Half a Job

"Chris Tilly's study of part-time work differs from, and is superior to, most others because he puts the organizations that hire part-time workers at the center of his analysis. His ideas about part-time work are derived logically and rigorously. This is true, most especially, of the original and useful distinction he draws between retention and secondary part-time jobs that is at the heart of the book. Half a Job is original, distinctive, and significant." --Eileen Appelbaum, Economic Policy Institute "In the 1990s, for every person officially counted as 'unemployed,' at least one more person is involuntarily working part-time. These are the workers with only half a job. And their ranks are growing. In this important and compassionate book, scholar-activist Christ Tilly tells us why--and why it matters to the American standard of living." --Bennett Harrison, Harvard University "Companies are creating part-time jobs even though workers don't want them. Why are they doing this? In Half a Job, Tilly takes on this question and through rigorous documentation helps to make sense of the eroding situation of the U.S. worker. For those seeking to understand the growth of part-time work as well as those attempting to organize and represent the new contingent work force, Tilly's book is a valuable contribution." --John J. Sweeney, President of the Service Employees International Union