The 9-to-5 workday appears to be coming to an end, MainStreet reported recently. What is happening and how is it impacting time-pressed working mothers and fathers?

According to a report from the Center for American Progress, higher-level workers are increasingly being asked to work 50 hours or more a week, essentially putting in an 8-to-6 day at the very least. On the flip side, lower-income workers are often required to work fewer hours but at jobs with irregular schedules. The Center reviewed dozens of studies from the previous 30 years to understand the changing work/life issues of the country’s labor force.

Driving these changes are companies turning lower-level full-time jobs into part-time employment to cut costs. These savings come at the expense of workers — and their families — who lose the traditional schedules and financial benefits that come with full-time employment, the center explains.

Instead of full time jobs, many firms are offering contract positions for a set length of time. This is common in the financial field today. Two of my relatives are in the field so I hear what is happening. A “contract” role equates to long hours, no healthcare benefits and no vacation time.

Some 38 percent of men in professional and management positions worked at least 50 hours a week between 2006 and 2008, up from 34 percent who worked those hours 30 years prior, based on government studies in the Center’s report. Women in higher-level positions experienced a greater change, with 14 percent working 50 hours or more in 2006-2008 compared with just 6 percent who did between 1977 and 1979.

Longer work schedules were found to be common on the higher end of the income bracket. This is not surprising, as the highest-paying and highest-status jobs require very long hours in today’s bleak economy. These employees are not likely to object as so many other qualified workers would be ready to step into their roles tomorrow.

The nation’s shifting workforce is negatively impacting many working families. With the unemployment rate last reported at 9.2 percent in June, it is unfortunately not likely to change for the better anytime soon.