Hi Arthur, This article reminded me of a prediction made by Jim Turk ten years ago. At the time he was the education director for the Ontario Federation of Labour.He put up an overhead showing an egg shaped graph which he said used to represent income distribution. The rich at the top, the middle class in the fatter middle section and the poor at the bottom. He them put up an overhead that showed an inverted martini glass. Next time you have a martini hold it upside down in the palm of your hand (after you've emptied it!) and you'll see what happened to the egg.
Bottoms up, Brian McAndrews >Another side of the new economy. If these trends hold, "there's gonna be >trouble." > >Arthur Cordell > > >Ninety percent of young white male workers now doing worse than they would >have 20 years ago >The promise of upward mobility - a centerpiece of the American dream, which >fosters the notion that anyone can get ahead with hard work - may have >disappeared with the 20th century. >"With the kinds of declines in hourly wages that we find here, it is a bit >of a puzzle why there has been so little public outcry. One reason may be >that people are working more hours and there are more women in the work >force now. The net result is that total household income levels have held >steady, but it takes more effort to bring in the same income. This kind of >new economy may preserve living standards, but it is not family friendly. As >it sucks more and more resources out of the home, we are seeing rising >stress on families, and declining time for being with children." Morris said >such factors as the decline of labor unions and the increased trends of >downsizing and outsourcing by businesses has produced a climate in which the >American economy is producing more low-paying jobs than high-end ones. >"The service industry produces a lot of low-wage jobs and we are churning >them out," she said. "The No. 1 job for projected growth in the coming years >is cashier. As a result we can now make things cheaper here, but we are >beginning to lose our middle class. And many more Americans work to live, >not live to work." > >entire article at: > >http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2002-02/uow-npo022002.php -- ************************************************** * Brian McAndrews, Practicum Coordinator * * Faculty of Education, Queen's University * * Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6 * * FAX:(613) 533-6596 Phone (613) 533-6000x74937* * e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] * * "Education is not the filling of a pail, * * but the lighting of a fire. * * W.B.Yeats * * * **************************************************
