You, like many of us, are hopefully commemorating the end of summer with some BBQ meat marinated in beer. More than 100 years after the first Labor Day, it’s sometimes easy to forget the plight of 19th-century American industrial workers and the labor movement that led to fairer wages and a higher standard of living. But the fight goes on, and the state of the American worker today—while less precarious than in 1882—still inspires much polemic and study.
Here’s a selection of our recent stories on the American worker:
Working, Forty Years After ‘Working’: Four decades later, Studs Terkel’s characterization of the American worker still applies.
Why Technology Won’t Shorten Your Work Week: Despite advances in technology, we’re remarkably good at creating new forms of consumption, which lead to new work, and, in turn, new social hierarchies.
Does Faith Make You a Better Worker?: If you attend a church that promotes messages about faith and employment, you might be more committed, satisfied, and entrepreneurial on the job.
Disenfranchised: Why Are Americans Still Buying Into the Franchise Dream?: In the tight-fisted world of fast food, it’s not just the workers who get a lousy deal.
