Working Long Hours and Harder Than Ever Versus the Decrease of Purchasing Power

There was once a time, long ago, when work was all that a man was supposed to do. Workers went home only to sleep, or if they were lucky and slightly higher class, they were able to have fixed timings. Over time, the average work day has decreased, until working from nine in the morning to five in the evening became the standard work day, particularly for middle class employees. However, the middle class has recently been noted to be shrinking. Upward movement has always been a big part of the American dream, and in today’s financial climate, upward movement means long working hours.

It is no longer enough for the middle class employee to put in his eight hours with a lunch break, punching in and out and expecting to be promoted based on his loyalty to his employer. Nowadays, employees are expected to take their work home with them in order to meet deadlines that would otherwise be impossible to achieve within the official work day.

It is fair to say that the official work day is still the old eight hour work day with a one hour lunch break, but the work load of employees has increased to such a point that they are often reduced to eating a quick lunch whilst continuing their work. The reason for this is that companies, in an effort to reduce costs, have begun downsizing, decreasing their workforce in order to save money.

Conversely, the work load of the average company has increased drastically, and this drastically increased work load is being heaped upon a greatly depleted work force, resulting in employees being forced to stay back and increase their work days in order to meet their deadlines. These extra hours are often not paid for, as it is considered the employees duty to finish this work regardless of how long it is making his work day.

Additionally, the money that the average employee earns is worth less and less each year. Inflation results in a decrease in the value of dollar, making things that were once for twenty five cents fifty years ago now cost upwards of two or three dollars. Hence, the value of money can only be really ascertained by examining its purchasing power. Purchasing power is the value of money after adjusting for influence.

For example, if two dollars today are equivalent to twenty five cents fifty years ago, then it can be said that the purchasing power of the currency has remained stable. However, this is not the case. The purchasing power of the American dollar has decreased over the years, even after adjusting for inflation. Commodities and items these days are more expensive than they used to be when purchasing power is examined.

Hence, it is plain to see the lot of the average employee in middle class America. They work more than ever before, and for less money, a combination that is resulting in the destruction of the middle class.