Precarious Work, Wages, and Social Protections

Abstract

Workers in precarious jobs are more likely to be poor. Inequality between regular and nonregular workers and for informal workers remains high even when the social wage, including benefits and social protections, is considered. The relationship between nonregular work arrangements and labor market outcomes such as wages, inequalities, and poverty is examined. Data on poverty in each country are presented, showing how the poverty rate differs by work arrangement. Emphasis is placed on the macrostructural factors that shape labor market institutions (especially unions and collective bargaining, and minimum wage laws) and social protections (health insurance, retirement and pension benefits, unemployment insurance benefits, and labor laws).