The Working Poor, Labor Organizing, and the Service Industries

The Working Poor, Labor Organizing, and the Service Industries

Reading from the book “The Social Organization of Work” (by authors Randy Hodson and Teresa A. Sullivan) define the term “service economy.” In about a paragraph, carefully describe America’s service economy and discuss one of the consequences that the recent shift to a service economy has had on American workers. In another paragraph or so, try to summarize the historical role of labor organizing (unionizing) in capitalist economies. What have been union goals, and have they accomplished these goals?

Answer preview…………..

Hodson & Sullivan (2012) defined a service economy as an economy where the provision of services dominates the production of goods.The American service economy is characterized by industries in the transportation, wholesale and retail, public service, finance, legal, social, educational, health, and hotel services among others. The shift of the economic productivity of the U.S to these industries since after World War II has seen the number of people employed in them rise from approximately 48million in the 1970s to over 150million in 2010. In spite of the arguments presented by critics, policy changes by the present federal administration, and a strong showing in the construction sector, the upward trend is projected to continue into the future. Depending on the side of the debate one belongs, the impact of this shift on the American worker.

 APA 389 words