Abstract
This article examines the growth of precarious employment across EU labour markets, analysing how flexibilisation policies have created a growing segment of workers in insecure, low-paid, and unprotected work arrangements.
Key Findings
- Temporary, part-time, and platform work have expanded significantly across all EU member states since 2000
- Precarious employment disproportionately affects young workers, women, and migrants
- Labour market precarity extends beyond income to affect housing, health, and family formation
- “Flexicurity” models show better outcomes than pure flexibility approaches
Methodology
Quantitative analysis of EU Labour Force Survey data combined with qualitative interviews with precarious workers across four EU countries.
Implications
The article calls for strengthened employment protections and social security provisions that cover non-standard forms of work, arguing that unchecked labour market flexibilisation undermines social cohesion and economic sustainability.
