Conditions and perceptions of labor (in)security in Monterrey: an ILO socioeconomic security measurement proposal

Abstract

The main of the paper is to analyze the conditions and perceptions of labor (in)security in Monterrey (Mexico), based on the proposal for measuring socioeconomic security of the International Labor Organization. Labor security is defined as the level of certainty in the positions and social recognition that come from work, due to its stability and the probability of social advancement provided by labor institutions. Measurement proposal considers not only both the material and subjective dimensions of (in)security, but also seven central aspects of the world of work: 1. Labor market security; 2. Employment security; 3. Professional security; 4. Job security; 5. Training security; 6. Income secu- rity, and 7. Representation security. Research findings indicate that: 1. The proposal for measuring labor (in)security is a valid alternative to analyze the complexity of the world of work to the extent that it not only considers objective and subjective aspects but is also multidimensional and feasible to be applied to the different types of contemporary work; 2. The material and subjective aspects of labor (in)security behave in an autonomous but interdependent manner and can relate to each other, above all, based on certain social conditions of the workers and; 3. The main problems in terms of insecurity that the Monterrey labor market is going through are related to the security of professional training and representation.