Commuters and tourists exit a subway car May 26, 2022 in New York City.
Robert Nickelsberg | Getty Images
More Americans were working part-time and temporary jobs last month, which may herald future shifts in the shape of what today appears a robust jobs market.
Hiring in July easily blew past expectations, suggesting a strong labor market despite other signs of economic weakness. But a jump in the number of workers in part-time positions for economic reasons — usually because of reduced hours, poor business conditions or because they can’t find full-time work — hints at potential instability ahead.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics on Friday reported the number of such workers, called “involuntary part-time workers,” increased by a seasonally adjusted 303,000 in July, to 3.9 million. That follows a sharp decrease of 707,000 in June.
The metric, which is volatile, is still below the 4.4…
