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Career Sessions

Career Sessions

The Rise of Disposable Workers, with Paul Osterman

Aug 17, 2026 · 30m

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On this episode

About this episode

For decades, a good job meant stability, career development, and a long-term relationship between employers and employees. But according to MIT Sloan professor Paul Osterman, that social contract has fundamentally changed. In this episode of Career Sessions, JR Lowry sits down with Osterman to discuss the ideas behind his new book, Disposable Workers, and why more than one-third of today's workforce now falls into employment arrangements designed for flexibility rather than long-term investment. Together, they explore what's driving this shift, why it extends well beyond the gig economy, how AI may accelerate the trend, and what individuals, leaders, and policymakers can do to build a…