5,900 Underemployed in Dundee
Lesley Brennan
29 August 2012
Dundee has 5,900 people who are officially classified as being “ underemployed”
The official Scottish Labour Force Survey defines “ underemployment “ as :
*all employed persons aged 16 and over who during the reference week were willing to work additional hours, meaning that they:
*wanted another job in addition to their current job(s),
*or wanted another job with more hours instead of their current job(s),
*or wanted to increase the total number of hours worked in their current job(s).
The 5,900 underemployed in Dundee account for some 9 per cent of those in the local workforce.
As well as purely “hours –based “ underemployment , there is also :
Income-based underemployment where the income earned is less than a person expects to earn
Skill-based underemployment where the person is overqualified and underpaid for his/her present job.
Dundee City Councillor Lesley Brennan, who is a health economist said,
“The degree of underemployment depends upon the strength or weakness of the economy.
“ The weaker the economy, the more likely workers are to agree, unwillingly, to work fewer hours or for less wages.
“ Underemployment carries the same risks of personal consequences to health as unemployment does, such as increases in stress levels, displaying symptoms of anxiety and depression , and a decrease in self-esteem.
“The best economic solution to underemployment is to create jobs by stimulating the local economy.
“And the best health remedy for underemployment is secure, well-paid employment.