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Underemployment

By Alison Doyle, About.com

Definition: Underemployment refers to people who are working in a lower capacity than they are qualified for, including in a lower-paid job or for less hours than they would like to work.

A person is consider underemployed when they are working at a job they are over-qualified for, working part-time when they would prefer full-time work, or working at a low-wage job when they could, if jobs were available, be working more hours.

Also Known As: underemployed
Underemployment / Unemployment
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Alison Doyle
Guide since 1998

Alison Doyle
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