24% of part-time workers have medical benefits, government says

1/9

The number of biomedical engineers is projected to grow nearly 68% from 4,000 in 2010 to 6,700 in 2020, according to the California Employment Development Department. The median annual wage for this career is $81,540, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics figures. (John Amis / Associated Press)

2/9

Home health aides provide individualized healthcare to elderly, convalescent or people with disabilities at the patient’s home or in a care facility. The number of aides is projected to grow 52% to 93,100 in 2020, according to the state Employment Development Department. The mean annual wage for these jobs is $21,830, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. (Joe Raedle/ Getty Images)

3/9

The number of carpenter helpers is projected to swell nearly 52% to 4,700 in 2020, according to state employment projections. The mean annual wage for these workers, who assist carpenters, is $27,230, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

4/9

Market research analysts study market conditions and help examine potential sales of a product or service. The number of these types of analysts is projected to grow 45.8% to 78,300, according to state estimates. The median annual wage of marketing specialists was $60,570, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. (Ulrich Baumgarten/Getty Images)

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Masons use bricks, concrete blocks and stones to build fences, walkways and other structures. The number of mason helpers is expected to grow 45.7% by 2020, swelling to 5,100, according to state projects. The median annual wage of brickmasons was $46,930, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

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Personal care aides are similar to home health aids, which landed at No. 2 on this list. Personal care aides, however, also make beds, prepare meals and perform other duties at a patient’s home or residential nursing facility. The number of jobs in this field is projected to grow to 462,900 by 2020, a 43% growth rate from 2010. The mean annual wage is about $20,830, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)

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The number of emergency medical technicians and paramedics is projected to grow to 22,600, a 42% increase, according to state estimates. The median annual wage of EMTs and paramedics was $30,360 in 2010, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)

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The number of museum curators is expected to grow 40% to 1,400 in 2020, according to the state’s Employment Development Department. The median annual wage of curators is $48,450, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

9/9

The number of marriage and family therapists is projected to grow to 14,900 by 2020, according to state projects. That’s a growth rate of 39%. The mean annual salary for these types of therapists is $49,270, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

By Ricardo Lopez

July 17, 2013 8:31 AM PT

If you are a full-time employee, consider yourself lucky: Medical benefits are available to 85% of private-sector workers who work full time, according to a government report released Wednesday.

By comparison, only 24% of part-time workers had employer-provided medical benefits, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported.

The government survey covered medical, retirement and other types of benefits typically offered by employers as of March 2013.

10 fastest-growing jobs in California

In the aftermath of the recession and as employers prepare for President Obama’s healthcare law to be implemented, there has been a sharp rise in part-time employment and other contingent work.

About 8.2 million Americans are working part time involuntarily, according to BLS figures. These workers are unable to get full-time work due to slack economic conditions or a lack of full-time positions available.

Among large employers, those with 100 employees or more, 85% offered medical-employments to employees. About 60% of smaller firms typically offered medical benefits to their workers.

The report also found:

--Almost three-quarters (74%) of full-time workers had access to retirement benefits, significantly higher than the 37% of part-time workers.

--Paid sick leave followed a similar pattern, with 74% of full-time workers able to take time off for illnesses compared with 24% of part-time workers.

The data for the report is compiled from surveys of more than 11,000 businesses and 125 million private- and public-sector employees.

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ricardo.lopez@latimes.com