Low-Wage Workweek Sliding Ahead Of ObamaCare Fines

Investors.com ^ | July 3, 2014 | Jed Graham

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Low-wage workers clocked the shortest workweek on record in May, excluding a few stormy months of the past winter when weather-related absences spiked.

In industries where pay averages up to $14.50 an hour, nonsupervisors clocked 27.4 hours, on average, less even than at the depths of the recession in mid-2009, an IBD analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics data finds.

For the rest of the private sector (managers and higher paying industries), by contrast, the workweek has fully recovered from the recession and tacked on an extra 15 minutes or so.

Amid a strengthening job market, the BLS hours worked data show that the rising tide isn't lifting low-wage workers to the same extent. While there may be a host of contributing factors, all of the evidence points to ObamaCare as an important one.

The law's employer insurance mandate penalties apply when workers who average at least 30 hours per week aren't offered coverage that meets ObamaCare standards.

[Hugin]

“Unexpected.”

[A message]

The “rising tide.” More like the waist deep **** called journalism these days that is nothing more than propaganda.

[SamAdams76]

So strange to read about declining work hours. What are people doing with all this free time? My work hours have been increasing over the past 30 years. Probably 70 hours on average but I don't punch a clock so will never know the true total. Fortunately I like what I do and I do a lot of business travel, so it never seems like work to me.

Over the past 12 months, I've submitted over $38,000 in travel expenses. That's more than what many people make. Back on the road Sunday night - heading to New York City.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

I, too, am having no problems staying employed - and I can work ALL the hours I want, because of all the (0bamacare) limited hours of others.

It is a PITA to schedule and find good people, though, with the new parameters imposed upon us. I’ve been lucky so far; I inherited a great crew when I took over in 2012.

[jeffc]

Everyone I know, except business owners and managers, are complaining of shorter hours.

What's worse is that many places change the days and hours the part-timers work each week, making it difficult, if not impossible, to get another part-time job.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

“What’s worse is that many places change the days and hours the part-timers work each week, making it difficult, if not impossible, to get another part-time job.”

I try very hard NOT to do that to my crew. I have a number that work specific days for that very reason; working another job.