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The Precariat Class Structure and Income Inequality Among US Workers: 1980-2018

Author

Listed:
  • Joshua Greenstein

    (Department of Economics, Hobart and William Smith Colleges)

Abstract

I apply the precariat class schema developed by Standing to the US workforce from 1980-2018. I use a decomposition of inequality to show that this schema explains a substantial and growing portion of income inequality. I find that that the precariat, typified by unstable and benefit-free jobs, make up a large and growing share of the US work force, that the “old” working class shrank precipitously, and that the demographics of these two classes differ substantially. Finally, I illustrate that insight into these difficult to measure phenomena can be gained with an easily replicable class schema using plausible class definitions.

Suggested Citation

  • Joshua Greenstein, 2019. "The Precariat Class Structure and Income Inequality Among US Workers: 1980-2018," Working Papers 1911, New School for Social Research, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:new:wpaper:1911
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    File URL: http://www.economicpolicyresearch.org/econ/2019/NSSR_WP_112019.pdf
    File Function: First version, 2019
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    Cited by:

    1. Nicholas A. Ashford & Ralph P. Hall & Johan Arango-Quiroga & Kyriakos A. Metaxas & Amy L. Showalter, 2020. "Addressing Inequality: The First Step Beyond COVID-19 and Towards Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(13), pages 1-43, July.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Economic class; precarious labor; inequality; dDistribution; structural change;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • B59 - Schools of Economic Thought and Methodology - - Current Heterodox Approaches - - - Other
    • D63 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Equity, Justice, Inequality, and Other Normative Criteria and Measurement
    • J21 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Force and Employment, Size, and Structure
    • J42 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Particular Labor Markets - - - Monopsony; Segmented Labor Markets
    • O17 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Formal and Informal Sectors; Shadow Economy; Institutional Arrangements

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