Over one quarter of Irish workers are under-employed. Under-employment includes both those who are unemployed and part-time workers who wish to work more hours. It also includes 'marginally attached' workers such as those who have become discouraged and have given up searching for work, and those who are searching for work, but are not immediately available.
As the under-employment measure includes those who wish to work more, but are not recorded as unemployed, it is perhaps a better indication of the labour market crisis facing the country. As job opportunities narrow an increasing number of workers drop out of the labour market defined as all persons at work or actively seeking, and available for, work. Adding together all persons in employment including under-employed, unemployed (ILO definition) and persons available for work but not actively seeking work (discouraged workers) and persons not immediately available but seeking work it is possible to estimate the total rate of unemployment and under-employment as a proportion of the 'wide labour force'.
Full details are available in the latest edition of the NERI's Quarterly Economic Facts.