Ranks of 'underemployed' explode -- 8.9 million Americans' full- time jobs have dwindled to just part-time work

ROCHESTER, N.Y. - Jody Taylor dodged the bullet twice in the pastyear when the industrial-coating factory where she works as amachine operator went through a series of layoffs. But her hourshave been cut back to a four-day workweek.

In this economy, she considers herself lucky.

"I did lose some money, but I still have a job and healthbenefits," said Taylor, 51, a single parent whose 17-year-old sonrecently had his wisdom teeth pulled. "Honest to God, I don't knowhow anybody can do it without their benefits."

Taylor has joined the burgeoning ranks of the "underemployed" -the 8.9 million Americans who would prefer full-time jobs but mustmake do with part-time work.

Their numbers have shot up from 5.2 million a year ago, the U.S.Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday. The April total was downonly slightly from 9 million in March, the most since record-keeping began in 1955, the agency said.

The ranks of the underemployed have swelled as tens of thousandsof businesses resort to shorter workweeks, furloughs and seasonalshutdowns to avoid deeper cutbacks. Often, these involuntary part-timers get to keep at least some of their benefits.

With her two-week paycheck more than $100 lighter, Taylor rarelyeats out, relies more than ever on grocery discounts and has cut outnights at the movies. She won't be replacing her 1993 Toyota anytime soon.

"It can always get worse," said Taylor, a 21-year employee atApplied Coatings Inc. "At my age, to start over somewhere else wouldbe very tough."

Billy Mendoza, 23, an Apple Inc. tech-support representative inLas Cruces, N.M., dropped down to a 25-hour workweek from "OT allthe time" last year. As his bills pile up, he has canceled Internetservice, switched to a cheaper satellite TV package and opts forgame nights with friends instead of nights out.

The worst thing about losing $200 a week?

"Just not being able to really do anything," Mendoza said. Buthardest of all is not being able to afford to travel to Kansas sinceJanuary to see his 1-year-old son, who lives with his formergirlfriend. He is saving up for his next trip this summer.

The tourism doldrums in Las Vegas have casino bartender WillTurner scrambling to find a second job. Gone are monthly trips tosee family in California and frequent dinners out with his wife, wholost her job in a collections agency, and their two children.

"I went from choosing my shifts to begging for shifts. Now, I'mlucky to get two or three," lamented Turner, 40. "We're struggling,but we're surviving, you know?"

A burgeoning array of companies big and small have tapped into aShared Work government program offered in 18 states that enablesstruggling businesses to trim payroll costs but retain jobs.Employees get back a portion of their lost wages in unemploymentbenefits and get to keep medical benefits.

Without the program, launched in 1983, "we would have been forcedto cut some of our more experienced technical people," said SteveClark, director of operations at Applied Coatings, which makescoatings for display lights. "I would say probably 10 layoffs wereaverted."

Since last summer the company has chopped its workforce of about70 in half. The 36 remaining employees, managers included, have beenon a 32-hour workweek since the fall.

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By the Numbers

Details from Friday's employment report

MONTHLY TOTALS

13.7 million: People unemployed in April 2009, the most ever inrecords dating to 1948

12.1 million: People unemployed in December 1982, record beforethe current recession, although labor force was smaller

UNEMPLOYMENT RATE

8.9 percent: Rate in April 2009

10.8 percent: Rate in December 1982, the highest unemploymentrate in past six decades

15.8 percent: Rate in April 2009 if you include laid-off workerswho have given up looking for new jobs or who have settled for part-time work - the highest such rate on records that go back to 1994

TOTAL JOBS LOST

5.7 million: Net payroll jobs lost since the recession began inDecember 2007

539,000: Jobs lost in April

699,000: Jobs lost in March

681,000: Jobs lost in February

741,000: Jobs lost in January

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