The recent COVID crisis has had many consequences on social life. This paper focuses on potential effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on fertility intentions. We employ a theoretical approach, analysing the nexus between fertility and the COVID crisis through the lens of gender roles. The purpose of our analysis is to frame the theoretical paths and to prepare a background for further in-depth analysis based on empirical data. We show that biological reduction of fertility is less likely to occur but that behavioural mechanisms in couple's decision-making will drive the impact on fertility intentions. The health emergency, economic crisis and social distancing will lead to an adjustment of fertility behaviour, while gender roles and social values will moderate the impact of the pandemic.

This paper shortly presents the research project “Employment strategies in the context of new vulnerabilities of the digitalisation process” GAR-UM- 2019- XI – 5.4 – 1, financed by the GAR-UM- 2019 Romanian Academy Programme, 2019–2022.

The paper employs a theoretically grounded analysis on precarious employment interrelated with gender-based inequalities and labour market changes in the recent COVID-19 outbreak. The concept of precariousness involves a complex understanding of the insecurity of continuous employment on both institutional and individual level. While the post-Fordist society marked radical changes in the labour market, recent neoliberal policies created new vulnerable groups that experience insecurity, the blocking of professional opportunities and insufficient income over time. This article builds on the idea that the 'stable' and 'flexible' labour market normalized the work insecurity in the context of the economic crises and led to precariousness. Work-related insecurity occurs in a gender-segregated labour market. For the exploration of ongoing processes of the precarization phenomenon, this article focuses on the connection between multidimensional concepts covering the economic, social and psychological consequences of labour insecurity. First, the paper aims to discuss a theory-based conceptualisation of precariousness understood as a multidimensional phenomenon in research literature. Second, the paper includes secondary empirical data on precarious employment, absence from work and COVID impact on gender-segregated labour market at the EU level from Eurostat (2020), EIGE (2020), ILO (2020) and Eurofound (2021). Finally, the results problematises existing approaches on precarious employment and gender inequalities in the context of labour market changes of the COVID-19 crisis. Keywords: precariousness; COVID-19 outbreak; gender roles; labour market; absence of work. ●●●●● Articolul cuprinde o analiză fundamentată asupra ocupării precare, în conexiune cu inegalitățile de gen și schimbările apărute pe piața muncii în contextul pandemiei de COVID-19. Conceptul de ”precaritate” implică, în prezenta analiză, o înțelegere complexă asupra nesiguranței ocupării pe termen lung, atât la nivel instituțional, cât și individual. Contextul societal al perioadei post-fordiste a marcat schimbări radicale pe piața muncii prin politici neoliberale și a condus la crearea de grupuri vulnerabile care experimentează nesiguranța ocupării, lipsa oportunităților profesionale pe termenlung și venituri insuficiente. Acest articol este construit în jurul ideilor neoliberale conform cărora piața muncii „stabile” și „flexibile” a normalizat nesiguranța ocupării îndeosebi în contextul crizelor economice și a condus la căderea în precaritate. Insecuritatea ocupării apare pe o piață a muncii care este segregată pe considerente de gen. Pentru explorarea proceselor implicate în fenomenul de precarizare a ocupării, acest articol se concentrează pe legătura dintre conceptele teoretice multidimensionale care acoperă consecințele insecurității muncii la nivel economic, social și psihologic. În primul rând, articolul își propune o analiză conceptuală bazată pe teorii ale precarității din literatura științifică. În al doilea rând, articolul include o analiză secondară de date empirice privind indicatori ai ocupării precare, absenței de la locul de muncă și impactul COVID asupra pieței muncii segregate pe considerente de gen, la nivelul UE. Datele prezentate sunt din Eurostat (2020), EIGE (2020), ILO (2020) și Eurofound (2021). În cele din urmă, rezultatele problematizează abordările teoretice recente privind ocuparea precară și inegalitățile de gen în contextul schimbărilor apărute pe piața forței de muncă în contextul crizei de COVID-19. Cuvinte-cheie: precaritate; pandemia COVID-19; roluri de gen; piatamuncii; absențade la locul de muncă.

The article intends to critically analyse the implications of economic precariousness integrated into the platform work of food-delivery sector. The recent context of labour market crisis caused by the COVID-19 virus and assisted by the labour policy changes have brought recently on the public agenda the subject of digital employment. However, at the academic level, this subject has been sporadically analysed, marginalizing the dimensions related to the risks and vulnerabilities associated with the precarization effect on digital work. Therefore, by combining different analytical angles, focusing on the socio-economic conditions and vulnerability of workers from the food-delivery sector, the article aims a synthetic analysis of the association between precarious work, the accelerated digitization of work caused by COVID-19 and the phenomenon of flexible employment. Thus, there are two approaches in the proposed article demonstration: first, the article will provide information on the political and economic context of the Romanian labour market before the COVID-19 pandemic crisis and will present the current situation of precarious employment and minimum wage policy. Secondly, the analysis will be focused on digital employment in the platform-based food-delivery sector in Romania, with a case study on the delivery staff situated in the first line exposure to the COVID-19 virus. Keywords: precariousness; platform work; flexibility; COVID-19 virus; minimum wage.