UNDEREMPLOYED WORKER

A worker who is seeking employment of a higher level, a part-time worker seeking full-time employment, or a worker whose ability and skills are not being fully utilized.

Underemployed workers have the skills, experience, and education to qualify for higher pay and more responsible positions, or they are employed on a part-time basis. Often called the hidden workforce, they are generally well-educated, with a wide variety of capabilities and expertise.

Workers may be underemployed due to:

1. Inadequate hours (working less than 35 hours/week but desiring more hours)
2. Mismatch of skills (working in positions that do not meet their skills or education levels or having previously worked for higher wages).

"The ILO estimates that between 25 and 30 percent of the world's growing labour force is unemployed or under-employed. This is a major cause of poverty. The ILO advocates policies for ‘working out of poverty,' especially in post-conflict and poor countries, where micro-businesses and small enterprises play a crucial role in economic reconstruction and employment generation."
(International Training Centre, Enterprise Development, International Labour Organization, visited 2011-06-05)