underemployment
underemployment Lexical Profile
underemployment Game Scores & Validity
• noun
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, education, or economic needs.
"Many recent college graduates face underemployment, working part-time retail jobs while searching for positions in their chosen fields."
The state of being insufficiently or incompletely utilized, especially regarding productive capacity, capital, or resources.
"The prolonged economic downturn led to the widespread underemployment of industrial machinery across the manufacturing sector."
Word Nuance & Usage
Unlike 'unemployment' (which refers to having no paid job despite actively seeking one), 'underemployment' applies to workers who are employed but work fewer hours than desired or hold jobs that do not fully utilize their education and skills.