How do the structural forces of globalization and informalization perpetuate the marginalization of the most vulnerable labor forces in rural and urban Asia? Jan Breman, a sociologist with extensive field experience in South and Southeast Asia, compiles a decade of research to examine the precarious conditions of the working poor. He argues that the shift toward informal labor markets, exacerbated by global economic policies, systematically denies workers access to social protections, stability, and economic mobility. The text provides a critical framework for understanding the widening gap between the globalized economy and the reality of those at the bottom of the social hierarchy.

Scholars in development studies and labor sociology frequently cite this work as a critical examination of the human cost of modern economic shifts. The text is recognized for its rigorous empirical approach and its ability to synthesize complex socio-economic data into a clear, sobering critique of contemporary labor trends.