http://time.com/money/4387019/underemployed-jobs/ A new study from PayScale.com found that 46% of American workers today consider themselves underemployed. PayScale surveyed more than 900,000 workers for its report. It asked them if they considered themselves underemployed, and why. About three quarters answered they weren’t using their degree or training at their current job, while the remaining were working part-time because they couldn’t find a full-time job. It's really difficult to go by something so subjective as personal assessment of underemployment, but this does give some indication that a large number of workers in the workforce are stuck in lower skill and lower paid positions.
not to mention that they're competing with unpaid robots. it's chicken and egg stuff. when henry ford was asked why he paid his workers so much he replied, So they'll buy my cars.