Steven and Geoff talk to Nathan Wilmers, the Sarofim Family Career Development Associate Professor and an Associate Professor of Work and Organization Studies at the MIT Sloan School of Management, about the role that inequality plays in the ever-evolving labor market. Nathan covers a wide gamut of topics, including the changing trends in wage inequality, declining union participation, the challenges of internal promotion, and the cyclical relationship between unequal income distribution and the luxury goods market. He also offers his thoughts on how these trends might look into the future, as well as what things can be done to ensure a healthy wage growth, especially for those at the bottom of the distribution. Our Inequality in Perspective segment take a deep dive into recent developments in the gig economy from both a personal and academic lens. Special thanks to Dmitri Koustas, Associate Professor at the Harris School of Public Policy, for his contributions to the segment.

Links:

The MIT Institute for Work and Employment Research: https://mitsloan.mit.edu/institute-work-and-employment-research/about-iwer

“The Evolution of Platform Gig Work, 2012-2021: Interactive Research Brief (Becker-Friedman Institute): https://bfi.uchicago.edu/insight/research-summary/interactive-research-brief-the-evolution-of-platform-gig-work-2012-2021/

“The Evolution of Platform Gig Work, 2012-2021: Working Paper (Becker-Friedman Institute): https://bfi.uchicago.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/BFI_WP_2023-69.pdf

“Taking a Page from Inclusive Capitalism, the US Gig Economy is Here to Stay” (Forbes): https://www.forbes.com/sites/nigelwilson/2023/02/08/taking-a-page-from-inclusive-capitalism-the-us-gig-economy-is-here-to-stay/?sh=3dfdbee925f0

Nathan Wilmers on the Changing Labor Market Landscape