Precarious Work and Unemployment in Europe

This chapter draws upon several key ideas which situate the precarious nature of work in Europe, showing how marginalised groups become stigmatised and routinely exploited in terms of gender; age; nationality and disability. It argues that Europe is entering an 'age of insecurity', in which there are undependable forms of employment and risky working conditions, situated in economic insecurity and social instability. Drawing on the work of Standing (2015) and others, the chapter shows that a new set of working conditions and parameters is prevalent in Europe today – one which is fuelled by neo-liberal economic policies and which has created new forms of precarious work across nearly all sectors of employment. It also draws upon the idea of 'the precariat' and broader notions of precarious work insofar as it helps with our analysis of work conditions across contemporary Europe.