According to the definition used for employed persons, one hour of work in a week is sufficient to be in this category. However if a person worked less hours in a week than is the norm (in Barbados, less than 20 hours) and the person sought for additional work and was available for it, the person is classified as underemployed. Thus underemployment exist when a person's employment is inadequate in relation to specified norms, account being taken of his/her occupational skills (training and working experience). Two (2) principal forms of underemployment are distinguished; visible underemployment reflecting an insufficiency in the volume of employment and invisible underemployment characterized by low income, underutilization of skills and low productivity.

The International standard of unemployment (also adopted by Barbados) is based on three (3) criteria to be satisfied simultaneously:- Without work - i.e. not in any paid employment or self employment; Currently available for work - for paid employment or self employment during the reference period; Seeking work - i.e. have taken specific steps to seek paid employment or self employment. Thus in Barbados, to be classified as unemployed an individual must not have worked at all during the reference period (one week), must have taken some steps (at most in the survey period) to obtain a job and being available for the work when found. Examples of such steps are writing applications, asking friends or relatives or people in authority, going from one company to the other or preparing to start own business. Persons on lay-offs or waiting to begin a new job are also classified as unemployed.