Describes the concept of job sharing, discusses the advantages and disadvantages to employees and employers, examines how widespread the practice is, and suggests ways that interested employers can implement this option. (SH)

Examines the reasons for part-time work and characteristics of part-time workers, legislative protection, national incentives to increase access to part-time jobs, and forms of part-time work. Explores arguments for and against part-time employment. (SK)

Although conventional wisdom indicates that temporary workers are becoming the norm and full-time workers are becoming an anachronism, statistics do not bear this position out. The truth includes the following facts: (1) companies are using more temporary workers, but these new employment arrangements provide new entry points into the labor market…

A study examined the job stability of workers in the following flexible staffing arrangements: agency temporary, direct-hire temporary, on-call, contract company, independent contractor, and regular part-time work. Two data sources were used in the analysis. The first was a nationwide survey of employers on their use of flexible staffing…

Contingent workers are those employed in jobs that do not fit the traditional description of a full-time, permanent job with benefits. Contingent work takes the form of part-time, temporary, and contract employment. The number of contingent workers in 1988 has been estimated at between 29.9 and 36.6 million, representing 25-30 percent of the…

With the many layoffs and downsizing of companies during the 1990s, many displaced workers have turned to temporary employment to earn a living while looking for permanent employment. Others have adopted "temping" as a more long-term work style. Although it may not be possible to predict whether an individual will find satisfaction or…

In 1993, 10.4 million people were classified as being among the working poor. Of those individuals living in poverty, 2.4 million worked year round at full-time jobs and 7.4 million lived in a household containing someone who was employed full time throughout the year. A U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report identified low earnings, involuntary…

The part-time job market now employs about 12.5 million persons who are voluntary part timers--those who customarily work one to thirty-four hours a week on their own volition. Data from the Current Population Survey (March-May, 1973) was used to examine the cross-sectional distribution of the employment and wages of part timers, and an analysis…

Options for flexible work schedules such as job sharing, compressed work weeks, reduced hours, work at home, and flextime have provided employees with the means to realize a better balance between work and family and engage simultaneously in more than one endeavor (for example, school and work or two careers). The same options can also lead to…

This report examines training provided to young persons by employers during the 1986-90 period. Data from the Youth cohort of the National Longitudinal Surveys provided information on a sample of young men and women who were between the ages of 14 and 22 in 1979 and who have been interviewed annually since then. The study focused on three…

Recent changes in the structure of wages and in employer-provided benefits made available to young workers were examined. Changes in the wage structure and in benefits were compared by educational level. Data from the Youth, Young Men, and Young Women's cohorts of the National Longitudinal Surveys provided information on a sample of young men and…

In the Federal Republic of Germany, as elsewhere, the recent unemployment crisis has forced politicians, economists, trade unionists, and experts to consider a number of courses of action designed to reduce working time. Included among these alternatives are the following: adopting the 35-hour work week, shortening working life through early…

As in many other industrialized countries, advances in computer technology are transforming Germany's industrial society into an information and services society. Increasingly fewer jobs are available in traditional industries and in the public sector. In the 1990s, Germany's trade unions and employers' associations have experienced steady…

An exploratory study attempted (1) to learn why some employers use permanent part time employment and others do not, (2) to suggest what the benefits and costs of part-time employment are, and (3) to describe which work settings are well-suited to part time employment and which are not. Data were obtained from personal interviews and mail…

Throughout the world, the forms of employment in industrialized countries are in a state of flux. Employment relationships that were previously considered "regular" (permanent, full-time) are becoming less significant. In place of these relationships, other employment options (such as fixed contracts, part-time employment, and contingent…