Why people are always so gloomy about the world of work
Critics of capitalism have always said that working life is in decay
THE NOTION that the modern economy lacks “good jobs” is as uncontroversial as saying that Lionel Messi is good at football. Pundits decry the disappearance of the steady positions of yesteryear, where people did a fair day’s work for a fair day’s pay. “Where have all the good jobs gone?”, wonders one recent book, while another talks about “the rise of polarised and precarious employment systems”. President Joe Biden takes after Donald Trump in promising to bring good jobs “back”. But what if the whole debate rests on shaky foundations?
This article appeared in the Business section of the print edition under the headline “‘Twas ever thus”
Business September 4th 2021
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