Part-time employment is more popular than ever across the country, but according to the most recent jobs report released by the U.S. Department of Labor, nearly 8 million people – which accounts for one-third of all part-time workers – are employed part-time involuntarily, or for economic reasons. This finding suggests that more individuals may be in search of meaningful full-time jobs than is reflected in the overall jobs report.
Despite the high number of individuals who are employed on a part time basis, The Wall Street Journal reported that the average wages given to hourly employees increased while the amount of workers only allotted part-time employment became lower in April 2013.
The Kansas City Star noted that the overall trend toward part-time employment may be connected to the Affordable Care Act.
Starting in 2014, companies with more than 50 full-time workers will have to provide them with access to a healthcare plan or will be fined a $2,000 penalty per employee. While some may consider any worker who puts in over 40 hours to be full-time, the law decrees that individuals with more than 30 hours per week at a job are eligible for healthcare plans.
“This is already causing rescheduling of employees where public and private employers have read the law,” William Gouldin, a business owner, told the news source. “Every employer will be forced to define part-time employment as something below 30 hours per week, and most will use between 20 and 27.5 hours per week.”
Individuals who work for less than 30 hours a week could augment an office’s operations and be an invaluable resource for a range of projects.
A human resources consulting company can help businesses find the right HR software solution to keep their hiring process organized. Whether a company requires full- or part-time employees, the right software can ensure that no prospective hire is overlooked.