The 2021 Veblen-Commons Award Recipient: Deborah M. Figart: Good Work. Issue 2 (3rd April 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Figart, Deborah M.
• Is Part Of: Journal of economic issues. Volume 55:Issue 2(2021)
• Page Start: 271
• Page End: 292
• Publication Date: 2021-04-03
• Subjects: job quality -- employment policies -- working time -- family and medical leave -- caring labor -- labor market discrimination; J08 -- J8 -- B52 -- K3; Economics -- Periodicals; Economics; Économie politique -- Périodiques; Economie; ECONOMICS; ECONOMIC POLICY; Periodicals; 330.05
• DOI: 10.1080/00213624.2021.1895581
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0021-3624

Abstract

Abstract : COVID-19 has exposed underlying weaknesses in the economy, including the political economic institutions structuring work. The labor market has moved toward more precarious work, negatively affecting job quality and well-being. After a summary of the current context shaping work, I discuss a new, 2021 Top Ten list of policy proposals aimed at institutionalizing good work. This list revises ten public policies I proposed in 2003, and reconsiders how they might be updated given evolving economic structures and context. Theoretically, the article draws upon major concepts in institutional and heterodox economics: progressive institutional change, invidious distinctions, countervailing power, social balance, capabilities, caring labor, and social provisioning.