Working, More or Less

Have your work hours, and corresponding paychecks, been cut back since the recession began? Have you or someone in your household added a part-time job to make ends meet? If so, data from the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta show that you have a lot of company.



If the official unemployment rate (9.8%) included those working part-time for economic reasons as well as workers who have looked for work within the last 12 months, it would be 17%.

This trend is strikingly different from past recessions, and highlights the current problem of underemployment. Can you find a job if you try hard enough? Probably yes, but it's likely to be less than full-time and less than you're qualified for.