The Social Costs of Underemployment: Inadequate Employment as Disguised Unemployment (review)

In measuring the economic stability and growth of this country, we are encouraged by politicians and pundits alike to consider the rate of unemployment as our litmus test of financial success or failure. However, as Dooly and Prause skillfully demonstrate, the rate of unemployment is an inaccurate indicator of economic expansion. In the 1990s, during the longest economic boom in U.S. history, over 13% of Americans lived at or below the poverty line, and of those in poverty, nearly 25% had been employed during the past year. That is to say that nearly one-quarter of those living below the poverty line are the "disguised unemployed": those whose jobs have economic characteristics between adequate employment and unemployment. It is these poverty-wage earners that Dooley and Prause focus their attention upon, and it is in this way that the authors argue for a change in how we address economic stability in this country.

While there is no question that inadequate employment is a serious social problem, the text instead focuses upon the health consequences suffered by those who are underemployed in our society. By analyzing two decades of data from the National Longitudinal Study of Youth, this book offers an empirical test of the theory that falling into inadequate employment has serious health consequences similar to those associated with unemployment. Through detailed scrutiny of available data, the authors examine the effects of underemployment on self-esteem, depression, and even alcohol abuse. Special attention is also given to the effect of a mother's employment status on a baby's birth weight. Through this analysis, the authors challenge researchers to expand the usual research on unemployment to include those whose employment is inadequate to maintain a decent standard of living

While the statistical portion of the text may be advanced for those students without a foundation in statistical analysis, it does not take away from the value of book as a learning tool in both labor studies courses and general sociology classes. This text encourages students to look beyond the economic and social indicators traditionally used to predict growth and stability, and promotes a more realistic approach to labor analysis. Moreover, this book will serve as an invaluable tool for professionals in the field of labor relations and social work, as it provides tremendous insight into the social and physical aspects of employment status changes.