THE NATURE, ANTECEDENTS AND CONSEQUENCES OF UNDEREMPLOYMENT

Despite the growth of underemployment in the United States, relatively little theoretical or empirical attention has been paid to this pheno menon. This article presents a multidimensional conceptualization of u nderemployment in terms of education, work duties, field of employment , wages, and permanence of the job. The article then presents testable propositions on both the hypothesized antecedents of underemployment (e.g., economic factors, job characteristics, career history, job sear ch strategies, and demographics) and on the hypothesized consequences of underemployment (e.g., job attitudes, overall psychological well-be ing, career attitudes, job behaviors, and marital, family, and social relationships). Directions for future theory development, research met hodology, and institutional assistance programs for the underemployed are discussed as well.