Since the 1980s, U.S. workers with less than a college education have faced increasing job instability at the same time that the safety net has become increasingly contingent on employment. The sources of instability are many, including variable schedules, not enough hours, and temporary employment. A policy forum hosted by the Employment Instability, Family Well-being, and Social Policy Network (EINet) at the University of Chicago on November 15, 2013, brought together researchers, policy administrators, and advocates to discuss the interaction of the safety net with the increasing employment instability faced by low-wage workers. This interaction is also being examined by the Institute for Research on Poverty as part of a major research initiative designed to enhance understanding of how policies and programs can build economic self-sufficiency by increasing employment, wages, labor market skills, and earnings. In this issue of "Fast Focus", Heather Hill and Marci Ybarra, the EINet forum organizers, review the evidence on employment instability, outline the forum discussion and findings, and explore the challenges and opportunities of promoting employment stability in the current economic and political climate.