RECENT TRENDS IN JOB SECURITY AND STABILITY

In recent years, the popular press has led us to believe that downsizi ng and mergers are throwing unprecedented numbers of Americans out of secure jobs. In this paper we survey current research that addresses t hese concerns, reconciling the sometimes disparate results of papers e xamining job tenure and separations, exploring the consequences of inv oluntary job loss, and reviewing research on trends in part-time, temp orary, and contingent employment. There is no evidence of a dramatic c hange in job security over the last two decades. The various studies d o not point to consistent losses in job security for any particular de mographic group.