Underemployment

Underemployment – when people are employed in some way that is insufficient, such as being overqualified or working part-time when one desires full-time employment – is a challenge faced by all industrialized nations and their organizations and individuals. Underemployment: Psychological, Economic, and Social Challenges Douglas C. Maynard and Daniel C. Feldman, Editors While joblessness is a signature problem during times of economic stress, underemployment —the lack of adequate, meaningful work—affects large numbers of workers even during relative prosperity. Historically overshadowed by unemployment, the pervasive and serious social problem of underemployment warrants greater attention from scholars in a variety of disciplines. Recognizing underemployment as a series of related phenomena (e.g., fewer hours of work, poor pay, jobs for which workers are overqualified), Underemployment: Psychological, Economic, and Social Challenges is the first book to provide an in-depth examination of the causes, dynamics, and consequences of underemployment and how the problem might be addressed. Experts from management, economics, psychology, and sociology present their unique approaches to understanding underemployment in terms of theory development, empirical findings, and implications for policy and practice. Some of the major topics covered include: Effects of underemployment on short-run and long-run earnings Underemployment among youth, women, older workers, immigrants, and minorities Effects of underemployment on mental health and physical health Impact of underemployment on family members, friends, and communities Measurement and tracking of underemployment over time Effects of underemployment on work attitudes and job performance Directions for future theoretical and empirical research on underemployment A comprehensive look at a most timely issue, Underemployment: Psychological, Economic,and Social Challenges will inform the work of researchers, scholars, managers, and policy makers dealing with underemployment issues for years to come. Underemployment – when people are employed in some way that is insufficient, such as being overqualified or working part-time when one desires full-time employment – is a challenge faced by all industrialized nations and their organizations and individuals. Just like unemployment, some level of underemployment exists even in the best of times, but it becomes more pervasive when the job market is weak. Given the current economic climate in North America and abroad, researchers and scholars in various disciplines (psychology, business, sociology, economics) are becoming more interested in investigating the effects of underemployment and identifying possible practical solutions. Underemployment synthesizes the current understanding of the phenomenon by bringing together scholars with diverse perspectives and expertise with the aim of informing and guiding the next generation of underemployment research.