Part-Time Recovery
Posted by Erin Weir under labour market, media, part time work, StatCan, wages.
February 5th, 2010
Comments: 2
In January, Canada gained 43,000 jobs, almost all of them part-time. Any employment increase is certainly good news and some part-time positions might eventually become full-time positions.
The obvious limitation of part-time jobs is that they provide fewer hours of paid work and hence less income. Statistics Canada’s R-8 unemployment rate, which includes discouraged workers and a portion of those part-timers who would prefer full-time work, rose to 12.3% in January.
In addition to providing fewer hours, part-time jobs typically pay less per hour. The wage figures from today’s Labour Force Survey indicate an average hourly rate of only $15.71 for part-time jobs, compared to $24.18 for full-time jobs.
Over the past year, wages rose by just 1.4% among part-time workers versus 2.1% among full-time workers. Part-timers are also far less likely to receive non-wage benefits, such as dental or pension plans.
Other Notes
Employment declined in goods-producing industries, but increased more in the service sector. Perhaps reflecting this decline in predominantly male industries, employment fell among men over age 24. All of January’s net job gains were among youth and adult women.
UPDATE (February 6): Quoted in The Hamilton Spectator
Comments
Comment from Kelsey Kirkland
Time: February 6, 2010, 10:59 pm
Wasn’t this the idea in promoting the Work-Share program in Budget 2009?
http://www.servicecanada.gc.ca/eng/work_sharing/faq.shtml
This government’s Economic Action Plan. Work-Sharing Agreements were extended for a full 52 weeks and access increased through greater flexibility in the qualifying criteria.
Laid off workers could be rehired to participate in this promoted plan and those who participated in this agreement which ended prior to Feb 2009, could renew it with no wait time.
The part time work with lower public wages policy fits in with the ethics of this prorogued part time government drawing a full time pay. Economists need to devise ways to become “honest brokers” to bridge this gap in the society.
Comment from หารายได้พิเศษทำที่บ้าน
Time: February 18, 2010, 10:25 am
The part time work with lower public wages policy fits in with the ethics of this prorogued part time government drawing a full time pay. Economists need to devise ways to become “honest brokers” to bridge this gap in the society.
Related articles
- Business journalists go on the attack; demonize Atlantic seasonal workers (May 14th, 2013)
- Youth Still Stuck in the Recession (Dude, where’s my job?) (May 10th, 2013)
- Labour Force Participation Below Two-Thirds (May 10th, 2013)
- Crowley’s Red Hot Labour Market (April 22nd, 2013)
- A Weak Week for Canada’s Economy (April 19th, 2013)
Write a comment