In 1973 the government issued a report on “Work in America,” that was apparently “explosive” in reporting the alienation of blue collar workers and the “search by women for a new identity,” according to an article in Fast Company magazine.

One of the people that worked on that report in 1973 has now put out a new book as a “sequel” to that volume (The New American Workplace), and apparently has a fair amount of good news to bring. It seems work has, for many people, become more fulfilling and democratic. I noticed some interesting points:

The original report said that independent enterprises and self-employment was rapidly becoming a myth, as large corporations and government dominated the workforce. Fortunately (for me, at the very least!) this trend has been reversed.

And here is my favorite quote, citing research from the sequel:

The bottom line: All the evidence shows that workers who participate in decision making, training, profit sharing, and stock ownership are so much more productive than workers who don’t enjoy these working conditions that they pay for their own higher salaries and benefits.