Part-time private industry workers less likely to have access to benefits in 2013

In March 2013, part-time private industry workers were less likely than full-time workers to have access to employer-provided benefits, such as retirement plans, health insurance, and paid sick leave. 

In March 2013, nearly three-fourths (74 percent) of full-time private industry workers had access to retirement benefits, compared with just 37 percent of part-time workers. Similarly, 85 percent of full-time workers had access to health insurance through their employers, compared with only 24 percent of part-time workers. Full-time workers were also much more likely than part-time workers to have access to paid holidays, sick leave, and vacations.

These data are from the National Compensation Survey – Benefits program. For more information, see “The relationship between access to benefits and weekly work hours,” by John L. Bishow, Monthly Labor Review, June 2015. Full-time workers average 40 hours per week and make up 74 percent of workers; part-time workers average 21 hours per week and make up 26 percent of workers.