Implications of precarization in the context of generational groups: direct and indirect effects

The effects of employment precarization are the subject of active discussion in the scientific literature. Despite the novelty of the topic, the negative impact of this process on the labor and daily life has been subject of a large number of works over the previous decade. At the same time, age specifics have not been widely reflected in studies: as a rule, authors focus on the population as a whole or its individual categories, for example, youth. The purpose of the article is to analyze and generalize the existing experience of studying the impact of employment precarization on generational groups of the economically active population. For this purpose, we have examined the situation of young, middle-aged and older workers involved in unstable labor relations. The information base is the Russian and foreign sources of empirical orientation; in the work we have used general scientific methods. The results show that the impact of employment precarization on generational groups has serious specifics. For young people, job instability mainly affects the planning of their own future forcing them to postpone the issues of starting a family and having children, leaving the parental home, etc. Prolonged transition to stable employment harms mental health, which is most pronounced in adulthood, when instability becomes part of everyday life. It can be difficult to get out of the “precarity trap” because low earnings and social insecurity limit the ability to change the current situation. The effects of employment precarization for older people are ambiguous. Even taking into account all the disadvantages of unstable labor relations, having at least some work is often a necessity to maintain a habitual lifestyle. The main limitation of the research is the generalization of information obtained using various conceptual constructions and methodological tools.