Abstract
This chapter presents the issue of underemployment affecting highly educated Poles. It analyzes the extent of underemployment in the Polish labor market and its effect on such factors as income stability, job satisfaction, or life satisfaction. The gender aspect of underemployment (whether women are more likely to be underemployed than men, or vice versa) is also analyzed.
In the paper, data from both primary and secondary sources were used, and statistical methods were applied, i.e., descriptive statistics and OLS regression models. In contrast to unemployment among persons with higher education, which is currently negligible in Poland (with the exception of a specific group of graduates entering the labor market), underemployment constitutes a significant issue. More than 15% of educated Poles would like to work more hours per week and more than 40% work below their level of qualification. Underemployment brings negative consequences for employees, such as lower income, lower financial stability of the family, or lower satisfaction from work and life.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Altonji, J., & Paxson, C. (1992). Labor supply, hours constraints, and job mobility. Journal of Human Resources, 27(2), 256–278.
Azariadis, C. (1983). Employment with asymmetric information. Quarterly Journal of Economics, 98, 157–172.
Bauer, T. (2002). Educational mismatch and wages: A panel analysis. Economics of Education Review, 21(3), 221–229.
Bednarzik, R. (1975). Involuntary part-time work: A cyclical analysis. Monthly Labor Review, 98(9), 12–18.
Buchel, F., & van Ham, M. (2002). Overeducation, regional labour markets and spatial flexibility. IZA Discussion Paper No. 424.
Cooper, R. (1985). Worker asymmetric information and employment distortions. Journal of Labor Economics, 3(2), 188–208.
Dooley, D., Prause, J., & Ham-Rowbottom, K. (2000). Underemployment and depression: Longitudinal relationships. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 41(4), 421–436.
Duncan, G., & Hoffman, S. (1981). The incidence and wage effects of overeducation. Economics of Education Review, 1(1), 75–86.
Feldman, D. (1996). The nature, antecedents and consequences of underemployment. Journal of Management, 22(3), 385–407.
Frank, R. H. (1978). Why women earn less: The theory and estimation of differential overqualification. American Economic Review, 68(3), 360–373.
Freeman, R. B. (1976). The overeducated American. New York: Academic Press.
Friedland, D., & Price, R. (2003). Underemployment: Consequences for the health and well-being of workers. American Journal of Community Psychology, 32(1–2), 33–45.
Green, J., & Kahn, C. (1983). Wage employment contracts. Quarterly Journal of Economics, 98(suppl), 173–187.
Green, F., & McIntosh, S. (2007). Is there a genuine under-utilization of skills amongst the over-qualified? Applied Economics, 39(4), 427–439.
Ham, J. (1982). Estimation of a labour supply model with censoring due to unemployment and underemployment. Review of Economic Studies, 49(3), 335–354.
Hartog, J., & Oosterbeek, H. (1988). Education, allocation and earnings in the Netherlands: Overschooling? Economics of Education Review, 7(2), 185–194.
Heckman, J., Lochner, J., & Todd, P. (2003). Fifty years of mincer regressions, IZA DP, No. 775.
Hussmanns, R., Mehran, F., & Verma, V. (1990). Surveys of economically active population, employment, unemployment and underemployment: An ILO manual on concepts and methods. Geneva: Interenational Labour Office.
Kahn, S., & Lang, K. (1991). The effect of hours constraints on labor supply estimates. Review of Economics and Statistics, 73(4), 605–611.
LFS. (2017). Labour force survey in Poland. IV quarter 2016. Statistical Information and Elaborations, Central Statistical Office, Warsaw: GUS. Retrieved April 10, 2018, from https://stat.gov.pl/en/topics/labour-market/working-unemployed-economically-inactive-by-lfs/labour-force-survey-in-poland-in-4th-quarter-2016,2,23.html
McGoldrick, K., & Robst, J. (1996). Gender differences in overeducation: A test of thetheory of differential overqualification. American Economic Review. AEA Conference proceedings.
McGuinness, S. (2006). Overeducation in the labour market. Journal of Economic Surveys, 20(3), 387–418.
McMillen, D. P., Seaman, P. T., & Singell, L. D. (1999). A hedonic analysis of overeducation and undereducation. University of Oregon Working Papers, University of Oregon.
Meyer, M. (1987). Labor contracts under asymmetric information when workers are free to quit. The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 102(3), 527–551.
OECD. (2015). McGowan, M. A., Andrews, D. Skill mismatch and public policy in OECD countries. Economics Department Working Papers No. 1210. Retrieved April 4, 2018, from https://www.oecd.org/eco/growth/Skill-mismatch-and-public-policy-in-OECD-countries.pdf
Rubb, S. (2003). Overeducation: A short or long run phenomenon for individuals? Economics of Education Review, 22(4), 389–394.
Ruiz-Quintanilla, S., & Claes, R. (1996). Determinants of underemployment of young adults: A multi-country study. Industrial and Labor Relations Review, 49(3), 424–438.
Sattinger, M. (1993). Assignment models of the distribution of earnings. Journal of Economic Literature, 31(2), 831–880.
Sicherman, N. (1991). “Overeducation” in the labor market. Journal of Labor Economics, 9(2), 101–122.
Sorrentino, C. (1995). International unemployment indicators 1983-93. Monthly Labor Review, (August), 31–50.
Wilkins, R. (2004). The extent and consequences of underemployment in Australia. Melbourne Institute Working Paper No. 16/04. Retrieved April 11, 2018, from http://melbourneinstitute.unimelb.edu.au/assets/documents/hilda-bibliography/working-discussion-research-papers/2001-2004/Wilkins_The_Extent_and_Consequences_of_Underemployment.pdf
Acknowledgment
We would like to acknowledge the financial support of Polish National Science Centre (Grant No. 2015/17/B/HS4/02713).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2020 Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this paper
Cite this paper
Bebel, A., Piotrowska, M., Kośny, M. (2020). Underemployment Among Educated Poles. In: Bilgin, M., Danis, H., Karabulut, G., Gözgor, G. (eds) Eurasian Economic Perspectives. Eurasian Studies in Business and Economics, vol 12/1. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-35040-6_10
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-35040-6_10
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-35039-0
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-35040-6
eBook Packages: Economics and FinanceEconomics and Finance (R0)