ERIC Number: ED324515
Record Type: RIE
Publication Date: 1990
Pages: 43
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: ISBN-0-944826-29-6
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Short Hours, Short Shrift. Causes and Consequences of Part-Time Work.
Tilly, Chris
The recent growth in part-time employment has been propelled by a marked increase in the number of involuntary part-time workers. Most of the growth can be traced to sectoral shifts in the economy toward industries dominated by low-wage, part-time jobs. Many employers hire part-timers to cut costs and gain flexibility, but the creation of more part-time jobs has actually lowered efficiency and productivity. Increasing part-time employment gives rise to serious economic problems: (1) the growth of a low-wage class of jobs that offer inferior benefits and little opportunity for advancement; (2) a negative effect on productivity growth from a growing work force characterized by high turnover, low skills, and minimal job commitment; and (3) the disturbing issues associated with the rise in number of involuntary part-time workers. There are significant differences between wages and benefits of part-time and full-time workers. Industries with the largest share of part-time workers pay the lowest wages and benefits to their full-time workers. A properly instituted system of part-time work could provide flexibility for both employers and workers. New labor market policies should address three key areas: equal treatment for part-time workers; security and flexibility for part-timers; and the creation of better jobs. (36 references) (YLB)
Descriptors: Adult Education, Adults, Fringe Benefits, Labor Turnover, Part Time Employment, Productivity, Salaries, Salary Wage Differentials, Underemployment, Unemployment
EPI Publications, M.E. Sharpe, Inc., 80 Business Park Drive, Armonk, NY 10504 ($8.00).
Publication Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: Economic Policy Inst., Washington, DC.
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Note: Partially supported by the Javits Graduate Fellowship Program, the Cuddahy Foundation, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Department of Economics.