America Is Addicted to Disposable Work
More than one-third of US workers have an employer with little to no stake in their future. For companies that need flexibility, there are better solutions.
When I walk out of my condo every day, I say good morning to a concierge who works for a contracting company and not my building. If my car hits a pothole and the impact sends me to the emergency room, I may be cared for by a travel nurse employed by a third-party staffing firm. If I decide to sue the city, the law office may do document discovery using a part-time staff attorney. And if I hire someone to edit a video about the dangers of potholes, that person is likely to be a freelancer.
What all these individuals have in common is an employer with little to no stake in their future. In my forthcoming book, Disposable Workers: The Transformation of Employment, I document the rise of this arm’s-length workforce. Drawing on interviews and a nationally representative survey of 6,141 adults I conducted in 2022, I found the organization of work in the US is undergoing a significant shift. And it’s a mixed blessing for workers and employers alike, with broader societal consequences for economic mobility, political polarization and even public health.