Unpaid — Matthew Cole
A sharp, accessible critique of the hidden economies shaping contemporary work.
In Unpaid, Matthew Cole exposes wage theft as a systemic feature of modern capitalism – from unpaid overtime and insecure labour to the algorithmic exploitation embedded in digital platforms. What appears as isolated abuse is revealed as a structural condition underpinning how work is organised and valued.
For those shaping the built environment and wider economy, Cole’s analysis resonates beyond the workplace, highlighting how extraction, precarity and invisible labour underpin everyday systems. Blending personal stories with political economy, this is a compelling call to rethink labour, value and ownership.
Essential reading for architects and urban practitioners concerned with fairness, production and the social foundations of design.
Publisher: Verso Books
Format: Paperback
Pages: 288
ISBN: 9781804295663
Publication date: 26 May 2026