4. Work and Un(der)employment

Question 1

Employment

Answer 1

A specific relationship between an employee and an employer, referring specifically to being paid to execute a task as the basis of some sort of contract. The term is not synonymous with ‘work’, which is a much wider term that incorporates both paid and unpaid work, domestic and household work.

Question 2

Fordist economy

Answer 2

This term denotes a type of economy centered on factory production lines, where tasks have been broken down into small specific details so they can be repeated to save time.

Question 3

Post-Fordist economy

Answer 3

One where products made on factory production lines have become a relatively small part of what the economy produces

Question 4

Unemployment

Answer 4

Describes one who is able and willing to work, being of an age that is officially designated as between the official start of working age up to the age of retirement in the relevant jurisdiction and being actively engaged in the process of searching for a job in the last four weeks and being actively engaged in the process of searching for a job in the last four weeks.

Question 5

Scarring effect

Answer 5

The negative impact of a period of unemployment on future employment prospects

Question 6

What does each letter in the acronym ‘NEET’ represent?

Answer 6

Not in Employment, Education and Training

Question 7

What is the collaborative/sharing economy?

Answer 7

Refers to the sectors of the economy that rely on independent contractors working with (but not for) technology companies

Question 8

What is the gig economy?

Answer 8

Involves the exchange of labour for money between individuals or companies via digital platforms that actively facilitate matching between providers and customers, on a short-term and payment by task basis.