The Betrayal of Work : How Low-wage Jobs Fail 30 Million Americans And Their Families

Following its publication in hardcover, the critically acclaimed __Betrayal of Work__ became one of the most influential policy books about economic life in America; it was discussed in the pages of __Newsweek__, __Business Week__, __Fortune__, the __Washington Post__, __Newsday__, and __USA Today__, as well as in public policy journals and in broadcast interviews, including a one-on-one with Bill Moyers on PBS's __NOW__. The __American Prospect__'s James K. Galbraith's praise was typical: "Shulman's slim and graceful book is a model combination of compelling portraiture, common sense, and understated conviction." Beth Shulman's powerfully argued book offers a full program to address the injustice faced by the 30 million Americans who work full time but do not make a living wage. As the influential Harvard Business School newsletter put it, Shulman "specifically outlines how structural changes in the economy may be achieved, thus expanding opportunities for all Americans." This edition includes a new afterword that intervenes in the post-election debate by arguing that low-wage work is an urgent moral issue of our time. Publisher's description: An astonishing 35 million Americans work full time but do not make a living. They are nursing home workers, poultry processors, pharmacy assistants, ambulance drivers, child care workers, data entry keyers, janitors. Indeed, one in four American workers lives in or near poverty. Despite the great wealth of the United States, these low-wage workers have lower living standards than do similar workers in most other industrial nations, and over the last twenty years their wages have declined. For several years, Beth Shulman traveled across the country talking to low-wage workers, and in The Betrayal of Work she tells the moving stories of people like Sara, a single mother of three who earns $6.10 an hour, with no sick pay or vacation pay, after working almost a decade at a nursing home in Alabama. For Sara and others like her, writes Shulman, the basic promise of American society--if you work hard, you and your family can make a decent living--has been broken. Americans do seem to be paying renewed attention to low-wage work--as interest in Barbara Ehrenreich's book Nickel and Dimed makes clear--attention that is sure to increase as Congress begins debate over the extension of welfare reform next year. The Betrayal of Work moves the conversation forward, providing the fullest portrait of America's working poor, and dispelling a number of myths along the way: that lower unemployment has meant better living conditions for the poor; that making bad jobs into good jobs requires impossibly difficult measures; that low-wage work is ubiquitously low-skill work. With a far-reaching argument about what we must do to restore fairness to the American economic order, The Betrayal of Work is sure to be one of the most talked-about public policy books of the year. Following its publication in hardcover, the critically acclaimed Betrayal of Work became one of the most influential policy books about economic life in America; it was discussed in the pages of Newsweek, Business Week, Fortune, the Washington Post, Newsday, and USA Today, as well as in public policy journals and in broadcast interviews, including a one-on-one with Bill Moyers on PBS's NOW. The American Prospect's James K. Galbraith's praise was typical: “Shulman's slim and graceful book is a model combination of compelling portraiture, common sense, and understated conviction.”

Beth Shulman's powerfully argued book offers a full program to address the injustice faced by the 30 million Americans who work full time but do not make a living wage. As the influential Harvard Business School newsletter put it, Shulman “specifically outlines how structural changes in the economy may be achieved, thus expanding opportunities for all Americans.” This edition includes a new afterword that intervenes in the post-election debate by arguing that low-wage work is an urgent moral issue of our time. Following its publication in hardcover, the critically acclaimed Betrayal of Work became one of the most influential policy books about economic life in America; it was discussed in the pages of Newsweek , Business Week , Fortune , the Washington Post , Newsday , and USA Today , as well as in public policy journals and in broadcast interviews, including a one-on-one with Bill Moyers on PBS's NOW . The American Prospect 's James K. Galbraith's praise was typical: "Shulman's slim and graceful book is a model combination of compelling portraiture, common sense, and understated conviction." Beth Shulman's powerfully argued book offers a full program to address the injustice faced by the 30 million Americans who work full time but do not make a living wage. As the influential Harvard Business School newsletter put it, Shulman "specifically outlines how structural changes in the economy may be achieved, thus expanding opportunities for all Americans." This edition includes a new afterword that intervenes in the post-election debate by arguing that low-wage work is an urgent moral issue of our time. Following in the footsteps of Barbara Ehrenreich's 2001 bestseller Nickel and Dimed, The Betrayal of Work provides the fullest portrait of America's working poor. Beth Schulman spent several years travelling across the country, talking to those on low wages. She dispels a number of myths along the way: that lower unemployment has meant better living conditions for the poor; that making bad jobs into good jobs requires insurmountably difficult reforms; that low-wage work is always low-skilled. The Betrayal of Work includes recommendations on how to build on current public policy in this area. As the influential Harvard Business School newsletter put it, Shulman "specifically outlines how structural changes in the economy may be achieved, thus expanding opportunities for all Americans." This edition includes a new afterword that intervenes in the post-election debate by arguing that law-wage work is an urgent moral issue of our time "Beth Shulman spent several years traveling across the country talking to those living on low wages. In The Betrayal of Work, she provides the fullest portrait of America's working poor, dispelling a number of myths along the way; that most low-wage workers are teenagers, immigrants, or high-school dropouts; that being in low-wage employment is a stepping stone to a better position; that making bad jobs into good jobs requires insurmountably difficult reforms; that low-wage work is always low-skilled. With a thorough analysis of how we arrived at this point, Shulman offers a far-reaching argument about what we must do to restore fairness to the American economic order."--Jacket