Precarious Work Essay

Young people in precarious work

This essay will evaluate young people in precarious work, which has been a topic of controversial debate for several decades. Precarious work is the uncertainty as to the duration of employment, which often leads to multiple possible employers or an ambiguous employment relationship; as well as a lack of access to social protection and benefits associated with employment, low pay, and substantial legal and practical obstacles to joining a trade union and bargaining collectively (Zink, 2014, p. 130). There has been a widespread change in these work and employment relations since the 1970s, with a steady growth in job insecurity, long-term unemployment, non-standard work arrangements and contingent work. I will thus be arguing that
The unregulated operation of markets dislocates young people physically, psychologically and financially. The impact of uncertainty and insecurity on young individuals’ health and stress is well documented, as can be seen from the study conducted by Martin (2011) precarious work creates insecurity and hinders young people’s ability to sustain a comfortable lifestyle, while trying to establish a stable future. Moreover, precarious work affects communities, as this often leads to a lack of social engagement, this is indicated by declines in membership in voluntary associations and community organisations, trust, and social capital more generally. This may lead to changes in the structure of communities, as young people who lose their jobs due to factors such as being made redundant, may not be able to afford to live in the community. Furthermore, a young person’s education level has the potential to determine their vulnerability to precarious work, for instance younger workers are more likely to suffer from the effects of ‘cash in hand’ type jobs due to their lack of education and skills