WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
un•der•em•ployed /ˌʌndərɛmˈplɔɪd/USA pronunciation
adj.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- Economicsworking or employed at a job that does not fully use one's skills or abilities.
- employed only part-time when one is available for full-time work.
un•der•em•ployed
(un′dər em ploid′),USA pronunciation adj.
n.
un′der•em•ploy′ment, n.
- Economicsemployed at a job that does not fully use one's skills or abilities.
- employed only part-time when one is available for full-time work.
- Economicsnot utilized fully.
n.
- Economics, Businessunderemployed workers collectively.
- under- + employ + -ed2 1905–10
'underemployment' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):