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
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
See All Example Sentences for underemployment
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Annie Lowrey, The Atlantic, 24 May 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for underemployment
Cite this Entry
“Underemployment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/underemployment. Accessed 29 May. 2026.
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