Definition of Part Time Worker
Part-time workers make up a significant portion of the U.S. labor force. These employees almost always work less than 40 hours per week, which is the standard workweek for most full-time workers. Part-time workers include those who are highly skilled at their jobs as well as people who have little or no experience.
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Identification
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The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics defines a part-time worker as someone who works 35 or fewer hours per week. About 25 percent of all female workers in the labor force worked a part-time schedule in 2003 versus 11 percent of all male workers, the BLS reported.
Significance
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Many part-time workers are paid less than their full-time counterparts, and companies do not have to pay their medical and health insurance. Retailers typically hire part-time workers during peak shopping seasons, such as the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas. A number of seasonal businesses, such as amusement parks or ice cream establishments, use part-time workers to help cover the busiest hours or days.
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Types
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Part-time workers can be skilled in a particular field or job or unskilled labor. The ranks of unskilled part-time employees include high school and college students who work at retail stores or fast food restaurants. Skilled part-time workers can include marketing professionals, accountants, substitute teachers and other professionals who have experience but choose to work fewer hours. Sometimes, companies reduce a skilled worker's hours to part time during economic downturns.
Benefits
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People who work part time generally have greater flexibility in their daily schedule. Some part-time workers may attend college or high school and need part of their day for classes or study. Parents sometimes work part time so they can be home when children get out of school. An individual may also work part time to supplement a full-time income. Supplemental income is the reason many retired people work part time. They sometimes need earnings on top of Social Security or retirement benefits.
Considerations
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Companies sometimes use two or more part-time workers to perform the same job in a practice known as job sharing, according to Direct.gov. This can work well for people who have opposite schedules. For example, one person works mornings and the other afternoons, or the workers alternate days.
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