economy
Even potato-chip tasters are temporary in the economy of 2026 — there's nearly 57 million of these 'disposable workers'
When I leave my Boston condo every day, I say good morning to the concierge, who works for a contracting company providing staff to residential buildings. When I conduct an interview in a nearby building, the people who clean that office at night are contractors. The person who serves me my lunch sandwich is a part-timer with no career prospects in that job.
TL;DR
- Nearly 57 million U.S. workers are in 'disposable jobs' without career prospects or job security.
- Three categories of disposable workers exist: contractors, organizational freelancers, and marginal workers.
- Employers use disposable workers to save money on benefits like Social Security and health insurance.
- High turnover in disposable jobs allows employers to avoid investing in training and management costs.
- The Affordable Care Act has incentivized some employers to increase part-time roles to avoid health insurance costs.
- Disposable workers generally earn less and report lower job satisfaction compared to regular workers.
- The use of disposable workers can have negative societal consequences, such as increased hospital infection rates and industrial accidents.