Overemployment and underemployment of part-time pharmacists: Prevalence and connection to work-life characteristics

TL;DR

This study explores how part-time pharmacists experience overemployment and underemployment and how these affect their job quality and work-life balance.

Contribution

This is among the first studies to examine overemployment, underemployment, and matched employment among part-time pharmacists.

Findings

Underemployment was more common than overemployment among part-time pharmacists.

Overemployment and underemployment were linked to worse work-life characteristics compared to matched employment.

Many underemployed pharmacists wanted to work full-time, indicating labor market issues.

Abstract

Overemployment and underemployment are associated with fluctuations in labor supply and can negatively impact psychosocial aspects of work and worker health.

The objectives of this study were to 1) determine the prevalence and characteristics of underemployment, overemployment and matched employment among part-time pharmacists; 2) examine differences in actual and ideal hours worked for overemployed and underemployed part-time pharmacists; and 3) test associations between overemployment, underemployment and matched employment and part-time pharmacists' perceptions of job quality and work-life characteristics.

Data for 636 pharmacists self-reporting working part-time (≤ 30 h/week) were extracted from the 2019 National Pharmacists Workforce Study. The difference in self-reported actual and ideal hours worked weekly was calculated and used to classify part-time pharmacists as overemployed, underemployed or matched employed. Differences between the variables were tested with multivariate ordinary least squares regression models.

Being matched employed was most common (41.3 %) followed by underemployed (34.9 %) and being overemployed (23.8 %). Of underemployed respondents, over half (54.1 %) reported wanting to work full-time, which likely is reflective of the relatively loose national pharmacist labor market in 2019. Overemployed and underemployed respondents reported significantly lower levels of several of the work-life characteristics relative to those with matched employment.

The higher rate of underemployment among pharmacists working part-time is consistent with the surplus of US pharmacists in 2019. The results show that for pharmacists working part-time, a lack of control over how much they work is negatively associated with job quality and work-life characteristics relative to pharmacists with work schedule control.

•This analysis is among the first to examine overemployment, underemployment, and matched employment among part-time pharmacists.•Underemployment was more common than overemployment, with 54.1 % of underemployed pharmacists expressing a desire for full-time work.•Over- and underemployment were negatively associated with work-life wellbeing compared to matched employment.•Future research could explore the causes and consequences of limited work schedule control among pharmacists.

This analysis is among the first to examine overemployment, underemployment, and matched employment among part-time pharmacists.

Underemployment was more common than overemployment, with 54.1 % of underemployed pharmacists expressing a desire for full-time work.

Over- and underemployment were negatively associated with work-life wellbeing compared to matched employment.

Future research could explore the causes and consequences of limited work schedule control among pharmacists.