20% of U.S. Workers are Underemployed

According to a Gallup poll released Thursday almost 20% of Americans were underemployed as of January 2010. Americans reported that they struggled to support themselves and their families with reduced resources and negligible job options.

Gallup estimated that 30 million Americans are underemployed, bleaker than official estimates (The Labor Department estimates that about 16% of Americans are underemployed). “Underemployed” means either jobless or able to find only part-time work. The underemployed spent 36% less on household purchases. 6 out of 10 were not hopeful that they would find sufficient work in the upcoming months. Gallup surveyed over 20,000 adults in the U.S. from January 2 to 31.