Casual Employment and the Globalized Market: A case of Selected Countries

One of the key features of industrial restructuring in the current globalized market is the increasing polarization in employment conditions and a growing differentiation in the workforce. One method employed by firms in their attempt to stay competitive through increased flexibility in the production process, is the “casualization” of employment. This includes part-time workers, seasonal workers, home workers and subcontracted workers. Globalization is often equated with the growing integration of national economies. In the sphere of economics, globalization is reflected in the increasing acceptance of free markets and private enterprise as the principal mechanism of promoting economic activities. Labour restructuring can take different forms in different countries. One prominent aspect in the last two decades has been the process of casual employment, in the sense of an increase in the proportion of employees classified as “casual”. This study, therefore, examines casual employment and its effect in the globalized market, with particular reference to some selected countries. This study was guided by neo-liberal theory