Revisiting the Black Hole of Workplace Regulation: A Historical and Comparative Perspective of Contingent Work

A dramatic shift in the nature of work relationships in the United States has occurred during the past two decades. Long-term employment constituted the predominant model of structuring work relationships well into the 1970s. Since then, American firms increasingly have resorted to a variety of non-traditional work arrangements. These new workers, frequently denominated the "contingent workforce," tend to have a weaker workplace affiliation and a lower expectation of long-term employment.'