Restaurants Are Hiring More Part-Time Workers

There is a hiring boom of part-time workers in the restaurant industry as a result of a new federal law requiring certain employers to provide health insurance to its workers, according to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal. A recent report conducted by the United States Department of Labor, leisure and hospitality businesses have hired more workers in June than any other industry and, since April, restaurants and bars have added an average of 50,000 jobs a month.  But, in response to the Affordable Care Act, a growing number of restaurants are adding part-time workers rather than traditional full-time. The Affordable Care Act (“ACA”) requires employers with 50 or more full-time employees to offer affordable insurance to employees who work 30 or more hours a week.  In an effort to circumvent the costs of the ACA, restaurants and other businesses have increased their staff by hiring more part-time employees to replace full-time workers who have left.  Others attribute the increase of part-time workers in the restaurant industry to a stronger economy.  Still, some restaurants say that they will continue to rely on part-time workers in order to minimize health care costs.