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

The rate of underemployment is low, and the rate of labor-force participation is high, meaning that there’s no pool of discouraged workers lurking behind the marquee jobs statistics. — Annie Lowrey, The Atlantic, 24 May 2026

Disabled workers are unemployed at more than twice the rate of non-disabled workers, and underemployment runs higher still. — Keely Cat-Wells, Forbes.com, 19 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

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