New numbers suggest that perhaps as a result of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), business owners are doing more part-time job hiring than they are for positions that require at least 30 hours of work per week.
One of the many regulations to come out of the ACA is the requirement that all business owners who employ at least 50 workers and who labor at least 30 hours each day be provided with employee benefits. This rule does not apply, however, to those who work less than this amount each week. It may be coincidental, but as the Kansas City Star points out, about 27.5 million people work part-time. That's up from 24.7 million at this time during the recession.
Chardley Revolus, who resides in Kansas City and works for a major retail chain, told the paper that she was told straight out that her hours were being cut because of the health reform law.
"I went to no more than 24 hours," said Revolus.
She's not the only one who's working fewer hours involuntarily. Recent surveys commissioned by the Department of Labor show that approximately 8 million workers are underemployed, or working in part-time jobs when they'd like to have one that has them at the office for at least 30 hours a week.
While part-time positions may not guarantee consumers with coverage from their workplace, they may ultimately decide not to purchase coverage at all – even though they'll be required to in 2014. According to a separate poll conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International, approximately two-thirds – 66 percent – said that they still haven't decided whether to abide by the mandate or pay the $95 penalty.
