The article analyses the current researches and interpretations of precarious employment in Italy and in Europe on the basis of some collective books recently published on this subject. Precarious employment is not homogenous; it has various forms and characteristics. The article notices also that flexibility in general terms does not necessary imply precariousness. But in Italy they have grown up together. Today's employment and labour policies aiming at flexibility for the labour market risk to vanify social and labour rights obtained in a long season of labour struggles. A different type of labour policy is, on the contrary, necessary in order to protect those people who are precariously employed and are also excluded by many welfare benefits. The growth of precarious employment - according to various author quoted in the article - is the effect of economic globalization and of the increasing role of finance. People have less and less regular work careers and also the professional roles and tasks are fragmented. All this has a serious impact on people's lives, on life risks and on the perception of the risks themselves.