Why is Involuntary Part-Time Work Elevated?

Abstract

Despite substantial improvement in the unemployment rate and several other labor market indicators, the number of Americans involuntarily working part time (also called "part-time for economic reasons") remains unusually high nearly five years into the recovery. In this note, we focus on two questions: 1. What can Current Population Survey (CPS) data on the stocks and flows of involuntary part-time employment say about the underlying reasons for its persistently high rate? And 2. Based on this analysis, what can we expect for the evolution of involuntary part-time work going forward?