A Singapore Government Agency Website

Sign In
Skip Navigation LinksLabour Market Statistics and Publications > Concepts > Underemployment Introduction
Underemployment Introduction
LABOUR SUPPLY
Switch topic
Unemployment Employment Job Vacancy Retrenchment Re-entry Into Employment Labour Turnover Labour Force Underemployment Income Social Security Labour Cost Hours Worked Employment Conditions Labour Relations Workplace Safety and Health Medical Benefits Labour Productivity Training and Higher Education Employment Service

​​​

Introduction 

​

KEY INSIGHTS

1. Underemployment reflects underutilization of the productive capacity of the labour force.

2. Time-related underemployment examines the extent to which a person is insufficiently engaged in employment based on hours of work.​​

Specifically, it refers to persons working part-time but are willing and able to engage in additional work.

Conceptually, there is also underemployment where the employment does not make full use of, or pay according to skills that workers could offer. This is more difficult to measure due to the subjectivity involved.

In Singapore, data on Time-related Underemployment are obtained from the mid-year Comprehensive Labour Force Survey and are published annually in the report on Labour Force in Singapore.

See also Employment and Unemployment.
​​

​