Book cover of Good Jobs, Bad Jobs: The Rise of Polarized and Precarious Employment Systems in the United States, 1970s-2000s

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The economic boom of the 1990s veiled a grim reality: in addition to the growing gap between rich and poor, the gap between good and bad quality jobs was also expanding. The postwar prosperity of the mid-twentieth century had enabled millions of American workers to join the middle class, but


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1 author picked Good Jobs, Bad Jobs as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

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Peter Cappelli
Author

Most experts now see 1981 as the key moment when the economy changed: jobs became much less secure, white-collar jobs no longer felt like insiders to the power structure, benefits and wages fell, and income inequality took off.

This book describes the process of moving toward more open-market arrangements in employment. It is largely an explanation driven by events within the US, ultimately political and “private policy” decisions driven by a different view on business obligations. 

From Peter's list on hate your job and dread job hunting.

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These Blue Mountains by Sarah Loudin Thomas,

A moving story of love, betrayal, and the enduring power of hope in the face of darkness.

German pianist Hedda Schlagel's world collapsed when her fiancé, Fritz, vanished after being sent to an enemy alien camp in the United States during the Great War. Fifteen years later, in 1932, Hedda


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Book cover of Working: People Talk about What They Do All Day and How They Feel about What They Do
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Book cover of Down and Out in the New Economy: How People Find (or Don't Find) Work Today

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