Is Underemployment Underestimated? Evidence from Panel Data, Accessible Data

Accessible version of figures

Figure 1: CPS PTER and Share of Involuntary Part-Time Workers in PSID

Year PTER (CPS) PSID
1967 3.1% 4.0%
1968 2.7% 4.3%
1969 2.8% 3.1%
1970 3.3% 5.8%
1971 3.6% 4.5%
1972 3.4% 3.5%
1973 3.2% 3.7%
1974 3.7% 5.1%
1975 4.7% 4.8%
1976 4.4% 4.3%
1977 4.2% 3.7%
1978 3.9% 4.3%
1979 3.8% 4.5%
1980 4.6% 5.6%
1981 5.0% 5.7%
1982 6.6% 7.3%
1983 6.7% 5.2%
1984 5.9% 4.6%
1985 5.6% 5.7%
1986 5.5% 4.9%

Source: Authors' estimates using the Current Population Survey (CPS) and Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) data. PSID subset to those working between 1 and 34 hours per week. NBER recessions highlighted in blue: 1969:Q4-1970:Q4, 1973:Q4-1975:Q1, 1980:Q1-1980:Q3, and 1981:Q3-1982:Q4.

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Figure 2: CPS PTER and Share of Involuntary Part-Time Workers in HRS

Year PTER (CPS) PTER 55+ (CPS) HRS
1994 3.9% 2.9% 1.9%
1995 3.7% 2.9% 2.1%
1996 3.5% 2.7% 2.4%
1997 3.2% 2.5% 2.4%
1998 2.8% 2.2% 2.3%
1999 2.5% 2.0% 2.3%
2000 2.4% 1.9% 2.2%
2001 2.8% 2.2% 1.8%
2002 3.2% 2.4% 1.4%
2003 3.5% 2.7% 1.8%
2004 3.4% 2.5% 2.1%
2005 3.2% 2.4% 2.2%
2006 3.0% 2.3% 2.2%
2007 3.1% 2.4% 2.2%
2008 4.2% 3.2% 2.3%
2009 6.7% 5.0% 3.0%
2010 6.7% 5.1% 3.7%
2011 6.4% 4.8% 3.4%
2012 6.0% 4.6% 3.1%

Source: Authors' estimates using the Current Population Survey (CPS) and Health and Retirement Study (HRS) data. HRS data subset to those working between 1 and 34 hours per week. NBER recessions highlighted in blue: 2001:Q1-2001:Q4, and 2007:Q4-2009:Q2.

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Figure 3: CPS PTER and Share of Upside Hours Constraints in PSID and HRS

Year PTER (CPS) PTER 55+ (CPS) HRS PSID
1967 3% 15%
1968 3% 18%
1969 3% 19%
1970 3% 20%
1971 4% 18%
1972 3% 17%
1973 3% 16%
1974 4% 19%
1975 5% 19%
1976 4% 18%
1977 4% 16%
1978 4% 17%
1979 4% 18%
1980 5% 20%
1981 5% 21%
1982 7% 22%
1983 7% 19%
1984 6% 19%
1985 6% 21%
1986 5% 21%
1987 5%
1988 5%
1989 4%
1990 5%
1991 6%
1992 6% 12%
1993 6% 12%
1994 4% 3% 12%
1995 4% 3% 11%
1996 4% 3% 11%
1997 3% 3% 11%
1998 3% 2% 10%
1999 3% 2% 10%
2000 2% 2% 9%
2001 3% 2% 8%
2002 3% 2% 7%
2003 4% 3% 9%
2004 3% 3% 12%
2005 3% 2% 12%
2006 3% 2% 12%
2007 3% 2% 12%
2008 4% 3% 11%
2009 7% 5% 16%
2010 7% 5% 20%
2011 6% 5% 19%
2012 6% 5% 18%
2013 6% 4%
2014 5% 4%

Source: Authors’ estimates using the Current Population Survey (CPS), Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) and Health and Retirement Study (HRS) data. PSID and HRS samples include all respondents working more than 1 hour per week. NBER recessions highlighted in blue: 1969:Q4-1970:Q4, 1973:Q4-1975:Q1, 1980:Q1-1980:Q3, 1981:Q3-1982:Q4, 1990:Q3-1991:Q1, 2001:Q1-2001:Q4,and 2007:Q4-2009:Q2.

Note: Break in the series due to PTER definition changes.

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