A hiring headline does not tell a worker what next week’s schedule will look like. ADP’s March 8, 2017 release estimated a February increase of 298,000 in U.S. nonfarm private employment. That is a seasonally adjusted payroll estimate produced with Moody’s Analytics, not a record of every worker’s hours, pay or access to a permanent post. [adp]
Canada’s March 10 Labour Force Survey shows why composition matters. Employment was little changed overall, while estimated full-time employment rose by 105,000 and part-time employment fell by 90,000 in February. Total hours worked were little changed over twelve months. These aggregate shifts do not show that the same people moved into full-time work or that every worker gained hours. [statcan]
Our editorial proposal for workers and representatives is a short set of questions for the next staffing discussion. What hours are scheduled, how much notice is given, and who can apply for full-time posts? Request answers beside the employer’s hiring totals. Keep the U.S. payroll estimate and Canadian survey findings in separate columns, each labeled by country and population. [adp][statcan]
More full-time employment can be welcome without settling whose needs were met. A proposed follow-up would ask workers whether their schedules match their preferences, rather than assuming part-time work is always unwanted. Preparing that evidence takes time, and neither report supplies local wages or bargaining gains. The decision is which questions to bring to an employer, not whether a national headline proves the discussion is finished. [adp][statcan]
Source documents
- ADP National Employment Report: Private Sector Employment Increased by 298,000 Jobs in Februaryhttps://mediacenter.adp.com/2017-03-08-ADP-National-Employment-Report-Private-Sector-Employment-Increased-by-298-000-Jobs-in-February
- Labour Force Survey, February 2017https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/170310/dq170310a-eng.htm