Survey says...

It has been a while since I have found time to write, boy the summer has gone by fast. With many economic signs appearing to conflict, especially when it comes to employment, I thought I'd write about a phenomenon that hits a bit close to home. The trend (if it is that) of jobs shifting away from full time and towards part time (or even temporary.)

Over on CNN/Money Tami Luhby has an article on some of the latest employment data:
"Want a job? Good luck finding full-time work." Different from the monthly jobs numbers this article discusses the rise in part-time and temporary jobs. While each is not at all times highs set back in 2010 the increase is a bit unsettling.

If you take the glass half full approach you might see this as amazing, considering as Ms. Luhby describes all the things working against hiring (payroll tax hikes, sequester, the Affordable Health Care Act, and general weak economic growth.) It is amazing that any hiring has been going on... But the half empty view would suggest that companies are intentionally shifting to less and less full time employment to avoid not only health care, but benefits in general.

Now I don't think I would fall squarely in either camp... but as someone who currently only has a part time job I can certainly see the effects. Many of the employers who I am looking to find work with are slowing hiring or moving towards part timers.

Higher education has traditionally used somewhere between 30% - 40% part time workers for the actually teaching (when you combined adjuncts, lecturers, and graduate assistants.) So for me personally the change may not be as drastic, but for many other fields like engineering and information technology the switch may be alarming.

My bachelor's degree is in computer science, and while I never saw my self as a programer if I had chosen that field and been working for the past decade and a half I can't imagine I would be looking fondly on the prospect of now having to work project by project and get far less than what I was worth. I guess I don't see the incentive for the programmer or engineer to work to the best of their ability when they know they will be out of work when the project is done. I suppose if there were large incentives to complete the project within the timeframe maybe... but otherwise why should I effectively shorten my usefulness.

Now I suppose that if I do very good work I might get hired back for more contract work... but again with no health and retirement benefits the situation would seem untenable.