underemployment

noun

un·​der·​em·​ploy·​ment ˌən-dər-im-ˈplȯi-mənt 

1

: the condition in which people in a labor force are employed at less than full-time or regular jobs or at jobs inadequate with respect to their training or economic needs

2

: the condition of being underemployed

Examples of underemployment in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Inflation has devastated purchasing power, unemployment officially hovers around 8% to 10%, while many economists think real unemployment and underemployment are far higher, and the Iranian rial (its currency) has lost 98% of its value against the U.S. dollar over the last decade. —Haggai Carmon, Boston Herald, 13 May 2026

These low wages have resulted in underemployment, forcing home aides and elder care workers to sometimes seek out one or two other jobs. —Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 19 Apr. 2026

The age group's underemployment rate, which tracks the amount of graduates working jobs that usually don’t require a college degree, rose to 42.5% in the fourth quarter – its highest level since 2020. —Rachel Barber, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2026

Ever optimistic, Mary puts on a happy face amid the chronic underemployment of her professor husband, Howard (Corey Stoll). —Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 18 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1909, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for underemployment

• deployment
• employment
• enjoyment
• preemployment
• redeployment
• reemployment
• unemployment