The economic recovery doesn't appear to be working for part-time employees.
Sampling a group of 300 part-time workers, CareerBuilder found that one-third of them want to work full time but can't find a full-time job. A third of those full-time job seekers are the family breadwinner, and about four in 10 of those people are struggling financially. Of all part-time workers surveyed, 40 percent are working two part-time jobs.
In a time when unpaid internships are coming under increasing legal attack, two-thirds of these survey participants said they would work for free for the right organization if it might lead to a full-time position. Thirty-seven percent of part-time workers say they receive benefits from their employers, and 9 percent receive the same benefits as full-time workers.
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Why are they having a hard time finding full-time employment? Here are the top reasons cited by these respondents:
- There aren't as many jobs available in their field as there were pre-recession – 54 percent;
- I don't have the skills necessary for in-demand jobs – 51 percent;
- I haven't looked for full-time jobs on a regular basis – 31 percent; and
- I don't have the education needed – 29 percent.
The stress of trying to find full-time work takes its toll on these workers. When asked to specify actions taken or health concerns related to being stuck in a part-time job, here's how the responses shook out:
- Downgraded to save money (e.g. traded in for a cheaper car, canceled cable, moved to a smaller home – 31 percent;
- Had to borrow money from family or friends – 29 percent;
- Suffered from depression – 23 percent;
- Moved back home with parents – 22 percent;
- Went into high credit card debt – 17 percent; and
- Experienced health issues – 14 percent.
See also: Payrolls climb, jobless rate falls
Among the reasons workers said they took on a part-time job:
- 47 percent needed a paycheck;
- 43 percent wanted to work part-time;
- 36 percent liked the flexibility;
- 22 percent worked while attending school;
- 16 percent were family caretakers;
- 5 percent wanted to gain experience in a specific field.
"Those [part-time workers] looking to make the transition to full-time employment should approach a part-time job as an opportunity to learn a new skill set, make new professional connections or explore a new career path," said Rosemary Haefner, vice president of Human Resources at CareerBuilder. "In addition, they should seek out companies they are interested in working for and join their talent networks so they will be first to hear about new job openings with those companies."
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Dan Cook
Dan Cook is a journalist and communications consultant based in Portland, OR. During his journalism career he has been a reporter and editor for a variety of media companies, including American Lawyer Media, BusinessWeek, Newhouse Newspapers, Knight-Ridder, Time Inc., and Reuters. He specializes in health care and insurance related coverage for BenefitsPRO.
