But behind the apparent stability in union density lie a number of changes in the demographic and labour market characteristics of unionized workers. Distribution of hours worked . Workers in some companies are currently working shorter weeks than they would like while others are being offered substantial amounts of overtime by their employer. As a result, we are seeing a growing polarization of working hours and, possibly, a corresponding increase in underemployment. Job security .
Job security is currently a prominent labour market issue.
In order to gain flexibility and reduce operating costs in a highly competitive environment, employers have increasingly been turning to temporary workers or to workers hired on contract to increase their workforce.