The United States: Different sources of precariousness in a mosaic of employment arrangements

The term ‘employment precariousness’ encompasses one or more of the following characteristics: limited access to social benefits and statutory entitlements; unpredictability in employment duration (and therefore insecurity); low compensation; and limited access to representation. Weak (or lack of) enforcement of labour standards also contributes to making some arrangements precarious. Additionally, as Vosko (2006) finds, some forms of employment are associated with high risks of ill health.1