The disposable worker (the poor state of the US employment market)

Citation

(2010), "The disposable worker (the poor state of the US employment market)", Human Resource Management International Digest, Vol. 18 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/hrmid.2010.04418dad.003

The disposable worker (the poor state of the US employment market)

Article Type: Abstracts From: Human Resource Management International Digest, Volume 18, Issue 4

Coy P., Conlin M. and Herbst M. Business Week (USA), 18 January 2010, Start page: 32, No. of pages: 8

Discusses the emergence of the so-called “disposable worker”, as a major trend in the US workforce with more jobs becoming freelance and temporary, and even seemingly permanent positions being at greater risk partly as the result of the economic and financial crisis (“credit crunch”) and recession that has prompted more companies to create just-in-time labor forces that can be turned on and off as demand dictates, and where employers are trying to get rid of all fixed costs, first with employment benefits, and now with the jobs themselves. Explains the major implications for both employees and employers where, for workers, research shows that chronic unemployment and underemployment cause lasting damage as older people who lose jobs are often forced into premature retirement, while the careers of younger people are stunted by their early detachment from the working world. Shows how the trend toward a permanent-temporary employment world has been developing in the USA for years, with bosses no longer being rewarded based on how many people they supervise, but with bonuses tied to short-term profit performance, giving managers an incentive to slash labor costs. Concludes that, when US employment eventually recovers, it is likely to be because American workers accept lower pay. ISSN: 0007-7135 Reference: 39AF225

Keywords: Temporary workers, Labour market, United States of America, Employment