The waiter
- Name: Josh Wolfe
- Hometown: Moore, Okla.
Stereotypes of part-time workers are harsh and hard to shake.
"'If he had skills, if he had education, he'd be in a full-time job,'" says Josh Wolfe, echoing the perception of part-time workers that he hears. "I may have the same experience as somebody who has a full-time job, but they're always going to be viewed as a little higher in life, socioeconomically, than I would."
He works 25 hours a week at an Italian restaurant, earning about $10 an hour with tips. Even while taking online college classes, he can fit 40 hours into his schedule, but can't find a full-time position, or even more hours.
Josh, 28, and his wife have tough decisions to make about which bills they will pay. When the weather gets cold, they prioritize paying the electric bill.
He has no benefits, and he cannot afford to pay the extra $300 a month to be on his wife's insurance plan. He goes to a local health clinic when he has issues.
"A company that subsidizes medical [insurance] -- even if I had to take a slight paycut -- I would move over there," Josh says. "Not having insurance here, I think about it, usually when I'm sick or I'm afraid I'm getting sick."
