Most people today need a job to afford to live. 
Yet many Americans find themselves unemployed, underemployed, partially employed, self-employed, or otherwise struggling to find the work they want or the income they need. In addition, many American workers now find themselves in a highly competitive global labor market in which they are forced to compete both with machines and with foreign workers who are well-educated, highly skilled, motivated, capable, hungry, and willing to work for a fraction of the pay that American workers could once demand, and still want. Today there are fewer job opportunities for high school graduates, additional training or certification is needed in many fields, and a growing number of male high school graduates are ‘choosing’ not to work at all. At the same time, many employers find it difficult to find workers with the right job skills and personal characteristics to fill the jobs they have to offer. This discussion guide invites participants to explore some of the questions and possibilities surrounding the future of employment to gain a clearer understanding of the implications of the past, present, and future of work.
What does the American Dream mean to you? In the 2nd of three sessions of our small-group conversation series on the relationship of the Economy & Democracy in America, participants...
In the first of three sessions of our small-group conversation series on the relationship of the Economy & Democracy in America, participants worked together to explore different aspects of this...
How do you see the relationship between our economic system and the health of our democracy? What are the purposes and values that shape our economic system – and how...
