Nonstandard, or contingent, employment--encompassing part-time employees; temp agency placements; self-employed consultants; subcontracted employees; multiple-job holders; and day laborers--has
been growing rapidly from as early as the mid-1970s, promising benefits to employers but increased risk and lower wages for employees. In this work, Gleason (Pennsylvania State U.) presents a
synthetic overview of the literature on nonstandard employment in the United States, Japan, and the European Union, discussing employer decisions to hire contingent workers, labor union
responses, the legal framework influencing contingent work, the impact of public programs such as unemployment insurance, and other issues. Annotation ©2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
(booknews.com)
