Any Correlation Between Obamacare and Increase in Part-Time Employment?

It is no secret that the merits of Obamacare are a hotly debated topic and often leads to partisan discussions. One particular criticism of President Obama’s most significant legislative achievement to date is that it is causing an increase in part-time employment.

Barry Ritholtz from The Big Picture has a different take. According to Mr. Ritholtz, the assertion that Obamacare caused an increase in part-time employment is a “classic bit of misdirection — an assumption built into a question.” Reflecting on the chart provided below (via Economic Policy Institute), he observes:

As you can see in the black line below, the number of part time workers spiked because of the Great Recession. It peaked and began to slowly reverse before the ACA was even passed. No, there does not appear to be an increase caused by Obamacare.

 

 

Source: Did Obamacare Cause an Increase in Part-Time Employment (The Big Picture)