This symposium addresses pressing social and political debates about the growing precarity of human lives today. To date, the concept of precarity has been used in fields such as economics, labor studies, sociology, and philosophy, and has drawn attention to risks arising from globalization and neo-liberalization. The symposium, drawing on papers from a forthcoming edited collection, will apply the concept of precarity to a range of topic areas in gerontology. Amanda Grenier will provide an introduction to the application of precarity to the field of ageing. Following this, she will explore the concept of frailty through the lens of precarity, situating it as a shared human experience as well as the result of politically-induced responses to care. Sarah Vickerstaff and colleagues examine transitions from work to retirement, demonstrating how the shift to longer working lives has created precarity even for those in secure employment. Karen Kobayashi explores precarity as it is embedded in immigration experiences, pointing to the fragmented life circumstances that often accompany migration, particularly for people in middle and later life. From a life course perspective, Rick Settersten reveals sources of later life precarity that stem from interpersonal relationships, from pathways through education, work, and family life, and from exposure to historical events and social change. Chris Phillipson, as discussant, will summarize the key themes arising from the papers and indicate ways forward for developing organizational and policy responses which challenge vulnerabilities arising from the emergence of precarious cultural, economic and social environments.