Employment 
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4/10/2022
After His Bequest to Boost the Laboring Class, Ben Franklin Would be Shocked by Today's "Innovation" Economy
by Michael Meyer
Shortly before his death, Benjamin Franklin placed a bet on American workers, endowing a fund to lend money to the tradesmen he thought essential to the country's health. His bequest remains in play today, though America has parted ways from his vision.
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SOURCE: Vox
8/24/2021
How the "Job" Became the Center of American Life
"Since about the 1940s, Americans have been encouraged to look to their jobs for nearly all of life’s necessities: a living wage, health insurance, and retirement benefits, as well as intangibles like friendship, identity, and a sense of purpose." Historians Nelson Lichtenstein and James Livingston explain why.
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SOURCE: New York Times
4/10/2020
Could the Pandemic Wind Up Fixing What’s Broken About Work in America?
“Pandemics as a social shock do give workers more leverage to demand things,” said Patrick Wyman, a historian and host of the Tides of History podcast.
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SOURCE: The New York Times
3/6/2020
The Bleak Job Landscape of Adjunctopia for Ph.D.s
Ruthless labor exploitation? Generational betrayal? Understanding the job crisis in academia requires a look at recent history.
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SOURCE: NYT
8-18-18
It’s Not Technology That’s Disrupting Our Jobs
by Louis Hyman
The insecure nature of work is a result of decisions by corporations and policymakers.
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SOURCE: Politico
1/9/18
The Future of Work, a History
by Kevin Baker
America has a long, complicated track record of dreading that robots would take our jobs.
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SOURCE: The Brookings Institution
3-15-16
Voter anger explained—in one chart
Take a look at this single, stark chart depicting the 35-year history of U.S. employment in manufacturing industries.