1. It’s NOT All About Jobs Jobs Jobs. The National Debate Is Wrong:

2. It’s About Work! At Least That’s What It Should Be About.

3. Some gratuitous thoughts by Doug Poretz , August 2011 The Difference Is Significant. And, it’s getting more significant everyday.

4. Let’s start with a brief look at the history of jobs.

5. This guy didn’t have a job. But that doesn’t mean he didn’t work to be able to survive.

6. Think this farmer thought he had a “job” or that he was just doing the work he had to do?

7. Actually, two things had to happen for jobs to exist.

8. First, work had to move indoors to a fixed location. Or The Factory. The Office.

9. Second, there had to be a new, reliable measurement of productivity. Time Became Money.

10. So, people started to go to a specific place to do their work on a specific schedule. They went to jobs.

11. Now think about it:

12. In the Knowledge Economy: Do people really have to go to a fixed location to do their work anymore?

13. And does it really matter when they do their work or how much time they take to do it?

14. So, let’s get this straight:

15. As the Knowledge Economy continues to grow, the two things that gave rise to jobs in the first place: A fixed location and a fixed work schedule are both becoming irrelevant.

16. So … if the defining factors of “jobs” are becoming less relevant …

17. … maybe we should worry just a little less about jobs and a little more about work.

18. Let’s try an exercise in Common Sense:

19. In the Manufacturing Economy, when a company wanted to get something done, they would calculate how many people they needed to work on it, they’d create jobs for those people and go out and recruit them ...

20. And the work got done when all those people got together at the same place and time to do their jobs.

22. What do you think is going to happen when companies can get a better deal

24. What do you think is going to happen when companies can get a better deal?

25. As a matter of fact, a lot of people like working without having a job.

26. “ Perhaps the most significant finding from the 1999 data is that more workers in alternative employment arrangements are choosing these arrangements. Data on preference for the arrangements show that more workers actually prefer their alternative work arrangements to traditional jobs.” [ Italics by the author of the article] “ Characteristics of and preference for alternative work arrangements, 1999” Marisa DiNatale, Bureau of Labor Statistics economist, Monthly Labor Review, March 2001 That trend became clear in the 1990s:

28. Then, instead of making Jobs Jobs Jobs the focus of the national debate, shouldn’t we be discussing the future of Work and how to prepare for that future?

29. Aren’t the politicians conducting the wrong debate ? Would that surprise you?

30. Doug Poretz [email_address]