Supposedly, the new “normal” in the American job market is the part time worker.
According to a recent study, this part time work force is showing that the job market is indeed closer to being “full work force” than was originally expected.
Those who would like full time jobs are having an increasingly hard time in locating and landing the traditional position.
Perhaps, it is a more complicated than just a new normal. It could be a twofold problem.
The first problem is that employers are unwilling to put someone on full time. They do not want to commit to benefits and the salary / wages that a full time job entails.
The current healthcare laws are hobbling many employers who need and want a full time worker, as they are required by law to provide healthcare, whether or not they can afford it. Therefore, they are less likely to extend a position that will cut into their bottom line.
Greed would be a factor as well. Many employers have found a way to get more work out of their full time employees for the same pay. The employees submit to such abuse in order to keep what they have, whether or not it is fulfilling or even enough pay to satisfy their basic household bills.
The second problem is one that has presented itself to many service oriented positions. These positions are often occupied by the younger, less experienced worker. They are usually entry level positions. A place to begin, learn and add skills, then move on to better things.
These positions are not well known for high wages. The work can be hard and the hours inconvenient.
Some employers with a profusion of these type of jobs, cannot find warm bodies to fill them.
Why is this a problem? Is everyone a professional all of a sudden? It seems unlikely.
What is likely is that most of the workforce in the 18 to 25 age group has found a better way to get by.
Perhaps, too many parents work hard to fund the lifestyle of their children. Many young people prefer to stay at home and live off their family. They are often unwilling to accept the entry level work that has been available to their skill level. Many are not getting married and many would like a real job and are struggling under exorbitant student loans.
Their comfort or discomfort level is not sufficient to prod them to work in entry level positions that entail hard work for low wages.
Anyway, it is explained or reasoned away, the American Job Scene is broken. It was broken by the recession, too many costly government “solutions” that did nothing to create jobs and the squeezing financially of the small business.
According to the data, the job market doesn’t appear to be recovering any time soon.
Image: http://www.nekls.org/reach-adult-job-seekers-career-changers/
