Hours of Work per Civilian

Post #660

Back in the 1950s and early 1960s, jobs paid so well that most households were single-earner households (one job paid for everything).

When jobs paid so much, it was okay if not as many hours were worked. But most households now have multiples — because jobs do not pay so well, anymore — and it is no longer okay if not as many hours are worked.

In 1999, job holders worked 21 hours per week per U.S. civilian (age 16+, non-institutionalized):

But in 2020, job holders worked 15% less per civilian:

Some of the decline in hours worked per civilian is due to baby boomers leaving the job market and entering retirement, but with recent inflation, people can no longer afford to retire. Some Americans plan to work until age 70 or more.

Government leadership has been anti-business for decades now. It is important to distinguish that from being anti-corporate. Government leadership has been pro-corporate — forming “public-private partnerships,” and even naming corporations by name in the federal code of law — while, at the same time, being anti-business.

When corporations like tech companies are named by name in federal law, then there is an insinuation that the federal government is not going to allow those corporations to fail. Otherwise, why name firms which could be gone next year if market forces were allowed to operate inside of U.S. borders?

For example, during COVID, conventional hospital revenue was down 50%, but the government stepped in and paid hospitals up to more than $100,000 per COVID patient — bringing their revenues back up.

But that is not how markets are supposed to work.

There shouldn’t be a government scheme to funnel people into certain businesses — businesses which fail to provide good service — all while paying those same businesses for their own lack of resiliency.

Imagine if government paid Tarot Card readers and funneled customers into the door to get their futures read. The business would stay open even if no one liked the service they got.

But that is not how markets are supposed to work.

Imagine if government paid tech companies to spy on you, or paid grocery companies to sell you bad food. When government gets cozy with business, then you have facism even if it is not the same variety of fascism of NAZI Germany in the 1930s.

But that is not how markets are supposed to work.

Instead of having a Great Reset where banks, corporations, and government all get together in order to screw people over, we should return to a free enterprise system in the USA, like we had when the federal government was tiny and regulations were few.

Then people would be able to find the job that they like or want, and would be able to get all the hours of work that they need. They’d be able to look forward to a bright future for themselves and their children, not a bleak future where employment hours worked falls by 7% per decade.