In February underemployment was 18% of the youth labour force, affecting even more young people than unemployment, which was 13.5%.
In total, some 659,000 young people were unemployed or underemployed - defined as having some work but wanting more hours. There were 282,000 young people unemployed and 377,000 underemployed.
Since 1978 the contributions of unemployment and underemployment in the youth figures have changed significantly. In the 1980s and 1990s unemployment was more prevalent in the youth labour force. Since 2003, underemployment is more common.
The report says underemployment has become an entrenched feature of the youth labour market, while the youth unemployment rate for 15-24 year olds has remained stubbornly high since the Global Financial Crisis (GFC).
The increasing number of young people combining study and work doesnt explain the trend in underemployment, because the percentage rise of casual and part-time jobs has mostly been among young workers who are not studying, the report says.
The Brotherhoods analysis draws on data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), and the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey.
It presents a bleak situation for many young people in the labour market.
