How Contemporary Labor-Market Institutions Transform Employment Insecurity into Persistent Social Inequality

This paper examines the relationships between labor-market segmentation, precarious employment and social inequalities by synthesizing recent contributions on the institutional, contractual and social dimensions of contemporary labor markets. The analysis is organized around three complementary perspectives. First, it considers the structural and institutional foundations of segmentation, including insider–outsider divides, temporary employment, career mobility and formal–informal differentiation. Second, it examines the mechanisms and governance of precarious employment, with particular attention to multidimensional employment insecurity, platform work, algorithmic control, regulation and collective representation. Third, it assesses the social inequalities generated and reproduced through segmented labor markets, especially those related to gender, migration, working poverty and health. The literature shows that employment insecurity is not determined solely by contract type, but by the interaction between institutional protection, income stability, bargaining power, working conditions and opportunities for occupational mobility. It also indicates that repeated exposure to insecure employment may generate cumulative disadvantages over the life course. The paper concludes that employment creation alone is insufficient to reduce inequality when jobs remain unstable, poorly protected or inadequately remunerated. More inclusive labor-market outcomes therefore require policies that jointly address employment quality, social protection, collective voice, regulatory coverage and access to stable career trajectories.