In the category of low-hanging policy fruit, why won’t any politician pluck the ripe, juicy goodness of federally mandated paid sick leave? About 30 million American workers not only don’t get a paid day off when they have the flu, there’s no law on the books to prevent them from being fired if they call in sick. The job-protection aspect alone is worth $2,000 a year to vulnerable working moms. Of course this also keeps communities healthier because who needs to exposed to baristas with bronchitis?

You can also find Optimist Economy on:

• TikTok
• YouTube
• Instagram
• Substack

Support us by becoming a paid Substack subscriber or at https://buymeacoffee.com/optimisteconomy

A recent article in the Washington Post proposed that U.S. labor data has just started to show the bite artificial intelligence is taking out of U.S. jobs – in this case, for computer programmers. Is AI going to cause mass joblessness? Silicon Valley bros seem to think so. Journalists seem to think so. So what’s with Kathryn’s ho-hum reaction? The long view: The United States has seen lots of technological progress over time, but technology has been the most villainized since 1980—also the era of declining worker power. It’s our gutted worker protections that make periods of technological transition so painful.

Read More:

More than a quarter of computer-programming jobs just vanished. What happened? [The Washington Post]

Majority of U.S. adults think AI will eliminate jobs over next two decades, but experts’ views are more mixed [Pew Research Center]

You can also find Optimist Economy on:

• TikTok
• YouTube
• Instagram
• Substack

Support us by becoming a paid Substack subscriber or at https://buymeacoffee.com/optimisteconomy

Never heard of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938? It’s why there’s a minimum wage, overtime pay, and 12-year-olds can’t legally have a job. It’s also due for a 21st-century update. What would these “New Work Standards” include? Let’s start with the right to request remote work, part-time schedules, or non-traditional hours. This shift would be a game-changer for folks with disabilities, parents juggling young kids, or anyone going through tough personal times. This is also a way to grow the economy by keeping people attached to the workforce. Consider this part one of – if Kathryn has her way – a 63-part series on how to update the FLSA.

Read More:

Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 [U.S. Dept of Labor history page]

Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau [PDF]

The TurboTax Trap [ProPublica]

The 988 Lifeline

You can also find Optimist Economy on:

• TikTok
• YouTube
• Instagram
• Substack

Support us by becoming a paid Substack newsletter subscriber or at https://buymeacoffee.com/optimisteconomy