It’s Not Just the Gig Economy — Precarious Work Is Everywhere
A new report confirms that insecure and precarious work is widespread across the economy. To respond meaningfully to the needs of workers, the labor movement must grapple with the harmful impacts of precarity.
Food delivery workers in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on April 7, 2023. (Creative Touch Imaging Ltd. / NurPhoto via Getty Images)
In their new report, “But Is It a Good Job? Understanding Employment Precarity in BC [British Columbia],” for the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, Kendra Strauss and Iglika Ivanova survey the rise of the “gig economy.” The report finds that the harms of precarious work are widespread, with some groups bearing a greater share of the burden.
Coauthor Kendra Strauss recently spoke to David Moscrop for Jacobin and discussed the report, the state of labor, and what might be done to secure better jobs for all.
David Moscrop
I want to start by defining precarious work. One of the bits of the study I found interesting is that it complicates the idea of “precarious work.” What precisely defines a precarious job?
Kendra Strauss
Sorry, but this article is available to active subscribers only. Please log in or become a subscriber.