Opinion Has It: Betsey Stevenson on the post-pandemic labor market

Betsey Stevenson considers the pandemic’s impact on the balance of power in the labor market – and whether the shift will hold. The PS Say More Newsletter | [View this message in a web browser]( In this week's newsletter, we present the newest episode of our podcast, Opinion Has It. Every other week in Opinion Has It, host Elmira Bayrasli is joined by a leading expert to examine a critical and timely issue. The US Economy’s Great Adjustment [Betsey Stevenson]( In this episode, Elmira talks with Betsey Stevenson, a professor of public policy and economics at the University of Michigan, a former member of the Council of Economic Advisers under President Barack Obama, and former Chief Economist of the US Department of Labor. Listen now on [PS]( [Apple]( [Google]( [Soundcloud]( or [Spotify](. [The US Economy’s Great Adjustment]( With many low-paying jobs going unfilled, it seems that the COVID-19 crisis has forced a much-needed adjustment in a labor market where workers had long suffered from a decline in bargaining power. But, as pandemic-support programs end and automation accelerates, workers face serious risks. This week on the podcast, [Betsey Stevenson]( considers how much power workers really do have in today's labor market – and what it will take to ensure that it lasts. [Listen now]( Opinion Has It is also available on your favorite listening app. Listen now on [Apple]( [Google]( [Soundcloud]( or [Spotify](. In this episode... Elmira Bayrasli: There are fears that even if workers managed to get deals that actually reflect their wants and needs, their position will weaken over time. So work from home is one example. Companies could start hiring more people as contractors or freelancers who have less job security and fewer benefits. How concerned are you about these risks? Betsey Stevenson: When we think about like freelance work, that movement has been underway for decades now. And partially, we have some legal restrictions around what it means to be an independent contractor and what it means to be an employee. So, some of that is guardrails that will be set by public policy. Some of it, though, is really again about attracting workers. So, we want to think about how much bargaining power workers have and how much bargaining power employers have. The thing that worries me most is... [Read the transcript]( Listen now on [PS]( [Apple]( [Google]( [Soundcloud]( or [Spotify](. [PS. The latest on economics for less than $9 a month. Subscribe now.]( Previously in Opinion Has It [Is It Time to Cancel the Olympics?]( [Is It Time to Cancel the Olympics?]( with [Jules Boykoff]( an associate professor of political science at Pacific University in Oregon, and a former member of the US Olympic soccer team Even when the world isn’t gripped by a pandemic, staging the Olympic Games can create serious problems for local populations. So, why do cities and countries keep seeking to host them? Listen now on [PS]( [Apple]( [Google]( [Soundcloud]( or [Spotify](. Or [read the transcript](. [Check out the Opinion Has It archive]( Previously in Say More [An Interview with Raj Persaud]( [An Interview with Raj Persaud]( [Raj Persaud]( considers how to counter Donald Trump’s sophisticated psychological techniques, explains how lockdowns can fuel risky behavior, and offers advice for navigating the post-pandemic transition. Persaud is a psychiatrist and author of The Mental Vaccine for COVID-19. [Check out the Say More archive]( [Special-Edition Magazine: Back to Health]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [LinkedIn]( Project Syndicate publishes and provides, on a not-for-profit basis, original commentary by the world's leading thinkers to more than 500 media outlets in over 150 countries. This newsletter is a service of [Project Syndicate](. [Change your newsletter preferences](. Follow us on [Facebook]( [Twitter]( and [YouTube](. © Project Syndicate, all rights reserved. [Unsubscribe from all newsletters](.