Part-time work rising in downturn

WASHINGTON, Dec. 8 (UPI) -- U.S. workers employed only part-time,but seeking full time jobs rose in November, as did the unemployment rate, the Labor Department said.

The unemployment rate, which rose from 6.5 percent to 6.7 percent in November, gets the most attention. But, part-time workers not included in that figure also rose, jumping to 12.5 percent in November, USA Today reported Monday.

The unemployment rate is the highest it has been in 15 years, but the part-time workers rate is the highest since the government began tracking the figure in 1994.

While 533,000 jobs were cut in November, many were also moved from full time to part time, the newspaper said.

Shifts to part-time work is "another ominous sign" of the depth of the recession, said Richard Moody, chief economist at Mission Residential.

Economists expect the unemployment rate to worsen. Moody predicts the number will reach 9 percent in 2010.

"We can only hope that the report lights a big enough fire under Congress to get something big done before Jan. 20," John Hancock chief economist Bill Cheney said.

"When jobs are evaporating at more than 100,000 per week, the inauguration is a long way off," Cheney said.