Economists say the way we work has become so stressful it’s now the fifth leading cause of death. Our mission is to find a better way. Explore the art and science of living a full and healthy life with behavioral and social science researchers who can help us better understand what drives our human experiences, and how to change. Better Life Lab is a co-production from New America and Slate.
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Economists say the way we work has become so stressful it’s now the fifth leading cause of death. Our mission is to find a better way. Explore the art and science of living a full and healthy life with behavioral and social science researchers who can help us better understand what drives our human experiences, and how to change. Better Life Lab is a co-production from New America and Slate.
This season of Better Life Lab, we’ve been taking a close look at work stress and the future of work and wellbeing.
Parts of the American economy are looking tough for many workers — even “dystopian. People are quitting their jobs at record rates.
We know what many of the problems are. Yet the fixes are not so simple. So on this closing episode of our fourth season, we ask: Are bad jobs an inherent part of the workplace — or can we actually do what it takes to make the jobs of the future good jobs, big enough to support real human life for all of us?
Guests
Rep. Jim Himes, D-Ct, chair of the House Select Committee on Economic Disparity and Fairness in Growth
Zeynep Ton, founder, Good Jobs Institute
Warren Valdmanis, private equity investor and partner with Two Sigma Impact, who will only invest in companies that provide good jobs
Resources
What if Progress meant Wellbeing for All?, The Metropolitan Group
Making wellbeing a policy priority. Lessons from the 2021 World Happiness Report, Carol Graham, Brookings, 2021
The Business Roundtable Redefines the Purpose of a Corporation to Promote an Economy that Serves All, 2019
Hearing Recap: Our Changing Economy: The Effects of Technological Innovation, Automation and the Future of Work, House Select Committee on Economic Disparity and Fairness in Growth, Nov. 2021
Economists pin more blame on tech for inequality, New York Times, January 2022
Better Life Lab
Economists say the way we work has become so stressful it’s now the fifth leading cause of death. Our mission is to find a better way. Explore the art and science of living a full and healthy life with behavioral and social science researchers who can help us better understand what drives our human experiences, and how to change. Better Life Lab is a co-production from New America and Slate.