I’ve
been obsessed about the job situation in this
country for the past several years. I’m
keeping a watchful eye on the quality of jobs,
but also the elimination of certain jobs based
on automation. Elon Musk’s DOGE eliminated
thousands of government jobs. Artificial
Intelligence (AI) is expected to have a
profound impact on the labor market. I don’t
see unions, workers’ centers, community
organizers, and radical social scientists
having a serious discussion about a structural
solution to a massive surplus of workers.
A
recent Aflac report laid out how stressed U.S.
workers are, especially Gen Z. The insurance
company’s survey showed that 72 percent of
U.S. employees are battling moderate to high
burnout at the workplace. This is not
surprising given the conditions on most jobs.
Most workers are underpaid, overworked, and
underappreciated - regardless of where they
work and their job positions. Work sites are
seeing more acts of violence. The
unprecedented stress employees are
experiencing now is said to be attributed to
the work lacking meaning and purpose.
The
multifaceted problems in the job market under
racial and gendered capitalism will be
protracted. Maybe looking at one component of
the problem is a more feasible approach. That
component is reducing the work week.
Several
European and Scandinavian countries have
implemented a 4-day work week. The results
include decreased burnout, increased
productivity, and reduced costs. Germany has
the shortest average work week in the world at
34 hours per week.
Black
workers have always caught more hell on the
job than other workers. We have experienced
more racial discrimination and harassment. We
have experienced lower pay, fewer promotions,
and fewer opportunities for success. Because
we are often the last hired, there’s the added
stress of being the first fired because of
seniority.
I’m
not interested in increased productivity or
reduction in employers’ costs; my greater
concerns are about the health and well-being
of workers, especially African Americans. The
stress on Black workers exacerbates underlying
and inter-generational medical conditions such
as heart disease, high blood pressure,
diabetes, and obesity. Heart disease is the
main cause of death in the U.S., and Black
folks are most likely to die of the disease.
Lifestyles are influenced by external factors,
like accessibility to fresh food, green space,
availability of health care, and lack of
violence. For working-class Black people, the
zip code in which you live can determine your
quality of life and longevity.
Unions
are negotiating contracts to address the
impact of AI on worker salaries and job
availability. In the coming years, AI is
likely to lead to millions of permanent job
losses, many of which may be lost to the trash
bin of history. The trump administration is
already identifying, re-purposing, and
building facilities to detain large numbers of
citizens as they deem necessary.
AI
is a technical phenomenon that we don’t fully
understand yet. While we are wrapping our
heads around it, the stress levels on jobs are
real and measurable. Let’s start demanding
shorter hours and decreased workdays so that
we can maintain our humanity and sanity. With
more time and a healthy outlook on life, we
can help tackle the issue of what to do with
valuable, displaced workers.
