Are You in the Precariat?

I learned a new word this week: the "precariat."

The term comes from a 2011 book by a British scholar, Guy Standing, who was once a high-up in the United Nations. A play on "proletariat" and "precarious," the word first appeared in France in the 1980s to describe temporary and seasonal workers. Standing argues that it's become the best word to describe the great mass of people who are under-employed, un-employed or unevenly self-employed.

The message to me is that resourcefulness and tolerance for uncertainty have become necessary for survival. Forbes, Fortune, and the Atlantic have all heralded the increase in the number of freelancers as a permanent change. The Atlantic's title, back in 2011: The Freelance Surge Is the Industrial Revolution of Our Time.

Don't blame yourself if you don't have a regular job with benefits, and you wish you did. Do hold yourself responsible for figuring out how you can market your skills or pick up new ones. You'll also need to plan on saving more and spending less, since it's likely that your income will be uncertain.

The so-called "Gig Economy" works for some, and if you don't have a job, you need to make yourself one of that club. If you do have a job, think about what you'd do if you lost it. Remember unions? They're the people who brought us weekends. Make friends. Do favors. Burn no bridges. Prepare to be next.