Flexibility in the US Service Economy and the Emerging Spatial Division of Labour

In the United States, one of the most important aspects of the emergence of a service-oriented economy is an increase in flexible forms of work, including part-time and temporary work and independent subcontracting. In contrast with the models of flexibility based on the reorganization of production in manufacturing, the expansion of flexible forms of work in the US is occurring predominantly in large firms which are rationalizing the production and distribution of services. This paper traces the increased variability of working hours in the US to labour demand in services but also to the politics of work time. The reorganization of services is associated with an erosion of local differences in production and consumption. These homogenization processes must be considered along with those of local differentiation in interpreting the emerging spatial division of labour.