The purpose of this Issue Brief
is to present a comprehensive description of part-time
work and part-time workers. The report describes trends
in part-time employment; characteristics of part-time
workers; health, pension, and other benefits available to
part-time workers; and the advantages and disadvantages
of part-time work to employers and employees. The report
also identifies public policy issues stemming from the
increase in the number of part-time workers.
The number of part-time workers
increased from 10.8 million to 20.7 million between 1969
and 1993, an increase of 91.7 percent, representing 24.6
percent of the growth in the work force. Full-time
employment rose 51.4 percent, from 59.2 million to 89.6
million, representing 75.4 percent of new entrants.
While the part-time work force
increased 91.7 percent between 1969 and 1993, growth as a
proportion of the total work force has been minimal,
rising from 15.5 percent in 1969 to 18.8 percent in 1993,
a 3.3 percentage point increase over this 24-year period.
Voluntary part-time workers
represented 70.6 percent of all part-time workers in
1993, compared with the 29.4 percent classifying
themselves as involuntary part-time workers. Between 1969
and 1993, the voluntary part-time work force grew from
9.0 million to 14.6 million, an average annual increase
of 2.0 percent. The involuntary part-time work force
increased from 1.8 million to 6.1 million, an average
annual increase of 5.2 percent.
Of the 28.9 million part-time
workers in 1992, 71 percent received health insurance
from one or more private sources. More than one-half (52
percent) received coverage through an employment-based
plan, and 19 percent through another private source. By
comparison, 81 percent of full-time workers received
coverage from a private source: 73 percent through an
employment-based plan and 8 percent from another private
source.
Just over one in five, or 21
percent, of part-time workers were uninsured; 16 percent
of full-time workers were without health insurance. While
the likelihood of a part-time worker being uninsured is 5
percentage points higher than for full-time workers,
there are more full-time workers uninsured (16.4 million
full-time workers were uninsured in 1992, compared with
5.9 million part-time workers).
Thirty percent of part-time workers
reported that their employer or union had a pension or
other type of retirement plan (other than Social
Security) for any of its employees. Fifty-eight percent
of individuals working full-time reported such coverage.
Of workers indicating their employer or union sponsored a
plan, 38 percent of part-time workers participated in the
plan, compared with 83 percent of full-time workers.
