In “Finding Time: The Economics of Work-Life Conflict (opens in a new tab),” author Heather Boushey argues that resolving work-life conflicts is as vital for individuals and families as it is essential for realizing the United States’ productive potential. The federal government, however, largely ignores the connection between individual work-life conflicts and more sustainable economic growth. The consequence: business and government treat the most important things in life—health, children, elders—as matters for workers to care about entirely on their own time and dime. That might have worked in the past, but only thanks to a hidden subsidy: the American Wife, a behind-the-scenes, stay-at-home fixer of what economists call market failures. When women left the home—out of desire and necessity—the old system fell apart. Families and the larger economy have yet to recover.
Books DEC 1, 2022
The importance of digital information technology and communications giants to the U.S. economy and society today is undeniable. The business strategies of these companies are increasingly capturing the attention of…
Books JAN 1, 2021
The U.S. labor market is shackled by decades of wage stagnation for the majority of workers, persistent wage disparities by race, ethnicity, and gender, and sluggish economic growth. The steady…
By: Equitable Growth
Books FEB 1, 2020
To shape the 2020 policy debate and lead the charge for long-term structural change, the Washington Center for Equitable Growth has released Vision 2020: Evidence for a stronger economy. This…
By: Equitable Growth
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