In the Tolls of Uncertainty, Sarah Damaske argues unemployment is an institution—like workplaces, families, or schools—that both generates and reproduces inequalities. Like other fundamental parts of American society that are central to adult life, unemployment is governed by state and federal laws and bureaucracies, structured by organizations, and shaped by shared language & customs. And, like other institutions, unemployment differentially shapes people’s resources and has far-reaching consequences beyond the realm of the unemployed. Both the state and the federal government wield enormous influence over the process, from determining whether someone is considered unemployed, to whether they are eligible for unemployment insurance, to how much support they will receive and for how long a duration. The way people access the unemployment system is dependent on their own social location prior to coming into the unemployment system and their experience throughout their unemployment journey is shaped by the resources the unemployed have available when they lose their job. The state unemployment system provides both direct benefits (via unemployment insurance) and acts as a broker to additional resources (through career center services). Unemployment not only generates and reproduces inequalities between the employed and the unemployed, but also amongst the unemployed. Ultimately, the unemployment institution normalizes and legitimates both employment precarity and the resulting inequalities of the new economy.

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