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How the US Workforce Is Changing
Video

How the US Workforce Is Changing

Vice News, 2015

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Editorial Rating

8

Qualities

  • Analytical
  • Eye Opening
  • Visionary

Recommendation

This informative video barrages viewers with a long chain of figures and statistics, which reveal the crux of how the US workforce has shifted over the past several years. Journalists Michael Moynihan, Adam Davidson, Megan McArdle and Jamelle Bouie examine and discuss some major trends that have struck the US workforce. For the most part, it seems the US labor market is facing a period of doom and gloom. getAbstract recommends this discussion to millennials interested in understanding the phenomena that will determine their career prospects.

Summary

The American workforce is increasingly diverse: Women, Hispanics and Asian-Americans account for a greater share of the labor force than ever before, but the proportion of African-Americans has fallen in the past decade due to high joblessness among the black youth. In fact, work conditions are declining for all millennials, who now represent one-third of the workforce. Today, a young worker can expect to start earning the median wage at age 30 compared with age 26 in 1980. A college education once guaranteed entry to the middle class, but a degree is now akin to a “lottery ticket”; you might not ...

About the Speakers

Michael Moynihan is cultural news editor for The Daily Beast. Adam Davidson co-hosts the Planet Money podcast. Megan McArdle is a columnist for Bloomberg View. Jamelle Bouie is a staff writer for Slate.