The Part-Time Pivot in Today’s Office.The Increase In Part-Time Admin. Jobs and How Long Will The Trend Last?

With many companies maintaining hybrid schedules and being in the office three to four days per week, we have seen more requests for Part-Time Administrative support than at any other time in the past 50 years Alan J. Blair Personnel has been in business.

One of the longest-lasting aftereffects of the COVID economic “symptoms” is the continued reliance on part-time instead of full-time administrative help. On the surface, it makes sense. If your team is fully in the office three days per week, why pay for five days of support?

From a spreadsheet perspective, it looks efficient. From an operational perspective, it is often a short-term strategy, but it can be detrimental in the long term.

National labor data show that roughly 17-18 percent of the U.S. workforce is working part-time, a near multi-decade high. Over the past two years, job boards have reported increases in part-time postings, particularly in administrative roles, while full-time growth has leveled off after the post-pandemic surge.

Hybrid work changed the math.

If Tuesday through Thursday are the heavy in-office days, employers want coverage then. Monday and Friday become lighter. The result is a rise in three-day-a-week administrative roles.

Here is the catch.

People typically seek part-time work for specific life transitions. They may be in school, balancing another role, managing family obligations, or easing into retirement. Many are talented and capable. But long-term commitment to a part-time role there for is also transitional and naturally less secure than someone accepting a full-time position with benefits and a clear career path.

This creates a familiar common cycle we see in recruiting: hire, train, lose, repeat.

Training is not free and, in the long term, can cause the entire team’s productivity to dip. The remaining team absorbs the strain. Then the search and retraining begin again, taking them away from their everyday responsibilities.

From the employee side, part-time flexibility can quickly turn into logistical gymnastics. To reach a 40-hour income, many juggle multiple roles or combine office work with gig assignments. Flexibility is attractive, but financial stability will always win the day.

When we ask candidates, “What are you looking for?” the answer is remarkably consistent:A full-time role. A strong team. Benefits. Stability.

That is it.

It sounds simple, but in today's market, it is not always easy to find.

At the same time, more employers are gradually increasing in-office expectations. Three days become four. Conversations around collaboration, culture, and productivity are gaining momentum again. Even organizations that fully embraced flexibility are reassessing how much in-person interaction supports performance and accountability.

I predict 2026 will continue in this direction. More companies will require one additional day in the office. With that shift will come renewed demand for full-time administrative professionals who provide consistency, continuity, and ownership of the role.

The most effective HR teams will recognize that administrative support is not simply a cost center to trim. It is an operational investment. Stability at the administrative level supports stability throughout the organization.

It has been a privilege to watch these patterns rise and fall over the past 25 years. Hiring philosophies evolve. Markets adjust. What feels permanent rarely is.

One of my most used quotes is: “This too shall pass.” This applies to both strong and uncertain markets alike.

And I believe this heavy emphasis on part-time admin. jobs will pass as well. Of course, there will always be that need. But when companies calculate the full cost of turnover, retraining, and lost continuity, full-time support will once again look less like a luxury and more like sound business judgment.

If you are in HR and would like to discuss how this trend is impacting your teams, I welcome the conversation. At Alan J. Blair Personnel, we are excited to assist with both part-time and full-time openings and, most importantly, help you build long-term staffing solutions that truly support your team over decades, not just years.