Follow Here To Purchase Work's New Age: The End of Full Employment and What It Means to You

Author: James B. Huntington, Ph.D.

Publisher: Royal Flush Press
ISBN: 978-0-9835006-3-6


Dr. Harrington’s 2007 Dissertation hinged on career jobs for the post-65 baby boomers and was the only one of its kind published at that time. (2012, p.217) He has worked as a professor, teacher, and professional speaker and added to scholarship on the topics of leadership, organizational change, and human development.

This book opens with some “New Age Principles”. Those principles range in topic from how profitable organizations grow without adding jobs to efficiencies applied in bad times too often continuing into the good times and well into the phenomena regarding the ability of younger workers to locate jobs at all and more.

Chapter 1 talks about how many more people are college educated than ever before, but also how those educations have not translated into more jobs in the marketplace. For instance, “During the 1960’s, only 10% of those just finishing college took positions below their educational level.” (2012, p.18) That number increased to 33% by 1970/71 and is even larger now. There is discussion about how recoveries take longer after each recessional period and how many families have at least one person who has been victim of reduced pay/hours or lost their jobs altogether. And because people are living longer there are huge numbers of people each year applying for social security/disability benefits. Harrington hypothecates that the children of the Boomers will fare far worse than their Boomer parents in the jobless marketplace.

Chapter 2 talks about automation and the result from same. Harrignton states that “In the 1970’s, jobs lost to improved technology were also largely or completely offset by employment growth elsewhere. “ (2012, p.44) Furthermore, he [Harrington] believes that mechanization has replaced over 7 million jobs each year. These are jobs that will not be replaced or renewed, but must be transplanted elsewhere in another sector if they are to be recouped. Doctor Harrington concurs with Zuckerman who said that too much automation could destabilize America. (paraphrase, 2012, p.46) Another facet of our jobless landscape according to Harrington is the number of jobs being outsourced to other locales taking advantage of cheaper labor markets abroad. (p.74)

Later on in this book Harrington says “Education and even training are valuable for many purposes, including personal enrichment, but they are not the tools we need to combat widespread joblessness.” (2012, p.104) To which he adds, “Demand for employees needing little education is expected to rise more than for others, yet constant-dollar pay for those not completing high school dropped from $13.45 to $11.38 per hours between 1973-2007...” (p.118)

I found this a very interesting read and believe you will too. There is a plethora of data regarding medicare/disability and other healthcare expenses v. those of some of our neighboring nations, how immigrants might shape the future of work in America and more.


Follow Here To Purchase Work's New Age: The End of Full Employment and What It Means to You