Show J r C 11 1 I- I j iN 1 io r r f p lo sl National Outlook Pr Pori Time 3 C Job Seekers By GEORGE HAGEDORN HAGEDORNY Yo Y Although the great majority o othe of y the American labor force consists consists consists con con- of time full-time workers n a r. r substantial and t 11 I 1 y growing proportion is made U up of those who choose to work worl part In May 1954 1964 th the time part-time workers accounted for 14 per cent of the total labor labor labor la la- bor force as compared with 1 11 per cent in May 1957 THIS IS A fact of some Interest Interest interest Inter inter- est in itself since it illustrates the adaptability of the economy to the special circumstances o of individual workers on the one hand and to the special requirements requirements requirements re re- re- re of certain employers employ employ- ers on the other The time part-time labor force consists mainly of women and teen CC time Part-time employees are con con- concentrated concentrated con in the trade and service service service ice Industries N A VERY significant aspect o othe of e the rising number of time part-time sta workers is its effect on tho the statistics statistics sta sta- of employment and un un- un- un employment The national total tota published each month for the thep p number of unemployed adds Indiscriminately into In in- to C those who are e looking for time full-time work and w. w those who are looking for part part- time work r Since the pattern and trend of unemployment d differs Iff e r s among the two groups this has hasa a considerable impact on the theT T combined figure I NEW DATA Just released by bythe bytho bytho tho the Labor Department permit us to separate the time full-time workers from the tho time part group and examine their unemployment unemployment unemployment un un- un- un employment rates separately Figures are arc available for cornN comparing com corn r- r paring the trends between May MayI I 1957 and May 1964 The first interesting fact which emerges is that the unemployment unemployment unemployment un un- un- un employment rate for time part workers was slightly lower than the rate for time full works workers work work- s ers ern In Ma May 1957 but it was substantially higher in May 1964 1961 BETWEEN the two dates the thed d number of unemployed in the time full-time labor force increased by one-fifth one while the number in the time part-time labor force more than doubled This plus the fact that the time part-time R group now has a larger weight in the total accounts at least j o in part for the growth in unI unemployment unu un un- u I employment between the two periods 0 1 A with 1957 Is comparison especially especially especially es es- es- es significant since the A. A first halt half of that year is the thelast last period In which total unemployment unemployment un un- employment was about 4 percent per percent percent cent of the labor force force force-a a level which the government economists economists economists mists regard as the target at which we should aim our current current current cur cur- rent policies BUT Bur WE already have hit the 1957 target with respect to the largest and most critical segment segment segment seg seg- ment of the labor force adult adult male time full-time workers The unemployment unemployment un un- employment rate among men 20 or older who are time full members of the labor force was 32 per cent in May 1957 and and exactly the same figure In May 1964 The fact that the increase In unemployment has been concentrated concentrated concentrated con con- among t part-t I t m e workers women and teen-agers teen should not be grounds for com com- But it does throw an illuminating sidelight on the nature nature nature na na- na- na ture of the unemployment pro lem IT RAISES a question as to whether general steps for stimulating stimulating slim slim- the whole economy are the proper means for dealing with this kind of situation |