What relevance has division of labour in a world of precarious work?

Post-Marx, social scientists have tended to define ‘labour’ as working for others in return for a wage rather than as a harmonious Durkheimian-style interdependency. This mini-review of recent anthropological literature considers whether, in a world where the ‘standard employment contract’ is dwindling and many are out of work, ‘division of labour’ has any continuing relevance. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Division of labour as key driver of social evolution’.