If you are looking for a full-time job in the Obama economy, chances are you’re out of luck. According to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics jobs report, fewer Americans have full-time jobs today then when President Obama was sworn into office.
While the total number of Americans with jobs has grown from 142.2 million in January 2009 to 143.4 million today, all of that growth has come from part-time jobs. When Obama was sworn into office, 115.8 million Americans had full-time jobs. Today, only 115.5 million do. The number of Americans with part-time jobs, however has risen from 26.4 million in January 2009, to 27.9 million today, a jump of 1.5 million.
The Wall Street Journal reported today:
Some low-wage employers are moving toward hiring part-time workers instead of full-time ones to mitigate the health-care overhaul’s requirement that large companies provide health insurance for full-time workers or pay a fee.
Several restaurants, hotels and retailers have started or are preparing to limit schedules of hourly workers to below 30 hours a week. That is the threshold at which large employers in 2014 would have to offer workers a minimum level of insurance or pay a penalty starting at $2,000 for each worker.
The shift is one of the first significant steps by employers to avoid requirements under the health-care law, and whether the trend continues hinges on Tuesday’s election results. Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney has pledged to overturn the Affordable Care Act, although he would face obstacles doing so.
