Today, three out of five workers in the United States are paid by the hour — that’s seventy five million mothers, fathers, students, neighbors, and friends. Job growth is fueled by the dramatic expansion of low-wage, no-benefit jobs in industries like retail, restaurants, and healthcare, which rely on large part-time workforces and now employ over one-quarter of all workers.
Hourly workers are increasingly at risk of unpredictable, last-minute, fluctuating work schedules over which they have no control. Thirty eight percent of all early-career adults — and almost half of those working part-time — get their schedules one week or less in advance. Seventy-four percent of of this workforce experience fluctuating weekly work hours. Half have no input into their schedules. Can you imagine not knowing when you have to show up for work, or how many hours you’ll be working next week?