State of Labor Market Precarity in the US

The ILR Worker Institute at Cornell University is embarking on an 18-month review of the state of labor market precarity in the United States. This project has two key objectives. First, the Worker Institute will document the current nature and scope of the precarious work in the United States. This will include an update on the drivers of precarity, the rules and regulations that either mitigate or exacerbate precarity, and the current and new ways employers circumvent existing laws and protections that contribute to precarious working conditions. Second, the Worker Institute will examine the role worker voice and collective representation plays in addressing precarious work.

• Analyzing precarity’s impact on groups of workers through an intersectional lens that includes race, ethnicity, gender, immigration status and disability.
• A review of the current federal Administration’s efforts to further deregulate protections and how this is impacting the expansion of precarity, possibly affecting new groups of workers.
• A review of old and new drivers of precarity, especially the recent rise of AI alongside the ever-burgeoning ‘gig’ economy.
• A review of how employers are self-(re)defining and/or using the law to disassociate themselves as an “employer” and its impact on worker precarity.
• Patterns of employer violations of labor and employment law. 
   

A core component of this project will to highlight key models for addressing worker precarity at the local and state level in three distinct industries through three webinars the Worker Institute will host in 2026. The webinars will explore how States and localities are working with employers and groups who collectively represent workers to regulate precarious work and to what effect. 

• Webinar 1: April 2026 - to be confirmed
• Webinar 2: July 2026 - to be confirmed
• Webinar 3: October 2026 -to be confirmed
• Report Launch: March 2027 - to be confirmed