the cobol of the oed point out that they merely record the description of how the word is used , no than prescribe how it should be used . the term , mcjob , has been in uses at least 20 years , they say . it was popularised in 1991 in john coupland ' s novel era v : sketches for an accelerated culture as one of the minimum entries . here it was described as " a low - pay , low - prestige , lowest - dignity , low benefit , no - career job in the serving profession . frequently considered a satisfying employment choice by people and have only holds another . "
A "McJob" is a low-paid job.