The Pros And Cons Of Labour Market Inequality

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Introduction One certainty regarding the Canadian labour market is that, simply, some jobs are better than others. When comparing what makes one job better than another, various factors such as work hours, wages, benefits, and security are assessed. It makes sense that permanent, full-time, well-compensated, secure positions would be considered “better” than precarious (unreliable and/or unpredictable), part-time, temporary, low-wage, benefits-absent jobs would be. However, to complicate this labour market division further is the overwhelming presence of inequality within the market(s), driven by historical conditions and ongoing market standards which have put and kept women, visible minorities and other groups in a vulnerable position. It …show more content…

Job insecurity is characterized by precariousness stemming from non-standard work. Job inequality is characterized by status differences that are dependent on social group affiliation, negatively affecting workers on the basis of gender, visible minority, age, etc. Both insecurity and inequality are phenomena that can be explained …show more content…

Reducing Inequality through Policy Krahn p 156 Ehrenreich p. 235-236 Conclusion Barbara Ehrenreich comments on the increasing prevalence of downward mobility that “…once you fall into the low-wage, survival-job trap, there 's a good chance that you will remain there” (2006, p. 210). There is no better lobby group to widen the primary labour market and change the way employers cost-save than the unemployed and underemployed (Ehrenreich, 2006, p. 236). I agree with Ehrenreich that change cannot be left up to employers and governments as they have the most to gain from perpetuating inequality and insecurity. The way to make change is for the marginalized, unemployed, and underemployed to unify/organize in common purpose. If this is the largest and fastest-growing segment of the labour market population, surely meaningful impact is

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