Less than 9 to 5

Too many Americans are working too few hours for too little money. As
federal, state, and local policymakers debate everything from minimum
wages to budgetary goals to global trade policy, more attention has been
appropriately focused on those left behind in the economic recovery.
Among them are the 27 million part-time workers in America – while the
country’s overall employment rate has fallen, many remain stuck in
part-time jobs. For older workers and those with child care obligations,
a part-time schedule can be an advantage. For others, there is a
greater need for full-time work and benefits.

Will America’s economy of the future leave younger and lower-income
individuals and families with fewer options for ensuring secure
livelihoods? Where do current trends stand on the state of part-time
work in America? In an age of simultaneously increasing flexibility and
vulnerability, how are workforce and wage trends impacting families?
What role can policymakers play in pursuing the objectives of both
national economic prosperity and individual economic security?