Precarious Employment and Social Outcomes

he term "precarious employment" has become part of the lexicon of academics, the media and a growing number of politicians at the municipal, provincial and federal levels. Almost daily we hear in the media of the frustration of workers unable to find decent paying, permanent employment and having to accept temporary positions with few benefits beyond a wage. This lack of employment stability affects young adults wanting to start their own families, immigrants hoping to start a new life in Canada, parents eager to see their children launch their own careers, and workers displaced from secure jobs and needing to start over. These frustrations are fueling a growing sense of public unease and a sense that something is wrong with a labour market that amply rewards a few, but leaves the majority of Canadians facing growing employment and income insecurity, low wages and uncertain career paths.