by Lamiat Sabin

ALMOST one million more people are underemployed, struggling by in jobs that don’t provide enough hours and pay to live on, compared to pre-financial crash figures, new research revealed today.

Around 900,000 skilled workers and graduates have been stuck in jobs that are unrelated to their level or field of expertise since the bankers’ crisis of 2008.

The analysis taken from the Labour Force Survey also factors in people who work part-time but would like to work full-time hours for more money, increased career satisfaction and not having to rely on benefits.

During the boom years, there were 2.3 million people who were underemployed. The figure quickly rose to 3.4 million by early 2014 due to the crippling recession.

The number dipped slightly to 3.3m by the beginning of April this year but the still-high figure means a full recovery remains a long way off, the Trade Union Congress (TUC) warned.

TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said: “Full employment means not only making sure everyone can get a job, it also means making sure they have a full week’s work if they need it.

“The current economic plan is not delivering enough high-quality full-time jobs for everyone who wants one.

“The Chancellor’s plans for extreme cuts in the Budget next month will not deliver the productivity gains we need for better jobs with more hours.”

Chancellor George Osborne is to announce his emergency Budget on July 8, in which he will detail the Conservative Party’s short-sighted plans to slash £12 billion from welfare.