This is a really interesting article of an interview with Harvard economist Claudia Goldin (tip of the hat to Cafe Hayek for this one). In it she questions a couple of major “myths” regarding the role of labor in the transformation of the American economy – including that labor unions were responsible for significant wage gains or the rise of leisure (shortening of the work week). Goldin argues that technological changes in the economy are much more important explanations for each of these aspects of the economy because by and large they preceded the rise of unions in America. Very compelling arguments.
