The underemployed: evidence from the UK Labour Force Survey

Specific analyses of underemployment are largely absent from the academic debate in Britain, and workers in such positions remain under-researched. This article explores socio-economic predictors of underemployment. We analyse Labour Force Survey data, using logistic regression modelling to identify the segments of underemployed workers. The results suggest that underemployment is affected by a range of demographic and work-related factors considered. Households with a cohabiting couple and dependent children, for example, moderate the likelihood of underemployment among women, whereas they raise the likelihood among men. The evidence also points to a work-status inconsistency: Higher-ranking occupations diminish underemployment across both sexes, but higher educational attainments show no impact on men whilst having an opposite effect on women