Labor market shifts to temporary & part-time workers

By Art Koff, Founder of RetiredBrains.com

There is a noticeable shift in the labor market with employers increasingly using part-time and temporary workers.  Companies view labor more as inventory that is to be hired when they need it and let go when they don't need it. This is evidenced by the Bureau of Labor Statistics June report which shows part-time jobs soared by almost 800,000 to more than 38 million. The BLS also stated that in June part-time employees swelled to 7.5 million compared with just 4.4 million in 2007.

Many job seekers are seeking part-time and temporary assignments and many others are looking for full-time jobs but readily accept these jobs while they continue to look. This is backed up by the Labor Department’s report of a sharp rise in the number of part-time workers who prefer full-time jobs. The total jumped by 275,000 in June to 7.5 million.

Employers are hiring older workers for these kinds of “at will” assignments as they generally do not have to pay benefits and the costs of off boarding are minimal by comparison to having to let a full-time person go. Any time employers find hiring from a certain area is more cost effective you can be sure this area will be given a great deal of attention. In addition the Affordable Care Act, which requires firms with at least 50 employees to provide health insurance to those working at least 30 hours, seems to be prompting some businesses to hire more part-time workers to save these insurance expenditures.

Part-time and temporary jobs are particularly attractive to older workers as benefits are not as necessary as they were when these workers were still raising a family and before some could take advantage of Medicare.

Click here for more information on how to find temporary jobs and project assignments along with a list of the temporary jobs most in demand.


Seasonal & summer/fall/winter/holiday jobs
These kinds of jobs are often misunderstood and when RetiredBrains asked readers to identify a number of seasonal jobs most could only point to holiday jobs; mostly in retail. Seasonal jobs are diverse and you should certainly look for something that appeals to you as most pay relatively little money. The average person that takes a seasonal job is more interested in the experience. Jobs listed often include guiding tours at the zoo; working in national parks for the concessionaires who run the hotels, restaurants, gift shops and marinas, working at resorts and fishing lodges and for transportation and tourism companies. If you are a golfer there are jobs at golf courses as rangers or starters; or even driving the ball pickup tractor at driving ranges or working behind the desk at the pro shop.