underemployment

noun

un·​der·​em·​ploy·​ment ˌən-dər-im-ˈplȯi-mənt How to pronounce underemployment (audio)
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 Changing your job for one that gives you sufficient challenge and fulfillment is yet another way to fix the underemployment issue. Caroline Ceniza-Levine, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 Here are three ways to get out of underemployment: Ongoing learning and development is one way to stave off underemployment. Caroline Ceniza-Levine, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 Income & Employment index (25%) ― income growth rate, share of households earning incomes above $75,000 per year, job security and satisfaction, weekly work hours, commute time, unemployment and underemployment rates, and more. Claire Reid, Journal Sentinel, 28 Feb. 2024 The odds of underemployment for graduates who had at least one internship are, on average, 48.5% lower than those who had no internships. Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 26 Feb. 2024 For example, securing an internship while pursuing one's undergraduate studies reduces the risk of underemployment by almost 50%. Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 23 Feb. 2024 Rising cost of food Difficult times are mounting for many Old City residents, with unemployment and underemployment high. Taylor Luck, The Christian Science Monitor, 26 July 2023 Majors with low pay for recent grads Unemployment and underemployment rates were taken from data of those aged 22 to 27 with a bachelor's degree or higher, while median wage numbers are measured among full-time workers with a bachelor's degree only, the report states. Amritpal Kaur Sandhu-Longoria, USA TODAY, 2 Mar. 2023 According to data from the N.Y. Fed, the underemployment rate for the U.S. job market — meaning, the number of college graduates not working a job requiring a college degree — was at 40%, the highest in two decades. J.j. McCorvey, NBC News, 5 May 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'underemployment.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1909, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of underemployment was in 1909

Dictionary Entries Near underemployment

Cite this Entry

“Underemployment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/underemployment. Accessed 26 Apr. 2024.

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