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Career paths are being reshaped — some say permanently — in part because of the massive movement toward temporary employment. These changes will be felt most by young people, who face the prospect of a lifetime of temporary or part time work, an uncertain career path, and a lower standard of living with little or no payoff for their post-secondary education.

The evidence for this rather bleak picture is growing:

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In my Financial Post column, “The Notion of Contract Workers Is Here To Stay,” I cited McKinsey & Co., which reported that “65% of U.S. corporations have restructured their workforce and have no plans to return to pre-recession employment, but rather are opting for contingent and contract work when the need for expansion takes place.”

A 2013 Gallup poll reported one of every five workers is now part-time. And according to the U.S. Department of Labor, 30% of all part-timers fall into the involuntary category. Another rising trend reported by The New York Times is that employers are changing part-time workers’ schedules from week to week, with only 10% having a set schedule. One of the main arguments against part-time work is that forced part-time workers share far less than full-timers in economic prosperity. Companies invest less in their training and they get less work experience, and fewer promotions.