UNDEREMPLOYMENT EQUILIBRIUM

A condition where underemployment in an economy is persistently above the norm and has entered an equilibrium state. This, in turn, is a result of the unemployment rate being consistently above the natural rate of unemployment or non-accelerating inflation rate of unemployment (NAIRU due to sustained economic weakness.

Underemployment in an economy implies that workers have to settle for jobs that require less skill than they possess, or that offer lower wages or fewer hours than they would like. The degree of underemployment is dictated by the strength (or lack thereof) of the job market, and tends to rise when the economy and employment are weak. Advocates of Keynesian economics suggest that a solution to an underemployment equilibrium state is through deficit spending and monetary policy to stimulate the economy.