Expanding the employment quality framework: Health and precarity in the lives of black emerging adults

Precarious employment, a condition marked by job instability, low wages, and limited protections, exacerbates economic insecurity and poor health, yet little is known about its impact on Black emerging adults (BEA). This study draws on longitudinal qualitative data to examine how young adults ages 18–24 experience and navigate precarious work while participating in a guaranteed income trial. We conducted in-depth interviews with 36 participants at baseline and 31 at 12-months follow-up. Transcripts were coded and then we conducted framework analysis of excerpts related to employment, health, and healthcare seeking. Four dimensions of employment precarity were salient in participants’ accounts: employment instability, unpredictable schedules and time scarcity, unsafe and unsupportive work environments, and constrained agency. Time scarcity was driven by inconsistent hours, multiple jobs, caregiving, and long commutes; it limited participants’ ability to rest, pursue education, and access health care. Although participants demonstrated agency by making strategic decisions about work, school, and caregiving, their choices were constrained by immediate financial pressures. Employment precarity persisted over time, with overlapping experiences of low wages, unpredictable scheduling, and unsafe conditions undermining both physical and mental health. These findings highlight how precarious employment was experienced as a structural constraint on health during emerging adulthood, forcing difficult tradeoffs that compound existing inequities. While participants receiving guaranteed income during the study period sometimes described the cash transfers as easing short-term financial pressure, structural interventions such as stronger workplace protections, accessible childcare, and workforce development are urgently needed to disrupt cycles of precarity and improve health outcomes. • Examines precarious employment among Black emerging adults in the U.S. • Uses longitudinal qualitative data from a guaranteed income trial • Identifies four interrelated themes related to employment precarity contributing to poor health • Identifies time-scarcity as an important contributor to Black emerging adult health • Suggests relationships between precarious work and mental health, stress, and unmet health needs among low-income Black emerging results.