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The evolution of contemporary employment structures and statuses has been well studied. This article explores these changes by shifting the focus from positions held by workers in employment to positions sought by unemployed workers. The article starts by outlining the overall dynamics of the relationship between employment and unemployment in a context where the dividing line between the two is increasingly blurred. It then explores the extent to which employment shapes the experience of the unemployed and how this is translated into a range of ways to understand what is here referred to as accessible work. The article concludes by extending the analysis of accessible work by highlighting two dimensions of employment norm dynamics: The scope of unsalaried work and the difference between formal and informal work.