UK 'Under-Employed' Total Hits Three Million


Official figures have highlighted a steep rise in the number of people wanting to work more hours - sparking a bitter debate on the Government's economic strategy.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) found there had been an increase of one million people classed as under-employed since the financial crisis of 2008, taking the total beyond three million.

The three million figure included almost two million part-time workers, many of whom wanted a full-time job.

According to the ONS, the occupations with the highest number of under-employed workers included cleaners, caterers and labourers.

The average under-employed person was found to have earned £7.49 an hour, more than £3 less than someone who was not under-employed.

More than one in five of workers aged 16-24 were under-employed this year, compared with 10% of those aged 35-49, the ONS said, while the highest under-employment rates were in the East Midlands, Yorkshire and Humber, the North East and the South West where more than 10% of workers wanted to work more hours. [Read full]

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