Gallup: One in Three Young U.S. Workers Are Underemployed

Gallup ^ | 05/10/2012 | Dennis Jacobe

[SeekAndFind]

PRINCETON, NJ -- Thirty-two percent of 18- to 29-year-olds in the U.S. workforce were underemployed in April, as measured by Gallup without seasonal adjustment. This is up from 30.1% in March and is slightly higher than the 30.7% of a year ago.

These results are based on Gallup Daily tracking interviews, conducted with 28,215 Americans throughout April, including 2,864 respondents aged 18 to 29.

Gallup's U.S. underemployment measure combines the unemployed with those working part time but looking for full-time work. Underemployment among 18- to 29-year-olds has hovered around 30% for most of the past year, showing no real improvement. Underemployment among all Americans has declined over the past year to 18.2% in April from 19.3% in April 2011.

Young adults were more than twice as likely as those in older age groups to be underemployed in April. Underemployment in April was 14.0% among those aged 30 to 49, 13.6% among those aged 50 to 64, and 12.7% among those 65 or older.

Unemployment Also Remains Stubbornly High Among Young Adults

Unemployment among young adults, as measured by Gallup without seasonal adjustment, increased to 13.6% in April, up from 12.5% in March and the same as in April 2011. Overall unadjusted unemployment declined slightly to 8.3% in April from 8.4% in March.

Young adults continue to be much more likely than average to be unemployed; their 13.6% rate in April compares with 7.0% in the 30 to 49 age group, 6.2% among those aged 50 to 64, and 4.9% among those 65 or older.

[HIDEK6]

They might be “underemplyed” in their own self-esteem-governed minds, but what do they really know how to do?

[pepperdog]

I was always underemployed, I never was paid what I thought I should be paid. (sarcasm)

[Buckeye McFrog]

You can see many great examples of this on that “We Are The 99%” website.

“I have a Masters Degree in Art History, and yet the only job I can find is delivering pizza 25 hours per week. What’s the government gonna do to fix this for me?” is pretty typical.