Comment on this storyComment
Businesses are starting to cut workers’ hours, forcing hundreds of thousands of people into part-time roles, in what could be an early warning sign for the economy.
The number of people who worked part-time, but want to work full-time, rose by 452,000 in June, the biggest jump in more than three years, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In all, 4.2 million people were employed part-time for economic reasons beyond their control, a 12 percent increase from the month before.
Economists warn against making too much of a single data point, but say the latest spike in involuntary part-time work could be a harbinger of layoffs to come, especially when combined with other signs of slowing in the job market.
“Looking at this indicator — along with two straight months of decline in Black employment — gives me a bit of pause,” said Michele Evermore, senior fellow at the Century Foundation and…
