More Americans Choose Part-Time Work for Flexibility and Life Balance

Ernie Parker, who had been a senior engineer at a U.S. tech company for over a decade, felt exhausted by 2021. He decided to leave his full-time role and transition into hourly temporary consulting work. Parker told The Wall Street Journal that his previous job had left him drained; he wanted more time with his family.

Parker’s story is not unique. According to data from the U.S. Department of Labor cited by the Journal, as of January this year, the number of people who “voluntarily work part-time” reached 22.1 million, while those working part-time but preferring full-time positions stood at only 4.1 million. This gap is the largest it has been in two decades.

This trend may signal a major shift in Americans’ attitudes toward work. Unlike in the past, more people are now choosing reduced schedules for “non-economic reasons” such as family responsibilities or personal well-being.

Forbes magazine points to the COVID-19 pandemic, high work intensity, childcare needs, and caring for relatives as factors driving this change. In many dual-income households, one partner often switches to part-time work—not only to spend more time with children but also to save on childcare costs.

“In my first year working reduced hours, I earned only 25% of my previous income, but I worked just 15% of the hours,” Parker said. “My wife has a full-time job, so we still had financial stability and health insurance. It was perfect—I kept my professional skills sharp and had time for what truly matters.”

Lonnie Gordon, an economist at Penn State University, suggests that pandemic-induced reductions in working hours made many employees realize they prefer jobs that offer greater flexibility and fewer hours.

“For many of my employees, working 25 to 30 hours per week is their maximum capacity,” said Katie Pinard, co-owner of a café in Maine. She told the Journal that only one of her more than 20 employees now works full-time. “Some need to protect their mental health; others simply have different priorities.”

To accommodate her staff, Pinard adjusts closing times based on daily business—sometimes shutting as early as 6 or 9 p.m., instead of the pre-pandemic norm of 10 or 11 p.m. While understanding, she admits this creates management challenges: more shift workers are needed, increasing both costs and the time required to maintain team cohesion and culture.

“I would be thrilled if someone asked for a full-time job. I wish I had more core staff and greater consistency,” Pinard sighed.

However, from another perspective, the increase in part-time workers helps employers expand what Jeffrey Korzenik, chief economist at Fifth Third Bank, calls the “effective labor pool.” This allows current workers, older adults, and others open to indeed part-time jobs to access more opportunities.

Nicola Soares, president of Kelly Education, told the Journal that teacher shortages have long plagued U.S. schools. Recently, however, she has seen a surge in interest for substitute teaching positions—many from women looking for weekend part-time jobs near me or roles that align with their caregiving schedules.

“Many women want to work while their children are at school,” Soares explained. “We’ve deployed 10% more substitute teachers recently, indicating growing acceptance of part-time work as a way to supplement income.”

Forbes also notes that high inflation and stock market volatility have prompted some retirees to return to the workforce part-time.

After retiring from New York’s public hospital system, Lamont Cranston volunteered in his Bronx community. In late 2022, he was hired as a part-time community coach by a local nonprofit, working 20 part-time job hours per week to help residents access job training and other programs. For Cranston, the role is ideal: he earns extra money to cope with rising rents while pursuing meaningful work he enjoys. Crucially, the part-time schedule does not affect his Medicaid benefits or Social Security payments.

Still, part-time work is not without drawbacks. Economist Lonnie Gordon notes that median hourly wages for part-time workers are about 20% lower than for full-time employees.

After leaving her job as an elementary English teacher in 2022, Molly Campbell, 35, transitioned into corporate training—taking on two part-time roles to gain experience. She now works 25 hours per week but earns $22 per hour, only about 80% of her previous teaching salary. She is now considering a return to full-time work.

“Having control over my time feels great, but most part-time roles don’t pay enough to meet my financial needs,” Campbell said.