Precarious, non-standard and informal employment: a glossary

Precarity in employment is an increasingly concerning global phenomenon. Yet, despite its rising prevalence and the significant impact it has on many people’s lives and health, definitions of precarious employment are varied, and different terms are often used interchangeably. Differences between high-income and low-income and middle-income countries, as well as diverse cross-national labour market structures, further complicate the scholarship. The purpose of this glossary is to provide a point of reference in this complex landscape. Our aim is to synthesise and define key terms pertaining to precarious, non-standard and informal employment in order to guide ongoing application and understanding in this space. In addition, this glossary takes a preliminary step in defining some key and emerging constructs integral or related to understanding precarity in employment in the rapidly growing gig economy.