28 hours and still considered part-time.
Some of her co-workers may work 9 AM -1 PM at the Disney Store and then work a 5 PM – 9 PM shift at Victoria’s Secret or The Gap. These people are counted two or three times by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which helps reduce the unemployment rate.
The number of able-bodied Americans entering the labor force has surged since last fall. But in a marked change from earlier in the recovery, more of them are finding jobs right away instead of just looking for work.
What’s going on? It’s hard to say for sure, but circumstantial evidence in the latest U.S. jobs report suggests many of these newly employed workers have found part-time work with mediocre pay.
The participation rate hit a two-year high of 63% in March, climbing from a 38-year low of 62.4% in September, the government said Friday. A person is considered part of the labor force if he finds or job or is actively searching for one.
(snip)
Consider so-called involuntary part-time workers. These are people who would prefer a full-time job or more hours if they were available. After hitting a post-recession low of 5.8 million in October, the number of people who can only get part-time work has bounced back up to 6.1 million, according to figures from the Labor Department’s household survey.
Hiring has been particularly strong in the past six months at retail stores and restaurants, where both pay and the number of hours employees work lags behind the national average.
(snip)
The number of hours the average person works each weak, meanwhile, has fallen several ticks since the beginning of the year. And wage growth has leveled off after touching a post-recession high several months ago.
“The good news is that most of them have quickly found jobs,” speculated Steven Stanley, chief economist at Amherst Pierpont Securities. “The bad news is that most of those jobs, as you would expect, have been relatively low paying and many are only offering part-time hours.”
During the Obama presidency, there has been a major spike in the nation’s population largely fueled by immigrants (legal and illegal). Here’s a comparison between the country’s population growth versus job growth versus the Reagan years (compliments of Investors Business Daily)
Hat tip: Market Watch and IBD
![](http://www.parentalrights.org/vertical/Sites/%7BC49108C5-0630-467E-9B9B-B1FA31A72320%7D/uploads/%7B3EA8D754-D841-4FF4-882C-32895D89991D%7D.PNG")
[1]
One point that the BLS, the media and the GOP never addresses is how many people are being double-counted or triple=counted because they hold multiple part-time jobs.
[2]
Murder rate up 72% in Chicago for 2016:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2016/04/01/murders-shootings-soar-chicago-through-first-three-months-2016/82507210/
[3]
Sadly, the Ministry of Truth should have taken this up earlier this week…maybe later this weekend. “Truth!” is sometimes, um, delayed. 🙂
[4]
Can thank OboCare for the spike in part time. When an employer can save thousands for each FTE they will do it. It will be interesting to see how much a McDouble will cost once the $15/hr kicks in in CA and NY.
“Would you like a EBT card application with that order Sir?”
[5]
drdog09 #4
I agree that ObamaCare is what started it, but it caused employers to discover that contract and pert-time employees are a lot cheaper – no paid vacations, no paid holidays, no contribution to Social Security and no other benefits in addition to not paying for health care.
One of the primary reasons the GOP hasn’t worked harder to repeal ObamaCare: the US Chamber of Commerce doesn’t want it repealed.
[6]
AF Boneyard — https://youtu.be/1AosnKvZuvM
[7]
#BLM — http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-04-02/black-lives-matter-activist-if-trump-wins-we-will-incite-riots-everywhere — And people are saying Trump is the problem….
[8]
Congratulations to the Detroit Thugs, who just wrapped up the championship in JR’s 2016 March Madness tournament. If North Carolina beats Syracuse, the Motown Muggers will wrap up second place.
Congratulations to JR whose “What If???” team was in the top 1% through the Sweet 16. That’s quite an accomplishment Justrand.
[9]
Go Tarheels !!
[10]
Mrs. Justrand is “in seclusion” after her Oklahoma Sooners were trounced in HISTORIC fashion!
Actually, I don’t think Mrs. JR has even been to Oklahoma…but she does like the musical!
[11]
Mrs Mullet’s Tarheels have had an easy road into the finals with Syracuse taking care of Virginia in the quarter-finals. Her ability to handle stress, however, will be tested considerably against Villanova Monday night.
As for me, I will focus on the wine and cheese, as usual.
[12]
Now that JR’s tournament has been decided, I can watch hockey or baseball tomorrow night,
[13]
Lots of articles today about the GOPe planning to nominate Paul Ryan or Mitt Romney via a brokered convention. Ryan really seems to be the RINO’s first choice.
What might Paul Ryan and John Bell have in common? John Bell was the last Whig candidate for President. Ryan will be the last Republican candidate for President.
[14]
Such sad news. The RNC didn’t meet its budget numbers for March:
https://secure.gop.com/budget-short-fall?utm_medium=email&pgtype=simple&utm_campaign=GOP_direct-ask_budget-shortfall&additional%5Butm_content%5D=040316-budget-shortfall-p-p&utm_source=e_p-p&mid=69148&rid=674138
I wonder why/
[15]
I predict the slime trail following Reince Priebus to thicken considerably as he moves from Wisconsin to the next few primary states.
Once a slug, always a slug.
[16]
14 – Probably bs since they always claim crap like that, but hopefully it’s actually true.
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/apr/02/eu-referendum-young-voters-brexit-leave
Progress?
[17]
Interesting disclosures — http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-04-03/unprecedented-leak-exposes-criminal-financial-dealings-some-worlds-wealthiest-people
[18]
The powers that be within the GOP,
Embrace this cluster foxtrot called amnesty,
Their days will be numbered and rightfully so,
These gelded eunuchs of the rino status quo,
At defending the stars and bars they do cringe,
So fearfull are they of the radical fringe,
These lace pantied pussies that screw thee and me,
To the dustbin of history may their futures be,
Rancid penis the judas goat leading the pack,
Is ready and willing to stab us all in the back.
[19]
I believe we are living the warning that Geo. Washington issued about the power of parties.
“However [political parties] may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely in the course of time and things, to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government, destroying afterwards the very engines which have lifted them to unjust dominion.”
[20]
Cruz already a lame duck candidate? — http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2016/04/april-cruzs-last-hurrah/
[21]
http://a.disquscdn.com/uploads/mediaembed/images/3450/9172/original.jpg?w=600&h
[22]
love that, IP. Spot-on!