Precarious work in the 21st century: A psychological perspective

Abstract

Converging forces have led to an increase in precarious work, which threatens the health and well-being of workers globally and in the United States. Scholars in many fields are studying the implications of precarious work, and work psychologists have contributed to this literature by studying constructs such as job insecurity, underemployment, and decent work. In this article, we summarize the literature on precarious work and offer a psychological framework of work precarity to connect this psychological research with the existing precarious work literature. In the work precarity framework, social and economic marginalization and economic conditions and policies influence who has precarious work, which subsequently leads to three psychological states of work precarity: precarity of work (i.e., uncertainty related to the continuity of one's work), precarity at work (i.e., unpredictability in work due to discrimination, harassment, and unsafe working conditions), and precarity from work (i.e., uncertainty from holding a job that does not meet one's basic needs). These psychological states then result in poorer job attitudes, poorer mental health, and disrupted identity. We also provide future directions for research in this area and identify areas where work psychologists can contribute and advance the literature.