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. 2021 Apr;51(2):226-228.
doi: 10.1177/0020731420986694. Epub 2021 Jan 11.

COVID-19 and Precarious Employment: Consequences of the Evolving Crisis

Nuria Matilla-Santander  1 , Emily Ahonen  2 , Maria Albin  1 , Sherry Baron  3 , Mireia Bolíbar  4   5 , Kim Bosmans  6 , Bo Burström  7 , Isabel Cuervo  3 , Letitia Davis  3 , Virginia Gunn  8 , Carin Håkansta  1   9 , Tomas Hemmingsson  1   10 , Christer Hogstedt  1 , Johanna Jonsson  1 , Mireia Julià  4   5 , Katarina Kjellberg  1 , Bertina Kreshpaj  1 , Wayne Lewchuk  11 , Carles Muntaner  8 , Patricia O'Campo  8 , Cecilia Orellana  1 , Per-Olof Östergren  12 , Eva Padrosa  4   5 , Marisol E Ruiz  13 , Christophe Vanroelen  6 , Emilia Vignola  14 , Alejandra Vives  15 , David H Wegman  16 , Theo Bodin  1 ; All Members of the PWR Study Consortium
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COVID-19 and Precarious Employment: Consequences of the Evolving Crisis

Nuria Matilla-Santander et al. Int J Health Serv. 2021 Apr.

Abstract

The world of work is facing an ongoing pandemic and an economic downturn with severe effects worldwide. Workers trapped in precarious employment (PE), both formal and informal, are among those most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Here we call attention to at least 5 critical ways that the consequences of the crisis among workers in PE will be felt globally: (a) PE will increase, (b) workers in PE will become more precarious, (c) workers in PE will face unemployment without being officially laid off, (d) workers in PE will be exposed to serious stressors and dramatic life changes that may lead to a rise in diseases of despair, and (e) PE might be a factor in deterring the control of or in generating new COVID-19 outbreaks. We conclude that what we really need is a new social contract, where the work of all workers is recognized and protected with adequate job contracts, employment security, and social protection in a new economy, both during and after the COVID-19 crisis.

Keywords: COVID-19; employment; new economy; pandemic; precarious employment.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Conflicting Interests: The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

References

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