Quick answer
The latest part-time employment statistics from BLS: in October 2026, 28.5 million people usually worked part time (under 35 hours a week), about 17.4% of the 163.6 million employed. 4.84 million worked part time involuntarily. Part-timers earned a median $413 a week, and only 23% in private industry had access to employer health coverage.
Part-time employment statistics start with one number: in October 2026, 28.5 million people in the US usually worked part time, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Employment Situation released November 6, 2026. BLS counts anyone who usually works fewer than 35 hours a week as part time. That is about one in six workers. Most part-timers choose shorter hours, but 4.84 million people worked part time because their hours were cut or they could not find a full-time job. This page collects the latest part-time workers statistics from BLS, each linked to the table it comes from.
How many part-time workers there are
Headline part-time employment statistics come from the Current Population Survey (CPS), a monthly household survey. Monthly figures are seasonally adjusted, from Table A-9.
- 28,504,000 people usually worked part time in October 2026, down from 28,746,000 in September. 135,090,000 usually worked full time.
- Total employment was 163,615,000. Workzenly calculation: part-timers were 17.4% of the employed.
- In the 2025 annual averages, 28.57 million people usually worked part time and 134.93 million full time. Workzenly calculation: part time was 17.5% of employment, up slightly from 17.1% in 2019. (CPS Table 8; BLS notes 2025 averages cover 11 months and exclude October.)
- The number grew by about 1.6 million, or 6.0%, from 26.94 million in 2019 to 2025 (Workzenly calculation from the 2019 and 2025 annual averages).
- Part-time employment collapsed early in the pandemic, to 19.30 million in April 2020, and did not pass its October 2019 level of 26.91 million again in October until 2024 (27.94 million). (BLS series LNS12600000)
The October 2025 survey was not collected because of the federal government shutdown, so there is no year-over-year comparison for October 2026.
What this means for employers: Part-timers are a stable, permanent share of the workforce, not a pandemic leftover. If your business runs on shifts, expect around one in six workers in the labor market to want fewer than 35 hours. Our guide to how many hours is part time explains the hour lines that matter for benefits and the ACA.
Involuntary part time
BLS counts involuntary part-timers as people "employed part time for economic reasons." They wanted full-time work but worked 1 to 34 hours in the survey week. The count includes some people who usually work full time but had their hours cut that week. Figures are seasonally adjusted, from Table A-8.
- 4,840,000 people worked part time for economic reasons in October 2026. BLS reported the number "increased by 339,000 to 4.8 million in October."
- 3,252,000 of them were on short hours because of slack work or business conditions, and 1,265,000 could only find part-time work. Workzenly calculation: about two-thirds (67%) were short of hours because of slack work or business conditions.
- 22,664,000 people worked part time for noneconomic reasons, such as school, family duties, health or a preference for shorter hours.
- Workzenly calculation: involuntary part-timers were about 3.0% of all employed people in October 2026.
- The October count is 11.1% higher than October 2019 (4,358,000), but far below the peak of 10,880,000 in April 2020. The lowest October since 2016 was 3,676,000 in 2022. (BLS series LNS12032194)
What this means for employers: Most involuntary part time comes from slack work or business conditions, not a shortage of full-time jobs, and it climbed in October 2026. Workers whose hours are cut tend to look elsewhere, which feeds turnover (see our employee turnover statistics). If you need to trim hours, spread cuts evenly and tell staff early.
Part-time workers by age and sex
These are 2025 annual averages from CPS Table 8, compared with 2019. The part-time rate is people who usually work part time as a share of employed people in each group (Workzenly calculation from the published counts).
- Women were 17.79 million of the 28.57 million part-timers in 2025, or 62.3%.
- 23.1% of employed women usually worked part time, compared with 12.4% of employed men. In 2019 the rates were 23.4% and 11.5%.
- Teens are mostly part time: 71.1% of employed 16- to 19-year-olds (3.95 million people).
- Workers aged 25 to 54 had the lowest rate, 11.2%, but they are still the largest group: 11.79 million part-timers, or 41.3% of the total.
- Workers 55 and over had a part-time rate of 21.5%, up from 20.9% in 2019. They made up 8.15 million part-timers, 28.5% of the total.
| Group | Usually part time, 2019 (thousands) | Rate, 2019 | Usually part time, 2025 (thousands) | Rate, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total, 16 and over | 26,941 | 17.1% | 28,566 | 17.5% |
| 16 to 19 years | 3,625 | 70.4% | 3,948 | 71.1% |
| 20 to 24 years | 4,432 | 31.3% | 4,676 | 32.6% |
| 25 to 54 years | 11,083 | 11.0% | 11,793 | 11.2% |
| 55 and over | 7,801 | 20.9% | 8,149 | 21.5% |
| Women | 17,304 | 23.4% | 17,791 | 23.1% |
| Men | 9,637 | 11.5% | 10,775 | 12.4% |
Source: BLS, Current Population Survey, Table 8, 2019 and 2025 annual averages. Rates are Workzenly calculations from the published counts.
What this means for employers: Your part-time pool is students, parents and older workers, and each group has fixed limits on when it can work. Collect availability up front and build the schedule around it; a free employee schedule template is a simple starting point. Remember that hiring minors brings federal and state limits on hours.
Part-time hours by industry
BLS does not publish monthly part-time counts by industry in the Employment Situation, but average weekly hours show where short shifts are the norm. These are average weekly hours for all private employees in October 2026 (preliminary, seasonally adjusted), from Table B-2.
- Leisure and hospitality had the shortest average workweek, 25.5 hours, which means a large share of restaurant, hotel and entertainment staff work part-time schedules.
- Retail trade averaged 30.2 hours, below the 35-hour full-time line.
- The private-sector average was 34.4 hours, up from 34.2 in October 2025. Goods-producing industries averaged 40.2.
These are averages per job across full- and part-time staff, so read them as a sign of how common short shifts are, not as a part-time count.
What this means for employers: In restaurants and retail, part time is the default, so the schedule is where labor cost is won or lost. Short shifts mean more people per week to coordinate, more swaps and more chances for a shift to go uncovered.
Multiple jobholders
Many part-time jobs are second jobs. BLS counts multiple jobholders monthly in Table A-9 and breaks them down by hours in the annual CPS Table 36.
- 8,805,000 people held more than one job in October 2026, 5.4% of the employed (seasonally adjusted). The rate was 5.5% in September.
- In 2025 there were 8.80 million multiple jobholders on average, up from 8.43 million in 2024. The rate rose from 5.2% to 5.4%.
- 5.04 million combined a full-time main job with a part-time second job. Workzenly calculation: 57% of multiple jobholders.
- 2.23 million worked two part-time jobs, about a quarter of the total.
- Women were more likely to hold multiple jobs: 5.9% of employed women versus 4.9% of men in 2025. Women were also 1.45 million of the 2.23 million people working two part-time jobs.
| Multiple jobholders (thousands) | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Total multiple jobholders | 8,431 | 8,800 |
| Rate (% of employed) | 5.2% | 5.4% |
| Primary job full time, second job part time | 4,815 | 5,042 |
| Both jobs part time | 2,096 | 2,227 |
| Both jobs full time | 376 | 417 |
| Hours vary on one job | 1,085 | 1,042 |
Source: BLS, Current Population Survey, Table 36, 2024 and 2025 annual averages. 2025 averages cover 11 months and exclude October.
What this means for employers: Some of your part-timers have another employer's schedule to work around. Publishing schedules early and letting staff trade shifts keeps them available. For gig and contract work outside regular jobs, see our gig economy statistics.
Part-time vs full-time pay
Weekly earnings come from the BLS Usual Weekly Earnings release for the third quarter of 2026, published October 21, 2026. These are medians for wage and salary workers, not seasonally adjusted.
- Part-time wage and salary workers earned a median $413 a week, up from $387 a year earlier. Workzenly calculation: a 6.7% increase. (Table 6)
- Full-time wage and salary workers earned a median $1,232 a week. Workzenly calculation: the part-time median was about 34% of the full-time median.
- Part-time men and women both earned a median $413 a week in the third quarter of 2026. A year earlier, women ($393) were ahead of men ($379).
- There were 23.9 million part-time wage and salary workers in the quarter, of them 15.4 million women, and 122.2 million full-time wage and salary workers.
The weekly gap mostly reflects fewer hours, not only lower hourly pay. The 23.9 million count is lower than the 28.5 million in Table A-9 because the earnings data excludes the self-employed and is not seasonally adjusted.
What this means for employers: A part-time paycheck is small, so errors hurt. Missing 30 minutes is a bigger share of a $413 week than of a $1,232 week. Accurate time records and clear pay stubs matter more for part-timers, not less. See also how many hours is full time if a role is drifting across the line.
Part-time vs full-time benefits
The BLS National Compensation Survey (NCS) measures which workers can get employer benefits. These are private industry figures for March 2026, from Employee Benefits in the United States, released September 25, 2026.
- Medical care: 23% of part-time workers had access, versus 87% of full-time workers. Only 11% of part-timers participated. Among those offered coverage, 47% of part-timers enrolled, against 67% of full-timers. (Table 2)
- Retirement plans: 44% part-time access versus 81% full time; 20% of part-timers participated. (Table 1)
- Paid sick leave: 59% versus 88%. This is the smallest of the five gaps. (Table 6)
- Paid vacation: 38% versus 93%, the widest gap.
- Paid holidays: 47% versus 92%.
What this means for employers: Benefits are the biggest difference between a part-time and full-time job. Track part-timers' hours carefully, because hour thresholds decide eligibility for health coverage under the ACA and for sick leave accrual in many states. Our paid sick leave statistics and employee benefits statistics go deeper, and PTO tracking keeps accrued balances up to date for every employee.
About this data
These part-time employment statistics and part-time jobs data come from three BLS programs. The Current Population Survey is a monthly household survey; it supplies part-time counts, involuntary part time, multiple jobholding and weekly earnings (quarterly). Monthly figures appear in the Employment Situation, usually on the first Friday of the month, and annual averages are published each January. The 2025 annual averages cover 11 months because October 2025 was not collected during the federal government shutdown. Average weekly hours by industry come from the Current Employment Statistics employer survey, also monthly; the latest two months are preliminary. Benefits come from the National Compensation Survey, published once a year for March.
BLS defines part time as usually working fewer than 35 hours a week at all jobs combined. Employers and laws use other lines, often 30 hours for health coverage. Where we compute shares, changes or ratios, the text says "Workzenly calculation."
We review this page when new releases come out. Journalists, students and bloggers are welcome to cite it with a link to this page.
More workforce statistics: Average work week hours · Gig economy statistics · Employee benefits statistics · Retail industry statistics.
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, The Employment Situation, October 2026, released November 6, 2026. bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Table A-8, Employed persons by class of worker and part-time status, October 2026. bls.gov/news.release/empsit.t08.htm
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Table A-9, Selected employment indicators, October 2026. bls.gov/news.release/empsit.t09.htm
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Table B-2, Average weekly hours and overtime of all employees on private nonfarm payrolls, October 2026. bls.gov/news.release/empsit.t18.htm
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, series LNS12032194, Part time for economic reasons, seasonally adjusted, 2016 to 2026. data.bls.gov/timeseries/LNS12032194
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, series LNS12600000, Employed, usually work part time, seasonally adjusted, 2016 to 2026. data.bls.gov/timeseries/LNS12600000
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, Table 8, Employed and unemployed full- and part-time workers, 2025 annual averages. bls.gov/cps/cpsaat08.htm
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, Table 8, 2019 annual averages. bls.gov/cps/aa2019/cpsaat08.htm
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, Table 36, Multiple jobholders by selected characteristics, 2024 and 2025 annual averages. bls.gov/cps/cpsaat36.htm
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers, Third Quarter 2026, released October 21, 2026. bls.gov/news.release/wkyeng.nr0.htm
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Table 6, Median usual weekly earnings of part-time wage and salary workers, third quarter 2026. bls.gov/news.release/wkyeng.t06.htm
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employee Benefits in the United States, March 2026, released September 25, 2026. bls.gov/news.release/ebs2.nr0.htm
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employee Benefits, Tables 1 (retirement), 2 (medical care) and 6 (paid leave), March 2026. bls.gov/news.release/ebs2.t01.htm
Frequently asked questions
How many part-time workers are there in the US?
In October 2026, 28.5 million employed people usually worked part time, meaning under 35 hours a week, out of 163.6 million employed (seasonally adjusted), according to the BLS Employment Situation released November 6, 2026. That is about 17.4% of workers, a Workzenly calculation from BLS Table A-9.
What is involuntary part-time work?
BLS calls it part time for economic reasons: people who want full-time work but work under 35 hours because their hours were cut or they could only find part-time work. There were 4.84 million in October 2026, up 339,000 from September, according to the BLS Employment Situation.
What percentage of part-time workers are women?
Women were 17.79 million of the 28.57 million people who usually worked part time in 2025, about 62%, based on BLS Current Population Survey Table 8 annual averages. About 23% of employed women usually worked part time, compared with about 12% of employed men (Workzenly calculation).
How much do part-time workers earn per week?
Part-time wage and salary workers had median usual weekly earnings of $413 in the third quarter of 2026, up from $387 a year earlier, according to BLS. Full-time wage and salary workers earned a median $1,232 a week in the same quarter. Both figures are not seasonally adjusted.
Do part-time workers get benefits?
Far fewer do. In March 2026, 23% of part-time private industry workers had access to employer medical care benefits, compared with 87% of full-time workers, according to the BLS National Compensation Survey. Part-time access was 44% for retirement plans and 59% for paid sick leave.
How many people work more than one job?
In October 2026, 8.8 million people held more than one job, 5.4% of the employed, according to BLS. In 2025, 5.04 million multiple jobholders combined a full-time main job with a part-time second job, and 2.23 million worked two part-time jobs (CPS Table 36).