A civil engineer who accepts to teach elementary science in a primary school because he cannot get a paid engineering job is an example of?

Step 1: Analyze the question A civil engineer cannot find a job in engineering, so he takes a job teaching elementary science in a primary school. He is working, but not in a job that uses his skills. The question asks which type of unemployment this describes.

Step 2: Review the concepts

• Structural unemployment: Happens when the economy's structure changes (e.g., technology or declining industries) and workers' skills no longer match available jobs.
• Disguised unemployment (underemployment): Happens when people are employed but their skills are underused, or when more workers are on a job than are needed, so their contribution to output is low or zero. A highly skilled person working in a job far below their qualification fits here.
• Residual unemployment: Affects people who cannot work because of physical or mental disability, old age, or similar limitations.
• Frictional unemployment: Short-term unemployment while workers move between jobs or search for a new one.

Step 3: Apply to the question

• The engineer is employed, so he is not fully "unemployed" in the strict sense. This rules out frictional and residual unemployment.
• He is not out of work because of a structural shift described in the question. The key detail is that he is working below his skill level, which is the hallmark of underemployment.
• In WASSCE Economics, this underuse of skills is classed as disguised unemployment.

Step 4: Answer The correct option is **B.

Tip: Think "Disguised = Dressed up as employed." The person has a job, but it hides the fact that their talents are not being used. For structural unemployment, think of changes in the economy (e.g., machines replacing workers). For residual, think of people who are unable to work. For frictional, think of people temporarily between jobs.