shirk (s̸hʉrk)

transitive verb

to neglect or evade doing (something that should be done)
Etymology: ? akin to Ger schurke, scoundrel, rascal
intransitive verb

to neglect or evade work, duty, etc.
Related Forms:

•shirker shirk′er noun

truant [ˈtruːənt]
n
(Social Science / Education) a person who is absent without leave, esp from school
adj
being or relating to a truant
vb
(Social Science / Education) (intr) to play truant
[from Old French: vagabond, probably of Celtic origin; compare Welsh truan miserable, Old Irish trōg wretched]
truancy n

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''The article is entitled 'No slackers here: SLA's youngest members have the vision and enthusiasm to shape the profession''


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Note added at 19 minute (2010-01-04 15:50:14 GMT)
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The term slacker is commonly used to refer to a person who avoids work (especially British English), or (primarily in North American English) an educated person who is viewed as an underachiever.[1][2]

This term of disapproval is not too insulting

Work-shy , workshy
If you describe someone as work-shy, you disapprove of them because you think they are lazy and do not want to work.

Puede ser que encaje mejor en el contexto.

This is a rather informal term and somewhat offensive. A common phrase which uses this term is "deadbeat dad" which refers to a father who doesn't provide for or partake in his children's lives.

x

Classic British English term.

'Skiver' is another in this vein, though it does not necessarily imply dishonestly claiming benfits as 'scrounger' does.

No shortage of hits - the first a discursive academic article:

Radstats: 'Our budget under attack': estimating social security fraudby P Spicker - Related articles Field, F. (1979), 'The myth of the social security scrounger', New Statesman, 16-11-79. Golding, P. & Middleton, S. (1978), 'Why is the Press so obsessed ...
www.radstats.org.uk/no070/article2.htm - Cached - Similar

FREE MARKET FAIRY TALES: Lawyers & social security scroungersLawyers & social security scroungers. Of course, we were all uplifted to the Nu Labour take a complete & utter drubbing in the Crewe by-election if for no ...
www.fmft.net/archives/003101.html - Cached

Lets emigrate to Australia and get away from all social security ...Lets emigrate to Australia and get away from all social security scroungers is on FacebookSign up for Facebook to connect with Lets emigrate to Australia ...
www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=67403518014 - Cached

Flexible New Deal: a scrounger witch hunt! « Flexible New Deal ...8 Nov 2009 ... This doesn't apply to scroungers – but it will be an attack on genuine claimants – namely ... kellie on Social Security and Child Supp… ...
flexible-new-deal.co.uk/.../flexible-new-deal-a-scrounger-witch-hunt/ - Cached

Lilley's attack on foreign scroungers thwarted - Home News, UK ...PLANS by Peter Lilley, Secretary of State for Social Security, to crack down on foreign 'benefit scroungers' have been attacked by the Government's own ...
www.independent.co.uk/.../lilleys-attack-on-foreign-scroung... - Cached




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Note added at 1 hr (2010-01-04 17:25:38 GMT)
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Here's the live link for the fourth reference above:

http://flexible-new-deal.co.uk/2009/11/08/flexible-new-deal-...

refers to a certain percentage of people who have lost their desire to work through being unemployed long term or for other reasons

unemployable [ˌʌnɪmˈplɔɪəbəl]
adj
(Business / Industrial Relations & HR Terms) unable or unfit to keep a job

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/unemployables

- it can also be used as a noun in the plural: please see same page

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Note added at 2 horas (2010-01-04 18:09:32 GMT)
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I think you need a term that refers specifically to jobs, working life etc....

When "unemployable" is in the plural, it has the connotation of people who simply don't want to work, as in the title of this article below. Another synonym meaning the same thing is "malingerer", also used in the article. "Malingerer" is defined as follows:

Malinger (verb): to pretend or exaggerate incapacity or illness (as to avoid duty or work)
— ma·lin·ger·er \-gər-ər\ noun

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/malingerer

Poverty: The ***Unemployables***

The popular image of the typical dole recipient as a hale male ***malingerer*** is more than 99% myth by Government arithmetic.
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,843652,00.h...

Just another option.

Another option

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Note added at 8 mins (2010-01-04 15:38:57 GMT)
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as in Chaplin's "the idle class" and Joan Fuster's "dictionary for the idle" - a class seen as a threat.

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Note added at 17 hrs (2010-01-05 08:38:13 GMT)
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Thanks, Sonia. I agree with my colleagues that register is key. "the idle" is a relatively standard academic term, I saw it used a lot when looking at cities and urbanization in the 19th and 20th Century. If you're looking for a relatively neutral and formal term, my opinion is that it's ideal. However, if you are looking for something more current, or are quoting somebody, then "slacker", "layabout" or "welfare cheat" are more apposite.