Why read Good Jobs, Bad Jobs?

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

Book description

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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The quality of working life

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Why read it?

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

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 The best books if you hate your job and dread job hunting—here's what's wrong.