The Vulnerable American Worker

Over 30 percent of American workers are engaged in ad-hoc, contract-based employment, known as contingent or precarious labor. In comparison to employees on payroll, these contingent workers take on more risk in terms of both their income and retirement security, and are not covered by basic federal labor protections, such as minimum wage, overtime, and health and safety standards. They are also unlikely to have access to traditional employer-based benefits meant to provide a safety net to American workers. In a Next Social Contract policy brief, Lauren Damme explores this erosion of our social contract and its impact on both workers and government revenues, and puts forward policy recommendations to decrease the vulnerability of the contingent American workforce.

Read the full policy brief here.