A Study of the Extent and Potential Causes of Alternative Employment Arrangements

Abstract

The notion of regular, full-time employment as one of the defining features of the U.S. economy has been called into question in recent years by the apparent growth of alternative or "nonstandard" work arrangements-part-time hours, temporary help, independent contracting, and other configurations. Identifying the extent of these arrangements, whether they are increasing and where they occur, is the first step to understanding their implications for the economy and the society. But such steps have been difficult to take because of the lack of appropriate data. Based on a national probability sample of U.S. establishments, the authors present estimates of the extent of these practices, evidence on changes in their use over time, and analyses that contribute to understanding why alternatives have come into play. DisciplinesBusiness Administration, Management, and Operations | Economics ABSTRACTThe notion of regular, full-time employment as one of the defining features of the U.S. economy has been called into question in recent years by the apparent growth of alternative or "nonstandard" arrangements -part-time work, temporary help, independent contracting, and other arrangements. Identifying the extent of these arrangements, whether they are increasing, and where they occur is the first step for understanding their implications for the economy and the society. But this has been difficult to do because of the lack of appropriate data. We present estimates of the extent of these practices based on a national probability sample of U.S. establishments, evidence on changes in their use over time, and analyses that help us begin to understand why they are used.

Non-Standard Work, Self-Employment and Precariousness

“…Louis Florin* and François Pichault HEC Management School, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium Societal, technological, and economical changes in the last decades have led to the development of new work arrangements located in a ≪ gray zone ≫ between standard employment and classical self-employment (Cappelli and Keller, 2013a;ILO, 2016;Katz and Krueger, 2016). Official labor market statistics must be adapted to provide researchers and policymakers with relevant data on this population (Gazier et al, 2016;National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, 2017;ILO, 2018).…”

Toward an Expanded Focus for Occupational Safety and Health: A Commentary

“…more common. While these arrangements may represent more flexibility for employers, they can translate into more precarious employment for workers; lower pay for equivalent education, skills, and experience than those with long-term employment arrangements; fewer benefits; and greater turnover [5,[10][11][12]. These outcomes can negatively affect the health of the workforce and their overall well-being.…”

Emerging Forms of Precariousness Related to Autonomy at Work: Toward an Empirical Typology

“…Societal, technological, and economical changes in the last decades led to the development of new employment arrangements that sits in a ≪ gray zone ≫ between classical statuses of self-employment and salaried work (Cappelli and Keller, 2013a;Eurofound, 2015;ILO, 2016;Katz and Krueger, 2016). As the need for insightful data on this population is growing, official labor market statistics still must be adapted to allow researchers and policymakers to catch the phenomenon (Gazier et al, 2016;National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, 2017).…”

“…

Societal, technological, and economical changes in the last decades have led to the development of new work arrangements located in a ≪ gray zone ≫ between standard employment and classical self-employment (Cappelli and Keller, 2013a;ILO, 2016;Katz and Krueger, 2016). Official labor market statistics must be adapted to provide researchers and policymakers with relevant data on this population (Gazier et al, 2016; National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, 2017;ILO, 2018).

…”