More Americans Forced to Settle for Part-Time Work as Labor Market Shows Strain

The number of Americans preferring full-time jobs but instead having to settle for part-time work surged to a multi-year high in July, underscoring growing signs of strain in the U.S. labor market as economic uncertainty mounts. Data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on Aug. 2 shows that the number of people employed part-time for economic reasons jumped by 346,000 last month, bringing the total to 4.6 million. That’s the highest number of Americans working part-time for economic reasons since October 2021 and above pre-pandemic levels. These individuals, who would have preferred full-time employment, found themselves working fewer hours due to reduced business activity or an inability to secure full-time jobs....