News & Feeds August 7, 2022

More Americans are working part-time — a potential harbinger of future jobs market instability

More Americans were working part-time and temporary jobs last month, which may herald future shifts in the shape of what today appears a robust jobs market. Hiring in July easily blew past expectations, suggesting a strong labor market despite other signs of economic weakness. But a jump in the number of workers in part-time positions for economic reasons — usually because of reduced hours, poor business conditions or because they can’t find full-time work — hints at potential instability ahead. The Bureau of Labor Statistics on Friday reported the number of such workers, called “involuntary part-time