İşgücü Piyasasındaki Eğretileşme Sorunu Üzerine Kavramsal, Tarihsel ve Kurumsal Bir Değerlendirme

Abstract

The labor market, situated at the center of economic, social, and political interaction, constitutes the heart of social sciences. Globalization and technological advancements alongside various demographic trends, such as migration and aging, have triggered structural transformations in the labor market—a process that remains ongoing. Foremost among the adverse effects of these transformations is the phenomenon termed precarization, which distances societies from objectives such as productivity, sustainability, and resilience. Precarization weakens social cohesion and leads to the concentration of good jobs within an increasingly narrowing, privileged social stratum; consequently, every society combats this issue using diverse methods, instruments, and policies. This study aims to examine the phenomenon of precarization, which is becoming increasingly prominent and central to intensive academic discourse, through its conceptual, historical, and institutional dimensions, while drawing attention to alternative policy implementations. In this context, the study primarily analyzes various definitions of precarious employment within the literature and discusses its fundamental characteristics in relation to associated concepts. Furthermore, by tracing the historical evolution of precarious employment, the transformation process that has extended to the present day is evaluated. The diversification and proliferation of precarious employment types, in tandem with global competition and technological progress, exert an increasingly heavy pressure on the entire socio-economic and political system. Efforts to counteract this pressure, such as the United Nations (UN) 2030 Agenda policy of promoting decent work for all, have yet to achieve the anticipated success. Currently, the development of new policies, along with the monitoring and continuous improvement of existing practices, has emerged as an imperative.