New U.S. economy: Part-time and temp jobs

The new economic reality in the United States is this: The workforce has shifted from full-timers to part-timers.

On top of that, more Americans receive food stamps than work full time, Fox News reported.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics found that an estimated 28 million people in America now work at part-time jobs. And as the Washington Examiner noted, a record level of workers in the nation now hold temporary positions -- about 2.7 million -- that are obtained through a job placement service.

The American Staffing Association reported that in the first quarter of 2013 staffing agencies employed about 2 percent of non-farm workers in the nation. That's up by 2.9 percent from the similar quarter in 2012. And comparing June 2013 with June 2012, the number of Americans working at positions obtained through temp agencies jumped 6.7 percent.

"Nearly one-fifth of all jobs gained since the recession ended have been temporary," said Ashe Schow in the Examiner report.

At the same time, full-time jobs decreased by 240,000 positions.

"The recovery, or lack thereof, is being fueled by a shift from full-time to part-time work," Ms. Schow said in the Examiner.

And one more statistic related to the United States' new economy, as reported by Fox News on Tuesday: Nearly one in six Americans is on food stamps. That's more than are employed in full-time jobs, Fox News said.

Source: Washington Times (DC) July 11, 2013 6:55 am www.washingtontimes.com