The Great Recession has created a sharp increase in the number of Connecticut residents who can only find part-time work.
About 22.2 percent of the state’s workforce, or 383,000 people, toil at their job 35 hours or less per week, many by choice, but an increasing number who simply can’t find a full-time position, according to a recent analysis of 2012 economic data by the state Department of Labor. Since 1997, the percentage of part-time workers in the state has averaged about 20 percent, but that number swelled in recent years due to Connecticut’s slow recovering economy.
From 2009 to 2011, the number of workers who wanted full-time employment but could only find part-time jobs rose 37.5 percent to 33,000 from 24,000. Still, the vast majority of part-time workers in the state are individuals who choose to work 35 hours or less. Connecticut’s part-time workforce is actually lowest among New England states, but much higher than New York and New Jersey and the rest of the country, DOL said.