Checks and Balance: The workforce is strong

Checks and Balance from The Economist

The Economist

Politics, News & Politics, News, Us Politics

4.6 • 1.7K Ratings

🗓️ 4 February 2022

⏱️ 44 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

The labour market has rebounded from its pandemic-induced slump with gusto. As bosses worry about a shortage of employees, firms are having to get creative in order to fill vacancies. Will the employment boom reshape the relationship between American workers and companies?

Charlotte Howard meets a group of Starbucks employees trying to unionise. We go back to a time of great change for the American workforce. And Professor Daron Acemoglu from MIT explains if robots could make up the shortfall in the labour market.

John Prideaux presents with Jon Fasman.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Have you got Amazon Prime?
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0:24.4	In Nacang, Vietnam, a man dozing in a hammock
0:27.6	is etched onto a piece of wood.
0:30.2	In Moscow, the same sign shows a woman holding a shrunken adult
0:33.8	asleep in her arms.
0:35.8	In Mombasa, Kenya, the quiff of a shushing cartoon face
0:39.4	forms the hook to go over the door handle.
0:42.6	Accompanying them all are the words familiar to travelers
0:45.2	the world over, do not disturb.
0:48.8	These signs, and 9,000 more, are part of the collection
0:52.0	of the retired United Nations employee Eduardo Flores,
0:55.2	who traveled to hotels in 190 countries for his work.
1:00.0	But for guests of at least one chain,
1:02.2	do not disturb signs could soon become redundant.
1:06.0	The knock at the door of housekeeping is being heard
1:08.2	less and less in Hilton hotels as they make the daily
1:11.2	amenity optional.
	...

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