Precariat

In sociology and economics, the precariat () is a social class formed by people suffering from precarity, which means existing without predictability or security, thereby affecting material or psychological well-being. The term is a portmanteau of precarious and proletariat. Unlike the proletariat of industrial workers in the 20th century, who lacked their own means of production and therefore sold their labor to survive, members of the precariat are only partially involved in labor. They must undertake extensive unremunerated activities that are essential to retaining access to jobs and decent earnings. Classic examples of such unpaid activities include continually searching and applying for work, as well as being expected to always be responsive to calls for gig work. The hallmark of the precariat is a lack of job security, including intermittent employment or underemployment and the resulting precarious existence. The emergence of this class has been ascribed to the entrenchment of neoliberal capitalism.