The ‘precarious work’ defined to capture the “uncertainty, instability and insecurity” of work is not a commonly used term in Sri Lanka. Different categories of work that could possibly come under the broader definition of “precarious work” have received varying attention by policy makers and researchers over the past several decades. A better understanding of the prevalence of these different types of work and the specificities concerning the uncertainty, instability and insecurity relating to precarious work conditions are prevented by lack of information. This paper attempts to bring together existing literature relating to different types of workers who may be experiencing “uncertainty, instability and insecurity” in Sri Lanka. The paper will also provide profiles and trends of different types of precarious workers in the country, as data permits.
