precarious work

Syllable breakdown

Dictionary meaning

employment characterised by uncertainty, instability, and lack of protection, encompassing temporary contracts, zero-hours arrangements, informal employment without legal registration, part-time work without predictable hours, and self-employment without genuine autonomy or adequate income; precarious work exposes workers to income volatility, denial of employment rights such as sick pay and parental leave, exclusion from pension and healthcare benefits, and the psychological stress of insecurity; the growth of precarious work in advanced economies since the 1980s is associated with labour market deregulation, the decline of trade union density, the fragmentation of production through outsourcing and subcontracting, and the rise of platform-mediated gig arrangements