Mill Talk: The Disposable Workforce

Mill Talk: The Disposable Workforce: Why, How Much, and Consequences For Workers and For Employers

Paul Osterman will discuss his new book, Disposable Workers: The Transformation of Employment, which was recently published by Harvard University Press. Drawing from a large new nationally representative survey as well as from interviews the book lays out how and why employers utilize freelancers, contractors, many part-timers, and marginal workers who are legally employees but disconnected from their firm’s career ladder.

It argues that 35 percent of the adult workforce is disposable from the perspective of employers often with negative consequences for worker well-being and for firm performance. Recognizing that some people prefer the status and that firms need flexibility the book lays out strategies to address this challenge.