Hired Six Months Undercover in Low-Wage Britain

Cracking open the gig economy, journalist James Bloodworth spends six months undercover working the most grueling low-wage jobs. He lives on the meager proceeds and discovers the anxieties and hopes of those he encounters, including working-class men and women, young students striving to make ends meet, and Eastern European immigrants. From a harrowing Amazon warehouse to driving for Uber, Bloodworth uncovers horrifying employment practices and shows how traditional working-class communities have been decimated by the move to soulless service jobs with no security, advancement or satisfaction. But this is more than an exposé of unscrupulous employers; this is a gripping examination of a divided society which needs to understand the true reality of how other people live and work, before it can heal.

James Bloodworth is the former editor of Left Foot Forward, one of the most influential left-wing websites in the UK. He is a fortnightly columnist for the International Business Times and regularly contributes to the Independent, Guardian, New Statesman, and Wall Street Journal. He has 15,000 followers on Twitter.

Preface - p.1
Part I: RUGELEY
Chapter 1 - p.11
Chapter 2 - p.28
Chapter 3 - p.42
Chapter 4 - p.54
Chapter 5 - p.64
Part II: BLACKPOOL
Chapter 6 - p.79
Chapter 7 - p.91
Chapter 8 - p.106
Chapter 9 - p.121
Chapter 10 - p.132
Part III: SOUTH WALES VALLEYS
Chapter 11 - p.143
Chapter 12 - p.153
Chapter 13 - p.165
Chapter 14 - p.180
Chapter 15 - p.187
Part IV: LONDON
Chapter 16 - p.203
Chapter 17 - p.211
Chapter 18 - p.219
Chapter 19 - p.228
Chapter 20 - p.243
Epilogue - p.258
Notes - p.266
Index - p.272