Study finds 1 in 5 workers underemployed in southern Middle Tennessee
By APThursday, January 21, 2010
Study: 1 in 5 workers underemployed in south Tenn.
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — A study of employment in southern Middle Tennessee shows that one in every five workers is underemployed.
The study, released Wednesday by the Business and Economic Research Center at Middle Tennessee State University, examined the number and characteristics of workers in a seven-county region. The region includes Bedford, Coffee, Franklin, Grundy, Lincoln, Moore and Warren counties.
The study found that the region has about 18,500 unemployed people, but that was just the tip of the iceberg in terms of who was looking for work. According to the study, another 18,000 were underemployed, meaning that they were working part-time and willing to work additional hours or had skills and experience that was being underutilized in their current jobs.
Nearly 10,700 people were unemployed, but not currently looking for a job.
